António Guterres, speaking at the International Telecommunication Union's AI for Good summit, on 30 May 2024. (UN Web TV)

UN stakes claim in AI governance with Geneva conference. Amid broader international efforts to govern artificial intelligence, the United Nations is holding a Global Dialogue this week in Geneva, arguing it will give all countries a seat at the table.

AI SPOTLIGHT. Aside from the new shiny diplomatic dialogue on the future of AI governance, Geneva will host two sister meetings this week.

The UN Telecommunications Union will hold its flagship annual summit on AI innovation, which seeks to put a positive spin on the often-demonised technology from tomorrow through Friday. The oldest – and wisest – of the bunch, the WSIS Forum, will run all week. It has spent the last two decades discreetly building a “people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented information society”.

RACE FOR THE HELM The Board of the Global Fund to fight Aids, TB and Malaria is scheduled to meet this week in Geneva with a change at the helm looming over discussions. Its executive director, Peter Sands, is ending his tenure this year, and the race to replace him is already becoming contentious.

US influence. Three names have emerged so far, and all are US nationals.(🍨Health Policy Watch has the scoop.)

It raises questions about the weight that Washington still carries in the future of the organisation as it keeps its place as top donor, but also the role the organisation will play in America’s self-styled global health aid. (Devex)

Nothing is confirmed, and the list is reportedly longer.

🤫Hush-hush. What's clear is that the secretiveness that typically shrouds the election is increasingly criticised – especially as the top health organisation stares at a $5.36 billion funding hole for the next three years of work amid a sharp decline in donor support. (Health Policy Watch)

🗓Next steps. The nomination committee, in charge of picking three to four candidates for the board to choose from by the end of October, is set to hold a first round of interviews with the short-listed candidates this month, with a second one planned for September. (Global Fund)

UN RIGHTS COUNCIL WRAPS UP. The Human Rights Council is concluding its summer session this Tuesday after considering some 27 draft resolutions, some more contentious than others.

🔧More than a few tweaks. An initiative on eliminating child marriage faces no less than seven amendments from Russia and the Arab group, while a proposal on combating discrimination against women in the care system has six amendments by Russia and the Organization for Islamic Cooperation.

Meanwhile, Russia was seemingly displeased with a draft text to commemorate the council’s 20th anniversary, for which it requested six changes.

🕵Sudan probe. Countries are also expected to order an inquiry into El Obeid following an emergency debate on Friday, requested by a group of western countries, amid warnings that the capital of North Kordofan is at risk of suffering a similar fate as El Fasher. While likely to pass unanimously, countries' statements revealed divergences on how countries align on the complex high-stakes war. (Arete News)

RESUME GAME. Health delegates meet this week to try to untangle negotiations over a pathogen data-sharing system after talks failed to reach a deal by the World Health Assembly. This time, the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo forms an alarming backdrop that may motivate negotiators to push harder past the deadlock, though many delegates don’t expect any major compromises for this session. (Geneva Health Files)

— Michelle Langrand

📌6 July | Can AI make you a better negotiator? research findings and practical insights. During this lunchtime webinar, Geneva Graduate Institute professors will draw on original research to explore how AI tools are reshaping the way negotiators plan, analyse, and make decisions under pressure.

📌11 July | Future Explorers. Meet astronauts, physicists, sailors, artists and pioneers pushing the frontiers of exploration at the Cern’s summer science festival comprising talks and hands-on activities for all ages.