Statement delivered by Mark Cassayre, Permanent Observer to the UN in Geneva
Thematic Session ‘’Respecting, protecting and promoting human rights: transparency, accountability and human oversight’’
7 July 2026
Thank you, Mr. Chair,
As the only global intergovernmental organization exclusively devoted to promoting the rule of law, the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) has extensive experience supporting countries to harness digital innovation to expand access to justice, strengthen governance, and improve the delivery of public services.
Digital technologies can make justice services more accessible, streamline court processes, and bring institutions closer to the people they serve. Yet the rapid adoption of AI and digital systems is often outpacing the legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks needed to ensure that these technologies protect and promote human rights.
Without adequate safeguards, the use of AI systems in decision-making may reinforce existing biases, produce discriminatory outcomes, and fail to account for essential contextual nuances. These risks are compounded by limited transparency and insufficient human oversight.
The challenge before us is therefore not simply technological. It is fundamentally a governance challenge.
For this reason, IDLO offers three recommendations.
First, the development and deployment of digital technologies must be firmly grounded in human rights and rule of law. Technology should expand access, not create new barriers. AI systems must be rights-based, context-responsive, and designed to prevent new forms of exclusion and inequality.
Second, innovation must be accompanied by clear and fit-for-purpose legal and regulatory frameworks. Effective regulation, transparency, accountability, and meaningful human oversight are not obstacles to innovation, they are the foundations of trustworthy and sustainable innovation. As countries modernize their justice systems and public institutions, clear rules and responsibilities are essential to ensure that AI strengthens, rather than undermines, public confidence.
Third, we must invest in institutional capacity and public digital infrastructure. This includes strengthening public digital infrastructure for justice delivery, enhancing AI literacy among legal and justice professionals, and supporting the digitalization of court processes and judicial services to enhance efficiency, transparency, and accessibility. These efforts must aim to improve access to justice, particularly for those who are most vulnerable or marginalized by digitalization processes.
We have a collective responsibility to ensure that human rights, accountability, transparency, and meaningful human oversight remain at the heart of AI governance.
IDLO remains committed to collaborating with and supporting the Global AI Dialogue, governments, and other stakeholders to advance a human rights-based approach to AI governance.
Thank you.