The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers adopted the first-ever internal artificial intelligence treaty in Strasbourg on 17 May 2024.
Officially known as the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law, the treaty is also open to non-European countries.
The treaty sets out a legal framework that covers the entire lifecycle of AI systems and addresses the risks they may pose while promoting responsible innovation.
Parties to the convention will not be required to apply the treaty’s provisions to activities related to the protection of national security interests but will be obliged to ensure that these activities respect international law and democratic institutions and processes.
The framework convention will be opened for signature in Vilnius (Lithuania) on 5 September on the occasion of a conference of Ministers of Justice.
Signatories to the treaty will also have to ensure accountability and responsibility for adverse impacts and that AI systems respect equality, including gender equality, the prohibition of discrimination, and privacy rights
The convention will not apply to national defense matters nor research and development activities, except when the testing of AI systems may have the potential to interfere with human rights, democracy, or the rule of law.
