Chen Xu, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, delivered a joint statement on behalf of over 70 countries during the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council. The statement, titled “Promoting Accessibility through Artificial Intelligence,” was presented at the annual panel on technical cooperation and capacity-building.
The joint statement emphasized that building an accessible environment is a symbol of human civilization and a fundamental guarantee for ensuring that everyone can equally enjoy their human rights. It noted that AI has the potential to remove physical, informational, and cultural barriers, promoting inclusive social development.
The statement put forward three key proposals: First, adopting a human-centered approach to AI development to ensure it respects, promotes, and protects human rights; second, fostering inclusive development to ensure the benefits of AI are shared by all and contribute to equitable growth; and third, enhancing financial and technical support for developing countries and strengthening global AI governance through international cooperation.
This statement builds on the resolution led by China on “Equal Access for All” and follows similar initiatives in past sessions that focused on improving the rights of people with disabilities (53rd session), children (55th), and women (56th) through AI — each of which received broad international support.