World leaders participating in the ongoing Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC) in Germany have endorsed a new initiative entitled “the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI.”
This endorsement is part of broader efforts to accelerate the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal targets by 2030.
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The move was announced in a statement issued by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Hamburg on Monday. The UN agency described the landmark initiative as “the first global declaration focused specifically on Artificial intelligence in international development”.
“At the Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC), global leaders from the public sector, business, science, and civil society have jointly endorsed the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for the Sustainable Development Goals,” the statement said.
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It noted that the initiative outlines shared principles and commitments to promote the equitable, inclusive, and sustainable development and deployment of artificial intelligence worldwide, emphasising empowering developing countries.
The UN said the declaration centres on ensuring AI technologies uphold human rights, serve and protect marginalised communities, and combat disinformation.
“Co-signatories further commit to improving the resource efficiency of AI systems, expanding access to AI education for women and girls, and supporting the growth of local AI innovations in developing countries,” the statement said.
Earlier, PREMIUM TIMES reported that participants from more than 110 countries gathered today in Hamburg, Germany, for the second edition of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC).
This event aims to foster partnerships for sustainable development and to expedite advancements in the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
According to a statement issued Sunday by the organisers, around 1,600 participants from more than 110 countries will convene across 60 sessions to develop concrete solutions to some of the most pressing global challenges.
PREMIUM TIMES’ Editor-in-Chief and Chief Operating Officer, Musikilu Mojeed, received an invitation from the German government to facilitate a high-level panel discussion at the event this year.
The HSC is an international forum that convenes distinguished leaders from politics, business, academia, and civil society to develop solutions to the most pressing global challenges of the time. The German Government organises it in partnership with other relevant stakeholders.
The annual conference is a joint initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the Michael Otto Foundation.
According to the organisers, this year’s edition of the HSC will centre on three thematic pillars; it will address the urgent need to reshape the global financial architecture, ensuring fairer and more sustainable financing models while alleviating debt burdens associated with climate change and other transnational challenges.
The event will also focus on unlocking investment flows to accelerate progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and global climate and biodiversity targets, particularly mobilising private sector capital for sustainable projects in emerging and developing economies.
Additionally, the conference is expected to explore strategies for ensuring a just transition to a sustainable future, encompassing green urban infrastructure, sustainable mobility solutions, and socially inclusive ecological transformation.
Addressing global challenges together
In his remarks, the UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said, “Artificial Intelligence is one of the most transformative forces of our time, yet its potential remains unrealised for most developing countries.“
The official explained that the “Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI for Sustainable Development” represents a crucial commitment to harnessing AI responsibly, ensuring it promotes equity, connects communities, and addresses global inequalities.
He said the declaration underscores “our collective responsibility” and that the task now is to ensure AI’s extraordinary capabilities drive sustainable development, benefiting everyone, everywhere, equally.
On her part, German Development Minister Reem Alabali-Radovan said improving access to fair and sustainable AI worldwide is one of the “great challenges of our time”.
The official explained that too many people remain excluded from the benefits of digital innovation and that the Hamburg Declaration marks a turning point.
”AI must become a force for good, a driver of inclusion, equality, and sustainable development,” she said.
From commitment to action
On Monday, the UNDP said that the declaration resulted from extensive collaborations that began at HSC 2024.
According to the statement, the UNDP, in partnership with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), introduced a set of principles for leveraging AI responsibly for sustainable development.
“Over the last year, a series of inclusive, multi-stakeholder engagements have further strengthened this shared vision. The result is a rallying call for global collaboration, challenging governments, businesses, and civil society to turn commitment into action—by investing in inclusive and sustainable AI, supporting local innovation, and ensuring no region is excluded from the digital future,” the statement said.
It said the path forward requires collective effort and that only through coordinated global action can AI be harnessed responsibly to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and create a more equitable digital future for all.
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