Grigol Robakidze University hosts hybrid Conference on Child Rights and Digital Environment dedicated to 35th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

On the 10th-12th of March Grigol Robakidze University hosted the hybrid Conference on Child Rights and Digital Environment, including AI: Challenges and Opportunities for Children dedicated to 35th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Tbilisi, - Grigol Robakidze University reports.

UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), UNICRI Center for AI and Robotics, 5Rightsfoundation, Childfund Korea, Humantraffickingfund are co-sponsors of the event.

The Conference brought together over 1200 children and adults from around 60 countries, various international organization, leading Universities, business representatives, CSOs and experts to discuss unprecedented opportunities for realization of child rights, at the same time imposing enormous threats on children.

Different stakeholders and leading experts in the field shared their experiences, analyzes as well as proposals on AI governance-, the role of AI in quality education-, challenges and opportunities-, combating crimes-, as well as industry responsibilities in the context of AI and child rights.

The Conference offered a platform for the discussion of the draft Joint Statement on AI and Child Rights amongst various stakeholders and experts. It is the first international document focused specifically on child rights in the context of Artificial Intelligence. The process is coordinated by ITU.

The CRC, UNICRI Center for AI and Robotics, IPU, UNESCO, UNODC, SRSG Violence against Children, Council of Europe are involved in the elaboration process. The author of the initiative is a Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, Professor of the Grigol Robakidze University, Sophie Kiladze.

Children representing all 5 regions of the United Nations were actively involved in various panels, expressing their views on challenges and opportunities for children in the context of AI and presenting their projects how AI can be used for Good.

The Conference has ensured a meaningful child participation respecting the Joint Statement on AI and Child Rights.

Michał Kobosko - we hope that your government eventually would either choose the European way, the democratic way or would resign seeing the number, the size and scale of the citizens' protests