EU Statement – UN Security Council Arria-formula Meeting: Harnessing AI for international peace and security

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EU Statement - UN Security Council Arria-formula Meeting: Harnessing AI for international peace and security

05.04.2025 Press and information team of the Delegation to the UN in New York

4 April 2025, New York - Statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States by H.E. Ambassador Hedda Samson, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, at the UN Security Council Arria formula meeting on "Harnessing safe, inclusive, trustworthy AI for the maintenance of international peace and security"

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I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia^*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^* and Georgia, align themselves with this statement.

President,

Let me first thank the organizers of today's meeting as well as the briefer(s) for their contribution.

President,

Emerging technologies, notably AI and autonomy in weapons systems, are already reshaping the landscape of conflict. The EU considers it imperative that we address these challenges by establishing principles, international norms and regulations anchored in human rights to ensure the responsible use and development of such technologies.

Last September, we adopted the Global Digital Compact (GDC), as part of the Pact of the Future. The GDC serves as the first ever comprehensive framework on digital governance and digital cooperation at the global level.

Following that significant step, the EU remains determined to keep analyzing the applications of AI and other new technologies to achieve a balance between advantageous uses and the need to mitigate negative impacts in certain domains, including cybersecurity.

We underline our commitment to uphold the international rules-based order in cyberspace and encourage its adherence, implementation, and further development in line international human rights and humanitarian law. With that in mind, we support cybersecurity capacity-building to ensure that all responsible states can implement the framework of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace.

The EU also encourages further engagement in dialogue and cooperation to address opportunities and challenges presented by AI in the military domain. We support efforts to exchange best practices and foster a common understanding of the legal and ethical implications, and we welcome recent international and regional initiatives.

In this respect, let me recall that all EU Member States are signatories to the "REAIM Blueprint for Action". We consider the REAIM process a success with its multi partner approach, involving governments, militaries, industry, NGOs and researchers. We thank Spain for taking forward the REAIM process, launched by the Netherlands and the Republic of Korea. We also thank France for hosting the Paris AI Action Summit earlier this year in February.

The EU will also engage in the work on the recent 1st Committee Resolution on AI. We intend to submit a joint reply by the EU, in addition to the replies that EU Member States will provide.

Finally, a word on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS). States bear a fundamental responsibility to ensure that the development, production, deployment and use of emerging technologies in the area of LAWS must be in compliance with international law, in particular International Humanitarian Law.

The EU emphasises that human beings must make the decisions with regard to the use of lethal force, exert control over lethal weapons systems that they use and remain accountable for decisions over the use of force in order to ensure compliance with International Law, in particular IHL, also taking into account ethical considerations.

Thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.