Secretary-General Welcomes Independent International Scientific Panel on AI to Spain for First In-Person Meeting
Summary
UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a video message on 22 April 2026 welcoming members of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI to Spain for their first in-person meeting in Madrid. The Secretary-General thanked Prime Minister Sanchez and the Government of Spain for hosting and championed inclusive AI governance through the United Nations. He stated the Panel's first report is expected ahead of July's Global Dialogue on AI Governance, with longer-term goals to build governance foundations for every country from the most advanced to the most vulnerable.
“No single government, company or research lab can answer these questions alone.”
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What changed
The UN Secretary-General delivered a video statement welcoming the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI to Spain for its inaugural in-person meeting. The statement acknowledges AI's rapid advancement and new uncertainties, emphasizing the need for inclusive AI governance amid widening geopolitical divides and eroding trust. The Panel is tasked with producing a first report ahead of July's Global Dialogue on AI Governance, with a longer-term objective to establish governance foundations applicable across all countries.
For governments and international bodies, this statement signals continued momentum for UN-led AI governance initiatives. Multinational corporations and research institutions involved in AI development may wish to monitor the Panel's forthcoming report for indicators of emerging international standards or governance frameworks that could inform future regulatory expectations.
Scheduled event
- Date
- 2026-04-22
- Location
- Madrid
Archived snapshot
Apr 23, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
22 April 2026
Madrid Spain
Secretary-General's video message to the reception welcoming members of the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence to Spain for their first in-person meeting
Statements | António Guterres, Secretary-General
Excellencies, Dear Panel Members,
My thanks to Prime Minister Sanchez and the government of Spain for welcoming the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence for its first in-person meeting.
We also appreciate your leadership in helping to establish this Panel and championing inclusive AI governance through the United Nations.
I commend the Panel for the progress already underway.
AI is leaping ahead.
Every week brings new capabilities – and new uncertainties.
All of this is unfolding as international cooperation frays.
Geopolitical divides are widening.
Trust, between and within nations, is eroding.
In this context, fear and misinformation can easily take the place of science and evidence.
So how do we protect people while supporting innovation?
How do we ensure every country can harness AI – for health, learning, climate action and resilience?
And how do we do this before harms reach a point of no return – for children, for workers, for privacy, and for peace and democracy itself?
No single government, company or research lab can answer these questions alone.
But an independent scientific voice, trusted across borders, can help – by moving the global conversation from competing claims to shared science.
Much is now expected of you.
In the short term, your first report ahead of July's Global Dialogue on AI Governance.
Over time, you can help build a foundation for the governance of AI to guide every country, from the most advanced to the most vulnerable – across science, policy and capacity.
This is a profound responsibility. It is also a remarkable opportunity. Seize it.
Thank you for lending your insights, your judgment, and your independence to this crucial issue that will shape the future of humanity.
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