In this episode of Multilateralism Unpacked, UNU-CPR’s Head of Communications, Jack Durrell, speaks with Senior Researcher Michael Franczak, sharing insights from his experience at COP30 in Belém.

Their conversation explores why COP 30 felt substantially different from previous summits – marked by the acknowledgement of a 1.5°C overshoot, shrinking aid budgets and Europe’s energy and security pressures.

While meaningful advances emerged on trade, adaptation and subnational leadership, the absence of new finance pledges and stalled fossil fuel phase-out language underscored the limits of the process.

Together, they reflect on the mixed outcomes, the obstacles holding back global climate ambition and the opportunities that could still drive momentum forward.

In this episode of Multilateralism Unpacked, Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, Head of Anticipatory Action and Innovation at UNU-CPR, speaks with Laurent Gisel, Head of the Arms and Conduct of Hostilities Unit at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), about one of the most urgent challenges in global governance: the rise of AI-enabled autonomous weapons.

Military investment in AI is accelerating, and systems capable of independently selecting and attacking targets are already being developed. Gisel explains how the use of these weapons can violate the principles of the Geneva Conventions.

Drawing on a recent ICRC report to the UN Secretary-General, as well as the ongoing activities of the UN’s First Committee, which deals with disarmament and international security, the podcast explores the various military uses of AI and considers the urgent need for a new international treaty on lethal autonomous weapons systems.

Related information:

The Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols: https://www.icrc.org/en/law-and-policy/geneva-conventions-and-their-commentaries

ICRC Submission to the UN Secretary-General on Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain: https://www.icrc.org/sites/default/files/2025-04/ICRC_Report_Submission_to_UNSG_on_AI_in_military_domain.pdf

United Nations Resolution 78/241 on lethal autonomous weapons: https://docs.un.org/en/A/RES/78/241

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly become one of the most transformative technologies of our time. From reshaping industries and labour markets to influencing education, healthcare and security, AI is increasingly embedded in every part of our societies.

Although there is increasing convergence on the risks and opportunities associated with AI, policy solutions are diverse and fragmented, with standards, sectoral regulations and strategies varying from country to country.

In response, the United Nations has provided a platform for global dialogue and scientific consensus on AI, and recently, during this year’s 80th General Assembly, Member States launched both the International Scientific Panel (ISP) on AI , designed to build a common, evidence-based understanding of the technology, and the Global Dialogues on AI Governance, bringing together governments, civil society, industry and academia to exchange perspectives on a regular basis.

This episode of Multilateralism UNpacked explores these developments with Lucia Velasco, Head of AI Policy at the Office of the UN Office of Digital and Emerging Technologies, who spoke to Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, Head of Anticipatory Action and Innovation at UNU-CPR, about where global AI governance stands today, what the ISP and Global Dialogues mean in practice, and how AI governance may evolve in the years ahead.

Suggested reading list:

• Global Digital Compact: https://www.un.org/global-digital-compact/sites/default/files/2024-09/Global%20Digital%20Compact%20-%20English_0.pdf.
• International Scientific Panel on AI: https://www.un.org/independent-international-scientific-panel-ai/en.
• Global Dialogues on AI Governance: https://www.un.org/global-dialogue-ai-governance/en.
• A Global Architecture for Artificial Intelligence: https://collections.unu.edu/eserv/UNU:9284/A_Global_Architecture_for_Artificial_Intelligence.pdf
• ¿Te va a sustituir un algoritmo?: El futuro del trabajo en España: https://www.amazon.com/-/es/%C2%BFTe-sustituir-algoritmo-futuro-trabajo/dp/8418895055