Doha: The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) affirmed that the ethical governance of artificial intelligence represents an urgent necessity to ensure the protection of the most vulnerable groups from the risks of discrimination and exclusion, noting that social justice is the compass guiding sustainable development in the digital age, ensuring that human beings remain at the forefront of technological transformations.
According to Qatar News Agency, this statement was made during a regional virtual seminar on the occasion of the World Day of Social Justice. The seminar was organized by the NHRC in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions, and attended by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the Al Jazeera Media Institute.
The seminar aimed to highlight the growing intersection between digital transformation and human rights, and explore ways to direct artificial intelligence technologies to enhance social justice and guarantee the right to decent work for all without discrimination, amid the rapid economic and technological transformations in the Arab region.
In this context, HE NHRC Vice Chairman Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari emphasized that participation in organizing this regional seminar represents an opportunity to renew the commitment to confronting urgent challenges and seizing available opportunities to enhance social justice based on human dignity, equality, and non-discrimination.
He added that social justice extends beyond eradicating poverty and achieving social inclusion, to the full and effective realization of human rights and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, affirming that it is a continuous commitment imposed by ethical values and relevant international obligations.
Dr. Al Kuwari highlighted the seminar's title, reflecting an ambition to harness the potential of artificial intelligence, particularly in developing education and vocational training systems and aligning them with labor market needs, opening broader horizons for individual empowerment, enhancing productivity, and promoting innovation.
He also warned of the risks of unethical use of these technologies, which may exacerbate patterns of discrimination against women and girls, persons with disabilities, and migrants, while widening poverty and marginalization gaps and hindering efforts to end child labor and other forms of exploitation.
HE the Vice Chairman of the NHRC stressed the importance of ethical governance of artificial intelligence systems by adopting a comprehensive human rights-based approach. This approach ensures the benefits of digital transformation while preventing algorithms from becoming tools that entrench discrimination and exclude vulnerable groups from the labor market.
He reiterated the significance of implementing the outcomes of the Doha Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, calling for concerted efforts to implement the political Doha Declaration stemming from the Second World Summit for Social Development, alongside the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action, which prioritize human beings and social justice in comprehensive development.
HE Secretary-General of the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions Sultan bin Hassan Al Jamali emphasized that social justice is vital for sustainable development, ensuring that humans remain at the heart of any economic or technological transformation.
Al Jamali stated that artificial intelligence can enhance productivity and innovation but may also deepen gaps and reproduce discrimination without human rights-based regulatory frameworks. He emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in guiding digital transformation toward a fair transition, ensuring the right to decent work without exception.
He highlighted the pivotal role of national human rights institutions as independent bodies and key partners in shaping public policies and ensuring inclusivity, through monitoring, documentation, and accountability.
The seminar included discussions about the impact of digital transformation and artificial intelligence on Arab labor markets, digital gaps, policy options for a just transition to the digital economy, the media's role in shaping public discourse on social justice and decent work, and the importance of responsible reporting on technological transformations.