Macau SAR, 15 July 2026 — The United Nations University Institute in Macau (UNU Macau), China Agricultural University (CAU), and Tencent Sustainable Social Value Organization (SSV) announced the UNU Hub on Responsible and Inclusive AI for Global South Youth Empowerment (UNU RISE-hub) during the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) 2026 side event, “Empowering Youth for AI-Driven Innovation: Building Competencies and Partnerships for SDG 9 in Developing Countries.”
The side event, co-organized by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications of Cambodia and UNU Macau, was held on 13 July at United Nations Headquarters in New York during the opening of the HLPF ministerial segment. It brought together representatives from UN entities, government, academia and the technology sector to discuss how youth AI literacy and competencies can support inclusive innovation, strengthen digital ecosystems and contribute to sustainable industrial development in developing countries.
Advancing Inclusive AI Innovation for Youth
The UNU RISE-hub is envisioned as a long-term platform to support responsible and inclusive AI capacity-building for youth across the Global South. Hosted at CAU in collaboration with UNU Macau, and supported by Tencent SSV, the Hub will focus on applied research, education and training, youth innovation activities and multi-stakeholder partnerships from 2026 to 2030.
Speaking at the event, UNU Macau Director Jingbo Huang emphasized that young people are both major beneficiaries and drivers of AI-enabled innovation. Yet many young people in the Global South continue to face unequal access to digital infrastructure, quality AI education, innovation ecosystems and opportunities to participate in shaping the technologies that will define their future.
The UNU RISE-hub responds to this challenge by focusing on three core pillars: thematic research, education and training, and convening and outreach. Through these pillars, the Hub aims to help bridge global disparities in AI readiness and support young people as creators, innovators and decision-makers in the AI era.
Under the education and training pillar, UNU Macau and CAU are preparing to develop a joint online Master’s programme focused on artificial intelligence and innovative technologies for youth in the Global South.
Supporting Youth2030 and Inclusive Digital Governance
The announcement aligns with Youth2030: The United Nations Youth Strategy, which calls for working with and for young people as partners in advancing sustainable development.
Dr. Felipe Paullier, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, welcomed the initiative and underscored that the future of AI should not be written only for young people, but with young people. He highlighted the importance of cross-sectoral and intergenerational partnerships to ensure that AI strengthens human connection, expands participation and supports youth engagement in digital policy, governance frameworks and accountability mechanisms.
The discussion also highlighted the importance of including youth voices in technology governance and standards-setting. As noted by Wan Rui, Liaison Officer at the International Telecommunication Union Office for the United Nations and member of the ITU Youth Task Force, an inclusive AI future requires that young people in the Global South become creators and decision-makers, not only consumers or data sources.
Building Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships for the Global South
Participants also discussed how platforms such as the UNU RISE-hub can support national AI and digital strategies in developing countries. H.E. Mr. Rapid Sun, Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications of Cambodia, emphasized that amid rapid AI development and persistent digital divides, countries such as Cambodia need multi-stakeholder platforms to support the implementation of emerging national AI strategies.
Representatives from CAU and Tencent SSV also shared perspectives from their long-standing cooperation in rural poverty alleviation and youth development. Building on this experience, the partners aim to develop the UNU RISE-hub into a globally relevant model for responsible AI-enabled rural transformation, youth empowerment and sustainable development.
UNU Macau will continue to work with partners across the UN system, academia, government and the private sector to advance inclusive AI capacity-building and support young people in shaping digital futures that serve sustainable development.
Chinese edition on the UN News: https://news.un.org/zh/story/2026/07/1142469
Press Contacts
United Nations University Institute in Macau
Email: comms_macau@unu.edu
