Publication Details
Title:
First Global Pact on Responsible AI for Development Endorsed
Details:
At the Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC), global leaders from government, business, academia, and civil society have endorsed the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the Sustainable Development Goals, the first international commitment focused specifically on the ethical and inclusive use of artificial intelligence in global development.
The Declaration sets out a shared framework to guide the responsible development and deployment of AI, with a strong focus on equity, human rights, and support for developing countries.
It outlines principles to ensure AI technologies are inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and supportive of local innovation. It also calls for urgent action to expand access to AI education, particularly for women and girls, and to strengthen protections for vulnerable communities. A Call to Harness AI for the Common Good
“Artificial Intelligence is one of the most transformative forces of our time, yet its potential remains unrealized for most developing countries,” said Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
“The Hamburg Declaration represents a crucial commitment to harnessing AI responsibly, ensuring it promotes equity, connects communities, and addresses global inequalities. Our task now is to ensure AI’s extraordinary capabilities drive sustainable development, benefiting everyone, everywhere, equally.” German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Reem Alabali-Radovan, added: “Improving access to fair and sustainable AI worldwide is one of the great challenges of our time. Too many people remain excluded from the benefits of digital innovation. The Hamburg Declaration marks a turning point, AI must become a force for good, a driver of inclusion, equality, and sustainable development.”
From Principles to Practice
The Declaration builds on work initiated at HSC 2024 by UNDP and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), which introduced foundational principles for the responsible use of AI in development. Over the past year, these were refined through broad-based consultations across sectors and geographies.
This global agreement now serves as a rallying point for multilateral collaboration. It calls on governments, companies, and civil society to translate principles into practice by investing in inclusive AI systems, scaling locally driven innovation, and ensuring that no region is left behind in the digital age. AI can be the great equaliser, but only if it’s inclusive, ethical, and co-created,” said Lacina Koné, CEO of Smart Africa. “Today, Smart Africa proudly endorses the Hamburg Declaration. Africa is not a bystander, we are shaping the future.”
As Artificial intelligence continues to reshape economies, institutions, and societies, the Declaration underscores the need for global coordination. It calls for a collective commitment to ensure that AI becomes a tool for accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and building a more equitable, inclusive, and resilient digital future for all.