The United Nations University – Operating Unit on Policy-driven Electronic Governance (UNU‑EGOV) was represented at two international events in July 2026, contributing to discussions on Artificial Intelligence (AI), sustainable development, and the governance challenges associated with emerging technologies.
Charmaine Distor, Research Consultant at UNU-EGOV, participated in the 39th Annual Meeting of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS), held in Lisbon, Portugal.
During the conference, she presented the policy brief “Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development in Small Island Developing States”, co-authored with UNU-EGOV researchers Soumaya Ben Dhaou and Morten Meyerhoff Nielsen.
Policy Brief Highlights
- AI is already helping SIDS "leapfrog" development challenges, from disaster response (Fiji) to renewable energy planning (Palau) to outbreak forecasting (Jamaica)
- But readiness is deeply uneven, over 70% of SIDS lack quality data for AI, and many still have no public AI strategy at all
- Bridging this divide isn't just about technology, it takes strong governance, open-source digital infrastructure, sustained capacity building, and regional cooperation
Charmaine also chaired the panel “Technopolarity and Visions of Control: Non-State Actors, Emerging Tech, and the Future of Multilateralism” on July 2.
The following week, from 8 to 10 July, Charmaine participated as an invited speaker in the APEC Tech for Good Workshop in Shenzhen, China. Her presentation, “Ensuring Public Sector AI is Responsible: An AI Life Cycle & Human-Centered Perspective”, drew on findings from her doctoral research as well as UNU-EGOV’s ongoing work on responsible Artificial Intelligence.
The presentation highlighted the importance of adopting a life cycle perspective when developing and implementing artificial intelligence in the public sector. According to the research, responsible AI should not be viewed as a single checkpoint but as a process that spans the design, development, and deployment stages, with governance challenges at any stage potentially affecting the others.
Another key theme addressed was the role of human oversight in AI-enabled public services. The presentation discussed how citizens' acceptance of AI autonomy can vary depending on the level of risk associated with a service. Examples included the differing expectations regarding human involvement in routine administrative processes, such as passport renewals, compared with higher-impact decisions, such as welfare assessments.
Still in the APEC Tech for Good Workshop, Charmaine Distor also joined the panel discussion “Technology Moves Too Fast, Regulation Moves Too Slow: Can Ethical Review Apply the Brakes?”, which brought together experts to discuss the challenges of balancing technological innovation with effective oversight and ethical safeguards.
