UNESCO will introduce three tools designed to help governments develop more ethical and inclusive artificial intelligence policies during a global forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, taking place from September 14 to 17, 2026.
The new resources, scheduled to be launched on September 16, include an updated version of UNESCO’s AI Readiness Assessment Methodology, a report examining international trends identified through previous assessments, and a toolkit addressing the environmental effects of AI. Together, the products are intended to give policymakers practical evidence and guidance for shaping national laws, strategies and oversight systems.
The revised assessment framework, called RAM 2.0, will expand on a diagnostic process that UNESCO has used to examine countries’ capacity to develop, deploy and govern AI. The methodology considers legal, social, economic, educational and technical conditions rather than treating AI preparedness solely as a question of computing infrastructure or industrial investment. The update incorporates additional perspectives from women, Indigenous peoples and people with disabilities, groups whose interests can be overlooked in technology policy and system design.
A second publication will draw together findings from the assessments to identify broader patterns in global AI governance. UNESCO says 58 countries have completed the process, while more than 20,000 stakeholders contributed to the methodology’s development. Participants included Indigenous representatives and disability rights advocates.
The third product will focus on the relationship between AI and the environment. Its guidance is expected to cover ways governments can reduce the environmental footprint of AI systems while also supporting applications for climate action, biodiversity protection and ecosystem resilience. The issue has become more prominent as increasingly capable models require substantial computing resources, bringing greater policy attention to energy use, water consumption, hardware supply chains and electronic waste.
UNESCO has worked with 77 countries on national AI strategies and policies, using its Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence as the central framework. Adopted by UNESCO member states in 2021, the recommendation sets out principles covering areas such as human rights, fairness, transparency, accountability and environmental protection. Unlike binding legislation, it operates as an international policy standard that governments can adapt to their own institutions and legal systems.
The existing readiness methodology has supported AI strategy work in Bangladesh, Colombia, Ghana, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Its findings have also informed regional policy initiatives, including the African Union’s Continental AI Strategy and the ASEAN Responsible AI Roadmap for 2025 to 2030. That record gives the forthcoming update a practical role beyond high-level principles: it is meant to help officials identify regulatory gaps, institutional weaknesses and groups that should be included in policymaking.
The 2026 Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence will bring together representatives from governments, civil society, academia, scientific organizations, international bodies and the private sector at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh. UNESCO is organizing the event with Saudi Arabia, represented by the Saudi Data and AI Authority and the International Center for AI Research and Ethics.
Sessions will examine governance questions raised by agentic AI systems, which can plan and carry out sequences of actions with reduced human intervention. The program will address their possible effects on the environment, gender equality, culture and young people’s mental health. Participants will also consider the use of AI in neurotechnology and synthetic biology, fields where advances could produce scientific and medical benefits while introducing significant ethical and safety concerns.
The launches come as governments pursue different approaches to AI oversight, from legislation and sector-specific regulation to voluntary standards and national development plans. UNESCO’s approach centers on helping countries evaluate their own preparedness and translate shared ethical principles into institutions and policies suited to local conditions. RAM 2.0 and the accompanying analysis will provide the next iteration of that work when they are presented at the forum on September 16.
Sources: AI governance standard