Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdel-Aati, inaugurated on Sunday the first roundtable of the United Nations Initiative on Artificial Intelligence and Human Development.
The event is being hosted by Egypt in co-operation with the United Nations at Al-Azhar University.
The roundtable brought together United Nations Deputy Secretary-General and Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group Amina Mohammed, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Rania Al-Mashat, former UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime Ghada Waly, Al-Azhar University President Salama Dawood, and UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt Elena Panova, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.
In his opening remarks, Abdel-Aati said Egypt was proud to host the high-level international event, describing it as an important platform for dialogue on harnessing artificial intelligence to advance human development and accelerate the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He said the choice of Al-Azhar University as the venue carried strong symbolic significance, reflecting the institution’s historic role as a beacon of learning, intellectual exchange and dialogue.
The minister highlighted Egypt’s efforts to establish a comprehensive national framework for AI governance, citing the establishment of the National Council for Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing and Emerging Technologies, the adoption of the National AI Governance Framework 2026, and the launch of the Egyptian Charter for Responsible Artificial Intelligence.
He said these measures are intended to balance innovation with the protection of individual rights while strengthening public trust in AI technologies.
Abdel-Aati noted that human development is at the core of Egypt’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2025–2030), which aims to improve public services, promote scientific research and innovation, support startups, empower young people and strengthen national capabilities through AI applications.
He stressed that Egypt’s vision is fully aligned with the UN SDGs and is based on the principle that people must remain both the driving force and the ultimate beneficiaries of digital transformation.
Artificial intelligence, he said, should serve as a tool for advancing social justice, inclusive development, peace, stability and prosperity.
