Sierra Leone Statement At The UN Security Council On ArtificialIntelligence andthe Maintenanceof Peace andSecurity

STATEMENT BY
H. E. DR. MICHAEL IMRAN KANU
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SIERRA LEONE TO THE UNITED NATIONS

Thank you, Mr. President, Excellency Antony J. Blinken, United States Secretary of State.

1. Let me also thank the United States presidency for convening this important high-level meeting on artificial intelligence (AI) and the maintenance of international peace and security.

• I thank His Excellency António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations for his insightful [and thought-provoking] briefing.

• We take note of the contributions of Mr. Yann LeCun, Chief AI Scientist, Meta and Jacob T. Schwartz Professor of Computer Science, Data Science, Neural Science, and Electrical and Computer Engineering at New York University; and Ms. Fei-Fei Li, Sequoia Professor in the Computer Science Department at Stanford University, Co-Director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute, and Member of the Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board.

• The topic for today’s high-level briefing is not only timely but highly relevant, as we acknowledge the significant implications of AI on the global landscape and present-day realities. This includes its potential to transform societies and economies, and, equally, the risks it poses to peace and security, particularly when misapplied in military contexts.

• The rapid development of AI technology, as highlighted in the outcomes of ongoing international dialogue, including the Secretary-General’s July 2023 Policy Brief, the Global Digital Compact annexed to the Pact for the Future, present both tremendous opportunities and significant challenges. AI holds the potential to address a wide range of global issues, within the framework of sustainable development. However, as AI becomes increasingly pervasive, we must also recognize its ability to disrupt peace and security in both civilian and military domains.

• It is in this regard that Sierra Leone is of the view that AI can play a pivotal role in maintaining peace and security by enhancing decision-making, improving situational awareness, and enabling proactive conflict prevention and management.

• We therefore fully support the ongoing international dialogue and initiatives, including the High-Level Advisory Body on AI, which underscores the importance of creating a robust international ecosystem for AI governance.

Mr. President,

• [As our briefers and other Council members have also noted] AI holds immense promise for advancing sustainable development, improving governance, and fostering peace. However, its unregulated deployment risks exacerbating inequality, fueling conflict, and undermining the dignity of human life. For post-conflict and developing countries striving to sustain peace, the stakes could not be higher.

• For the African continent the misuse of AI poses unique risks. In most parts of Africa, where digital infrastructure is still developing, there is a growing vulnerability to AI-enabled disinformation campaigns, which could destabilize fragile social fabrics and undermine democratic processes. Additionally, the potential militarization of AI, if left unchecked, could exacerbate regional insecurities, threaten peacekeeping, and endanger civilian protections.

1. Accordingly, the principles outlined in the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council’s (AUPSC) Communique on AI, adopted on 13 June 2024, are particularly resonant for Sierra Leone. We strongly agree that AI should be human-centric, prioritizing the well-being of people over the interests of technology companies or military objectives. This includes addressing concerns about bias in AI systems, ensuring the right to privacy, and protections against the misuse of AI for surveillance or other forms of social control.

1. The AU’s emphasis on responsible development and governance of AI aligns with our belief that the international community must act proactively to ensure that AI is developed and deployed in a manner that promotes peace, equity, and global cooperation, while preventing its misuse.

1. The key aspects of AUPSC AI communique include instructing the AU Commission to undertake a comprehensive study on the impact and implications of AI on peace, security, stability, democracy and development in Africa; mainstreaming AI in all peace processes, including facilitating its integration in peace building initiatives; leveraging AI for mediation, reconciliation, and post-conflict reconstruction; develop frameworks to oversee the responsible integration of AI in military operations; as well as ensuring compliance with ethical standards and international humanitarian law (IHL) among others.

1. Sierra Leone therefore has and remains supportive of initiatives at the international and regional levels that call for timely action and cooperation to ensure the deployment and use of safe, secure and trustworthy AI systems for sustainable development and peace. It is critical to expand participation of all countries, in particular developing countries, in digital transformation to harness the benefits and effective participation, including by capacity building.

1. Promoting knowledge sharing activities and the transfer of technology on mutually agreed terms is an important aspect of capacity development. Further, AI capacity-building should not only be about technology transfer but also about building local expertise, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and ensuring that countries have the necessary legal and institutional structures to manage the risks associated with AI. This will require coordinated efforts from international organizations, including the UN, and regional bodies like the AU.

1. We also therefore support the establishment of a Global AI Fund, as proposed by the High-Level Advisory Body on AI, to ensure that developing countries have the resources and technical support needed to safely and effectively integrate AI into our economies and societies.

Mr. President,

1. In addressing the key questions for today’s briefing on how AI can contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security, Sierra Leone wishes to underscore the following four points:

1. Firstly, on conflict prevention and early warning systems, and while fully respecting the principles of the UN Charter, AI algorithms can analyze vast datasets, including economic indicators, political events, and social media trends, to predict tensions, potential conflicts or instability. Also, machine learning models can detect patterns of escalating tensions by monitoring communication channels, troop movements, or trade disruptions. Furthermore, AI can identify regions at risk of instability and suggest optimal allocation of humanitarian aid or peacekeeping resources to prevent escalation of potential conflict situations.

1. Secondly, AI can facilitate diplomacy and conflict resolution in analysing diplomatic communications to identify areas of misunderstanding or potential consensus.  Additionally, AI can gauge public and leadership sentiments in conflict regions, helping mediators design more effective peace-building strategies.

1. Thirdly, AI can assist in optimising the deployment of peacekeeping forces by analysing data on conflict intensity, geography, and logistics. More importantly, AI systems can process real-time inputs from civilians and organizations to map conflict zones, refugee movements, and humanitarian needs.

• Fourthly and finally, as AI technologies become more integrated into military applications, with the evident risks to international security, the use of AI in military systems, especially autonomous weapons, must address the profound concerns regarding accountability, the potential for unintended escalation, and compliance with IHL. The military application of AI should be governed by clear international standards that prioritize human oversight and adherence to IHL. There must be transparency, dialogue, and multilateral engagement on this issue to ensure that AI in the military domain does not contribute to destabilization or the erosion of international norms.

• In closing Mr. President, Sierra Leone is fully in support of peaceful uses of AI especially in terms of enhancing peacebuilding and sustaining peace initiatives. This is why we collaborated with Slovenia and Switzerland in calling for joint action to implement the Secretary General’s New Agenda for Peace during our August presidency of the Council.

• Within that context the aforementioned trio of countries, during the Swiss presidency in October, we also called on the Council to act early and manage uncertainty, by seeking expert advice and collaborate with academic and research institutions to provide the Council with evidence-based information and other relevant assistance to help prevent conflict. AI can ultimately assist in this regard.

I thank you.