MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay signs Council of Europe’s Global AI Treaty

The treaty was signed in Strasbourg by Montevideo's Ambassador to Paris, Enrique Emilio Loedel Soca

Uruguay signed the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, the first-ever international legally binding treaty aimed at ensuring that the use of AI systems is fully consistent with human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

Uruguay thus became the first Latin American country to sign the treaty, thereby joining another 16 signatories that have signed it to date (eleven Council of Europe member states, as well as Canada, Israel, Japan, the USA, and the EU).

The treaty was signed in Strasbourg by Montevideo's Ambassador to Paris, Enrique Emilio Loedel Soca, in the presence of the Council of Europe’s Deputy Secretary General, Bjørn Berge.

The Framework Convention provides a legal framework covering the entire lifecycle of AI systems. It promotes AI progress and innovation while managing the risks it may pose to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. To stand the test of time, it is technology-neutral, it was explained.

The Council of Europe, a multilateral organization that defends and promotes human rights, has 46 members, 27 of them from the European Union.

The convention, which became open for signature a year ago, seeks to provide a legal framework that encompasses “the entire lifecycle of AI systems.”

According to the Council of Europe, the treaty promotes “progress and innovation in AI, while managing the risks it may pose to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law,” so that each signatory state “shall adopt appropriate legislative, administrative, or other measures” to “give effect to the provisions set forth” in the convention.

“These measures will be graduated and differentiated as necessary based on the severity and likelihood of adverse impacts on human rights, democracy, and the rule of law throughout the lifecycle of artificial intelligence systems. This may include specific or horizontal measures that apply regardless of the type of technology used,” the document further notes.

Thus, the application includes activities carried out by “public authorities” using artificial intelligence. However, a country will not be required to apply the treaty for activities related to the protection of its national security interests, “provided that they are carried out in accordance with applicable international law, including obligations under international human rights law, and with respect for its democratic institutions and processes,” which also applies to national defense issues.

“The Parties shall cooperate to fulfill the purpose of this Convention. The Parties are further encouraged, as appropriate, to assist States that are not Parties to this Convention to act in accordance with its terms and to accede to it.”