Ministry of IT & Telecom, Pakistan

Success for the inaugural Global Dialogue on AI Governance should be measured not by the volume of declarations issued, but by the tangible narrowing of the development divide that currently defines the global AI landscape. In my view, the Dialogue will have succeeded if it cements itself as the enduring, universal, and UN anchored platform where high-level intergovernmental engagement, not private commercial or narrow geopolitical interests sets the political anchor for AI governance, and where the Independent Scientific Panel's findings actively shape substantive, actionable outcomes rather than merely advisory suggestions. A truly successful first session must deliver concrete capacity-building mechanisms for developing nations, including an operationalized Global Fund for AI that finances digital infrastructure, facilitates technology transfer, and democratizes access to quality datasets, backed by robust tracking to ensure commitments materialize as projects on the ground. It must also guarantee equitable representation of developing countries within all panels and working groups so that regional realities inform global rules rather than being appended as afterthoughts. Furthermore, success requires enforceable commitments to safeguard citizens particularly children, youth, and the elderly from privacy violations, deepfakes, and algorithmic bias, ensuring AI systems remain safe, secure, and fully aligned with international human rights law and the Sustainable Development Goals. Ultimately, if the Dialogue leaves developing nations with credible financing frameworks, equitable access to critical resources, and a governance architecture that respects digital sovereignty while advancing shared prosperity, it will have established itself as a genuine turning point in responsible and inclusive AI governance.

• AI capacity-building
• Interoperability of governance approaches
• Safe, secure and trustworthy AI
• Protection and promotion of human rights

Pakistan welcomes the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance as a pivotal platform to shape an international architecture that bridges knowledge and capacity gaps, particularly for developing countries. Anchored in our National Artificial Intelligence Policy 2025 and the Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2025, we approach this Dialogue with a firm commitment to leveraging technology for inclusive progress and ensuring that artificial intelligence serves as a driver of common public good and shared prosperity rather than widening global inequalities. Our first priority is safe, secure, and trustworthy AI. We have selected this because the rapid diffusion of AI across critical sectors demands governance frameworks that ensure resilience against misuse, cyber threats, and systemic vulnerabilities while aligning with international standards and respecting sovereign rights over digital ecosystems. Pakistan achieved Tier 1 "Role Model" status, placing it among the world's top-performing nations for cybersecurity in the latest Cybersecurity Index of ITU/UN. Second, we prioritize AI capacity building, recognizing it as the most consequential gap in the current governance landscape. Developing nations require sustainable financing, technology transfers, affordable infrastructure, and access to quality datasets. Pakistan urges the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence Fund and insists that existing commitments, including the Global Fund for AI, must be tracked and delivered upon to transform developing countries from passive recipients into active contributors. Pakistan's National AI Policy 2025 is approved, with a bold target of one million AI-skilled professionals by 2030. The National AI Advancement Initiative (NAAI) is operational, and the Prime Minister has also announced $1 billion for AI ecosystem development. Third, we emphasize interoperability of governance approaches. Fragmented regulatory landscapes risk creating incompatible standards that stifle innovation and exclude emerging economies from global value chains. Pakistan seeks a universal, UN-anchored platform where high-level intergovernmental engagement anchors a coherent yet flexible architecture accommodating diverse developmental realities. Finally, we place paramount importance on the protection and promotion of human rights. Unchecked AI deployment poses acute risks to privacy and social cohesion, particularly for children, youth, and the elderly who remain vulnerable to deepfakes, misinformation, and algorithmic bias. Global AI governance must remain fully aligned with international human rights law and the Sustainable Development Goals. Pakistan stands ready to engage constructively with the United Nations and all global partners to ensure responsible, equitable, and inclusive AI governance that leaves no nation behind.

Pakistan's unique context reveals three critical gaps. First, the climate-AI nexus remains unaddressed: as one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, Pakistan requires explicit focus on AI-driven adaptation, disaster resilience, and water resource management. Second, federal-provincial coordination under the 18th Amendment creates constitutional complexity for nationwide AI standards that "interoperability" fails to capture at the subnational level. Third, the gendered AI divide demands targeted attention beyond general human rights language, as algorithmic bias and digital exclusion disproportionately affect women in patriarchal structures. Finally, digital sovereignty, the imperative of national control over data, infrastructure, and algorithmic decision making cuts across existing themes without standing as an explicit priority, yet it remains central to Digital Nation Pakistan's vision.

In Pakistan, governance gaps in AI are amplifying structural vulnerabilities while constraining transformative potential. The absence of a dedicated climate-AI framework leaves a climate-vulnerable nation without guaranteed access to adaptive technologies such as predictive flood modeling and precision agriculture, perpetuating disaster risk. Federal-provincial regulatory fragmentation under the 18th Amendment has created inconsistent data standards and disjointed AI rollouts across provinces, slowing nationwide digital transformation. Meanwhile, the unaddressed gendered AI divide excludes millions of women from the digital economy, deepening inequality and shrinking the talent pool. Weak global recognition of digital sovereignty further risks locking Pakistan into technological dependency, undermining its National AI Policy 2025. Yet these gaps present clear opportunities. Harmonized federal-provincial governance could unlock scalable AI public services; targeted gender-responsive policies can mobilize underutilized human capital; and assertive digital sovereignty can attract localized investment. If global AI governance accommodates these realities, Pakistan can convert its vulnerabilities into inclusive, resilient growth.

The AI Dialogue can advance cooperation by cementing itself as the universal, UN-anchored platform where high-level intergovernmental engagement anchors inclusive governance and yields binding obligations for Member States. It must bridge the development divide through actionable capacity-building, an operationalized Global Fund for AI, and technology transfers. Complementary mechanisms may support these objectives, yet the Dialogue must retain primacy as the intergovernmental forum. By ensuring the Independent Scientific Panel directly shapes policy, the Dialogue can ground governance in evidence while respecting digital sovereignty. Equitable representation of developing countries will ensure regional realities inform standards. Ultimately, success depends on converting commitments into tangible financing, infrastructure, and skills.

Pakistan believes the Global Dialogue should build upon existing mechanisms while filling gaps they leave unaddressed. It must connect with UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of AI and the ITU's AI for Good platform, which have laid normative foundations yet lack enforceability. It should also engage the Global Partnership on AI and the World Bank's Digital Economy initiatives, including Pakistan's Digital Economy Enhancement Project, aligning capacity-building with national realities. Equally important are the Digital Cooperation Organization's initiatives, of which Pakistan is a founding member . The DCO's AI-REAL Toolkit offers a practical five-pillar framework for assessing national AI readiness from empowerment to adoption.