Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva at the Briefing on the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference
Distinguished colleagues,
I thank Ambassador Fu Cong and his team for organizing this crucial briefing.
First of all, let me congratulate the Chinese Side on a successful hosting of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai. Its impressive scale and tangible results confirm its status as one of the leading platforms for showcasing innovations and exchanging views on the development of emerging technologies.
Artificial intelligence is no longer a topic of the distant future. It is transforming industry and transportation, education and medicine, commerce and public administration. In essence, a new technological foundation for the global economy is taking shape. Our common interest is to ensure that all States can equally benefit from using AI resources. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to ensure non-discriminatory access to relevant datasets, computing power, state-of-the-art models, software products based on them, and a reliable energy infrastructure while safeguarding technological sovereignty.
In Shanghai we took another step towards this goal. On 16 July 29 countries, including Russia, signed an agreement launching the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO). The new structure will be aimed at advancing equitable mechanisms for cooperation among States to build their capacities, develop their own solutions and bridge the digital divide.
In this respect, during the Conference in Shanghai our country offered a number of practical measures that can be implemented within the WAICO. These include creation of an international catalogue of verified AI solutions and a mechanism for joint pilot projects; development of voluntary, compatible approaches to safety, testing, and standardization; the establishment of a network of centers of excellence and training programs. Russia is ready to actively participate in these initiatives.
An important point is that, in its work, the WAICO will not undercut but rather complement the UN's efforts in this area. It is the United Nations that should play the central coordinating role in international AI development cooperation with the UN Charter and the international law serving as the basis for building global AI governance.
This key understanding was reaffirmed by 53 members of the UN Group of Friends for International Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence Capacity-Building at the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance held in Geneva this month. In our joint statement we highlighted the common approaches to AI governance. We emphasized the inadmissibility of unilateral coercive measures undermining technological development, stressed that AI developers and suppliers should comply with the national legislation of countries in which their technologies are used and pointed out the importance of promoting trustworthy AI solutions and preserving linguistic and cultural diversity. We expect that the Co-Chairs of the Global Dialogue will reflect these approaches in their summary.
We are confident that our joint efforts will contribute to transforming AI into an effective tool that can help the Global Majority to reach Sustainable Development Goals.
Thank you for your attention.
