I want to start by thanking Governor Michael Dukakis and Boston Global Forum for selecting me for the World Leader for Peace and Security Award 2021. I am honoured and proud both for the award and for the opportunity to address you today. Your organisation plays an important role in working for a more peaceful and secure world, for instance by raising both the potentials and risks of artificial intelligence and other digital technologies. Your initiative on Global Law and Accord on AI and Digital is timely and important.
Tomorrow on December 13th we celebrate Lucia in Sweden. Lucia is an ancient mythical figure with a role as a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters.
If there is one thing most people associate with Christmastime, it must be light. To me, light symbolises both hope and faith in the future; two things we truly need, both as individuals and as a society.
And I believe our need for light and hope is greater than it has been in a long time. The pandemic is not over, even if there might be light at the end of the tunnel, and we will forever carry with us the memories of all that we have lost and everyone we have lost.
***
Ladies and gentlemen,
I feel very humbled when I read the motivation of the award honouring me for my “efforts, in a turbulent political landscape, to enhance transparency, knowledge and public trust in the complicated processes of forming government in Sweden”. I would like to begin by elaborating a bit on this and its connection with global peace and security. I will then move on to talk about issues related to the theme of the symposium – “Global Law and Accord on AI and Digital”.
Firstly, let me say that I think it is of great significance that you have presented your distinguished award to a Speaker, a leader of a parliament. Often, in international politics, there is great focus on Governments and Presidents and you have previously honoured representatives of the executive branch in countries and organizations. It is of course very relevant to look for global leaders among heads of states and governments, but by highlighting also the importance of parliaments, I think you send an important signal. In that sense I proudly accept this award not only for myself but on behalf of all leaders of democratically elected parliaments.
Winston Churchill once said: “I am a child of the House of Commons”. I think that is a beautiful way of underscoring the importance of parliaments also for a famous head of government. Parliaments are at the heart of democracy. The Swedish constitution states that the Parliament is the foremost representative of the people in our democracy. Of course, in democratic countries also Governments and Presidents have democratic legitimacy, but there is a special bond between the Parliament and the people, forged not least through direct elections.
Secondly, I believe that democracy is a prerequisite for lasting global peace and security. Many of the tensions and conflicts we can see in the world today within countries and between countries originate from a lack of democracy – a lack of respect for freedom of speech, for minority rights, for rule of law and for other fundamental parts of a democratic society.
From that perspective I think that by giving the leader of a parliament your award, you recognize the importance parliaments have for democracy and the importance democracy has for global peace and security. For this, I truly commend you.
Moving on to the specific events you allude to in the motivation, we have in Sweden experienced an electoral period like no other. When a prime minister resigns and a new government is formed, it is in Sweden the task of the Speaker – not, as in most other countries, the Head of State – to prepare a proposal for a new prime minister who can gain sufficient support in the parliament. We have now had three such governmental formations since the last election in 2018.
This period started with a record-long process of formation of government in 2018-2019, a process that took a total of 134 days. This was followed by a government crisis in June to July this year, and then in November, I received the application from Prime Minister Stefan Löfven of the Social Democratic Party, to be discharged from office.
Thus, in November we had the third formation of government of this electoral period, and on 30 November, a new Government took office with Ms Magdalena Andersson from the same party as Prime Minister.
During these many twists and turns, I have worked hard to explain the processes to the Swedish people and demonstrate that the many formations of government have not meant a crisis for democracy.
Swedish democracy stands strong. All the actors taking part in these processes have used the various tools available to them in the parliamentary toolbox. Certain events may have been rather turbulent, but they are all a result of the rules of democracy. As a Speaker, I may not act in a partisan way and I have tried my very best to be a neutral broker and a representative of the Parliament as an institution, not of any particular party. In order to maintain public trust in the political processes I think it is important that there are representatives who are not embroiled in fights but who try to calm the situation. I am humbled and grateful that you, Governor Dukakis, and the BGF, have chosen to give me your award because of these efforts.
***
Ladies and gentlemen,
I think it is important to take note of the fact that since around 1980, we witnessed a positive trend with more and more states moving from authoritarian to democratic rule. However, since a few years back, that positive trend has been reversed, and a larger proportion of citizens on this planet are now living in authoritarian countries. It is clear that the pandemic has accentuated this negative trend.
It is alarming how leaders in different parts of the world are using the COVID-19 crisis for authoritarian purposes such as silencing independent media and obstructing the ability of civil society to make its voice heard.
Current developments with regard to the rule of law also require attention. Basically, the rule of law is a system that restricts arbitrary exercise of power, a system where laws are applied equally for all – I believe that a strong sense of this crucial principle is a prerequisite in sustaining basic rights and freedoms. I believe there is reason for concern in this regard.
Sweden supports efforts to defend and promote this principle and to improve the tools needed by the institutions and member states of the European Union to strengthen the rule of law, within the Union and globally.
For the rule of law to be a ruling principle, it also needs to be enforced by the legal system. Protecting the security and integrity of judges, prosecutors and civil servants must therefore be a key issue in any discussions on how to promote democracy.
Sweden is very active on the global stage to promote peace, security and democracy, and this is supported by both the Government and the Parliament.
***
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Boston Global Forum has worked a lot with important issues regarding AI and other matters relating to digitalisation. Let me now give som perspectives on those issues.
The pandemic has served as a catalyst for an accelerating digitalisation. Digitalisation and artificial intelligence raises questions that need to be addressed. When and how to share data and information is for instance a central question for all companies and government agencies working with data driven methods. It is now more important than ever that we all work for technology that is trustworthy, secure and human-centric.
I would like to mention a couple of examples of issues that are topical in Sweden and that concern rule of law and inclusivity, in a time when more and more of the activities of our public agencies are being digitalised.
The Swedish National Audit Office has examined whether automated decision-making by government agencies is effective and efficient, without jeopardising legal certainty in decision-making.
The overall conclusion is that automated decision-making by government agencies has led to increased effectiveness and efficiency and that fundamental legal certainty aspects have improved to some extent. However, there are shortcomings in the agencies’ processing of cases with a high risk of fraud and error. In addition, there is far too limited follow-up of the correctness of automated decisions. There is therefore a risk that resources for manual control and follow-up have too frequently been accorded too low a priority.
Another audit shows that the accessibility of government agencies has deteriorated in non-digital channels. Digitalisation of government agencies’ activities contributes to more efficient and improved service for citizens. But for many people, being able to access services by phone or by visiting in person is still important.
The audit shows that many public agencies have become less accessible in non-digital channels in the past ten years.
Agencies’ customer contacts in digital channels have increased significantly, but despite this, the number of phone calls has not decreased. Simpler cases are now often managed online, at the same time as more phone calls come from people needing guidance on how to use such online services.
The conclusion is that digitalisation of the public agencies’ services represents good management of central government resources. Nevertheless, the opportunity to contact agencies by phone and at a physical office is still important.
These are examples of questions that need to be taken into account in the continued digitalisation process.
***
Ladies and gentlemen,
Martin Luther King said “Only in the darkness can you see the stars”.
Right now, our need for hope and light is perhaps greater than usual, as well with regard to the pandemic as with regard to democracy. But we can all take comfort in the fact that the light will return to our societies. In the long run, light is always more powerful than darkness.
Democracy is facing challenges, but we all have to do our utmost to defend it. I am hopeful that we will succeed. Let us, together continue to develop our countries and the global society along a path built on the cornerstones of democracy.
Because in unsettled times, democracy is the beacon of light that can guide us through the darkness.
I’m Tom Patterson, co-founder of the Boston Global Forum.
It was on this day nine years ago that Mike Dukakis, John Quelch, Nguyen Anh Tuan, and I founded the Boston Global Forum. Every year since then, we’ve marked December 12th with a conference and a new initiative.
The 2015 conference, for example, marked the announcement and creation of Global Cybersecurity Day, a conference at which we recognized and honored Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and in the 2016 conference we recognized and honored UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
And December 12th is when we present our annual World Leader for Peace and Security Award. This year’s recipient is Andreas Norlen, Speaker of Sweden’s Riksdag – that nation’s national Parliament. Speaker Norlen is with us today.
Before introducing Boston Global Forum’s chairman, Mike Dukakis, I want to say a few words about some things that the Boston Global Forum has done during the past year.
We’ve been working closely with the Club de Madrid, which is the organization whose members are former presidents and prime ministers of democratic nations. Across several conferences, we’ve been looking at the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital revolution, and particularly by Artificial Intelligence.
Together, we’ve promoted the need for a new social contract, one that can advance AI’s potential for good while mitigating the threats that it poses. A social contract that would, for example, protect the right of individuals to their privacy and from exploitation by those who would use their personal data to manipulate their consumer or political choices. A social contract that would also prohibit governments from using AI as a tool for repressing dissent. The social contract would extend beyond what’s prohibited to what must be done to empower ordinary citizens, such as guarantees of digital literacy and access.
The agenda for today’s discussion is an extension of that work – the need for an International Accord on the use of AI and Digital.
The past year has also been marked by publication of the book, “Remaking the World: Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment.”
Edited by the Boston Global Forum’s CEO, Nguyen Anh Tuan, and including chapters by more than two dozen prominent leaders and thinkers, it was developed in collaboration with Ramu Damodaran, founding director of the United Nations Academic Impact Program.
The book is a visionary look forward to the year 2045, the centennial of the United Nations, and asks what must be done between now and then to fulfill the UN’s founding vision.
In a conference this past Thursday, the leaders of Vietnam’s Khánh Hòa Province pledged to implement many of the programs contained in the book, in order to create a model that can be emulated by governments elsewhere.
Finally, I’d like to give a special word of thanks to Tuan, who as those associated with this organization know, is its driving force.
Tuan is our organizer, our networker, and our leading thinker. Many of the initiatives that have marked the Boston Global Forum’s work these past nine years have come from the mind and dedication of Tuan. And most of you who are with us today were brought into the Boston Global Forum by Tuan’s efforts.
On behalf of everyone here, Tuan, I want to thank you for all that you do for the Boston Global Forum.
Let me now hand the floor over to Michael Dukakis, Boston Global Forum’s chairman. Mike has been part of the Boston Global Forum since its founding and has guided not only our December 12th conferences but the others that we hold each year.
Mike was three times elected as governor of Massachusetts, was the 1988 Democratic Party presidential nominee, and is currently Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Northeastern University.
In this context, CdM in partnership with BGF organized a Policy Lab on Fundamental Rights in AI & Digital Societies: Towards an International Accord in September 2021. Multistakeholder discussions aimed to build consensus around a rights-based agenda for the global governance of AI and digital societies, focusing on the following topics:
● Opportunities and threats for fundamental rights in AI & digital societies.
● Transatlantic approaches to protect fundamental rights in AI & digital spaces.
● The elements & processes for an international legal framework to protect fundamental rights in AI & digital spaces
● The Concept, Principle and Ecosystem for Digital and AI Society – “Remaking the World, Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment”.
● The Global Alliance for Digital Governance
● A framework for a global law and accord on AI and digital tools
The Policy Lab followed the work initiated by both organizations on the implications of digital technologies and AI for democracy, global cooperation and multilateralism, with a particular focus on the Transatlantic space, and based on the progress of the AIWS Social Contract 2020 (Social Contract for the age of AI) and AIWS Innovation Network (AIWS.net).
The anchor of the discussions was a vision for a human-centered digital age. Policymakers around the world and at all levels of government are becoming more convinced of the need to ensure that digital technologies and AI serve the people. CdM and BGF partnered to narrow this gap between the digital and policy-making through a multi-stakeholder discussion that harnessed the political experience and insights of ten CdM Members, current political leaders, representatives from business, academia and other high-level experts.
Distinguished leaders from Boston and Balkan regions to collaborate for Global Law on AI and Digital Rights
(Boston-Baku) September 29, 2021 – Two distinguished organizations from the Northeast United States and the Balkans, Boston Global Forum (BGF) and Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC), today announced a collaboration to promote pioneering initiatives related to a Global Alliance for Digital Governance. The initiative, which was the subject of a recent Policy Lab online forum, also involves the United Nations Centennial Initiative, AI World Society (AIWS) and the Club de Madrid.
The joint announcement states that BGF will support NGIC’s Global Enlightenment Education Program in Baku, as well as a number of other initiatives.
BGF and NGIC will exchange resources to develop initiatives to solve complex and controversial issues in the world today and shape the future for “Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment.”
Under the agreement, the BGF and NGIC will join in promoting the Global Alliance for Digital Governance (GADG), and NGIC will connect governments of Balkan and Middle East nations to support the Alliance. The two organizations will recommend speakers, promote conferences and forums, and publicize joint events.
Nguyen Anh Tuan, Co-Founder and CEO of the BGF, hailed the agreement and noted its impact on expanding the Alliance: “NGIC will bring a high level of engagement and distinguished leaders of the Balkans, contributing to the creation of a Global Law and Accord on AI and Digital Rights, and discuss the Accord at significant conferences that NGIC often organize in many cities as New York, Beijing, Riga, Athens, Andorra, Cairo, Sarajevo, Sofia, Brussels, Missions in Kiev, Tel-Aviv, Amman, Istanbul, Bucharest, which are attended by many head of states and government leaders.”
About the Boston Global Forum
The Boston Global Forum (BGF) offers a venue for leaders, strategists, thinkers and innovators to contribute to Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment.
In 2019, the Boston Global Forum, in collaboration with the United Nations Academic Impact, launched the United Nations Centennial Initiative. It began with the release of a major work titled “Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment”. More than twenty distinguished leaders, thinkers, strategists, and innovators put forth unprecedented approaches to the challenges that lay before the world. These contributors include President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Governor Michael Dukakis, Father of Internet Vint Cerf, Former US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Harvard University Professors Joseph Nye and Thomas Patterson, MIT Professors Nazli Choucri and Alex ‘Sandy’ Pentland, and MEP Eva Kaili.
The BGF introduced core concepts that are shaping groundbreaking international initiatives, most notably, the Social Contract for the AI Age, AI International Law and Accord, the Global Alliance for Digital Governance, the AI World Society (AIWS) Ecosystem, and the AIWS City.
About the Nizami Ganjavi International Center
– Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC) is an international, non-political organization dedicated to the memory of the great Azerbaijani poet, Nizami Ganjavi and to the study and dissemination of his works with a mission to build a dialogue, understanding, mutual respect, tolerance between cultures and peoples for building functional and inclusive societies. Nizami Ganjavi International Center’s main mission is to promote Learning, Tolerance, Dialogue, Understanding and Shared Societies in a world in many ways today facing unprecedented challenges.
Board members of NGIC include the former presidents and prime ministers of the Balkan area and Northern European leaders from Finland, Latvia, Belgium, the United Nations, and distinguished figures from the U.S.
AI unlocks the capacity for data to be used in transformational ways, but it still requires guidelines. A growing body of AI specialists see the powerful potential of AI to play a role in both politics and society, if the right standards are in place.
It’s called the AI World Society (AIWS) and aims to build “A Better World With AI.” Composed of leaders from around the world, this body is attracting leaders from technology, world governments, and innovators who recognize AI’s key role in building a better tomorrow.
With representation at the UN, the G7 Summit, the AI International Accord Conference—and with a growing body of sponsored research and thought leadership—AIWS may provide much-needed guardrails to the ever-increasing supply of AI-powered tools, including smart cities.
AI has the potential to optimize life-saving, life-sustaining resources, including water, electricity, traffic, housing, and education. As the prevalence of AI tools increases, politicians and citizens alike must be empowered to understand and use technology.
Two initiatives by AIWS that have sparked worldwide interest are the AIWS Ecosystem and AIWS City. Co-founder Tuan Nguyen, an esteemed mathematician, explains the concept of the AIWS Ecosystem in this way: “Many things function with a team of systems. AI makes it possible to need and use only one. Enhanced applications make it possible for people to become innovators.”
Tuan Nguyen, AIWS
Data scientists, technologists and other leaders are supporting a structure of models for facilitating a digital age. As an example of their activities, at the 2020 Riga Conference, leaders from AIWS relayed a new policy brief entitled “Social Contract for the Artificial Intelligence Age: Safety, Security, and Sustainability for the AI World.”
AIWS has a growing presence in Paris, Rome, Riga, Vienna, Munich, and now further west into the United States. This body could make it possible for every person to have access to AI tools that make their lives better and easier. In fact, it is their stated mission to provide support to urban environments, but also to rural areas, reducing inequality and connecting people to centralized tools and information.
The City of the Future
Emergency services, community improvements, infrastructure, and the very roads that convey vital goods could all be enhanced by AI-fueled technologies. Some of the simplest ideas have the potential to go the furthest. Dedicated leaders are committed to using AI in safe, thoughtful, and tested ways. Their shared goal? To improve the quality of life for every person in every community around the world.
Boston-Madrid, September 9, 2021 — This week’s high-level online Policy Lab, sponsored by the Club de Madrid and Boston Global Forum, explored ideas and strategies to arrive at an International Accord on AI and Digital Rights. The forum ended today with an urgent call to action for stakeholders to work toward an Accord that facilitates innovation while protecting rights in AI and Digital Societies.
The three-day CdM-BGF Policy Lab featured vibrant plenary sessions that facilitated discussions about concepts and issues facing policymakers around the globe as they negotiate frameworks for AI and Digital Societies. Many of the discussions highlighted the significant contributions contained in the new book, “Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment” published by the UN Centennial Initiative.
On the final day, the Plenary VI session focused on The Social Contract for the AI Age as the standard for the AI International Accord and Global Alliance for Digital Governance. The session, entitled “Building safer, equitable and trustworthy AI and digital societies: The AI International Accord (AIIA)”, featured speakers including:
Facilitator:
William Hoffman, Head of Data-Driven Development, World Economic Forum
Lead Speaker:
Alex ‘Sandy’ Pentland, Director, MIT Connection Science and Human Dynamics labs, Co-author of the Social Contract for the AI Age
Speakers:
Zlatko Lagumdžija, Member of Club de Madrid, Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2001-2002), Distinguished Contributor to the book “Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment”
Esko Aho, Member of Club de Madrid, Prime Minister of Finland (1991-1995)
Karine Caunes, Global Program Director, Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP)
Gregor Strojin, Chair of the Council of Europe’s Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAHAI)
Closing Remarks:
Nguyen Anh Tuan, CEO of the Boston Global Forum (BGF), Director of the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation
María Elena Agüero, Secretary General of Club de Madrid (CdM)
Speakers agreed that the global community cannot wait for governments or international organizations to act. The Global Alliance for Digital Governance will take action to connect think tanks, influencers, experts, and citizens to contribute to building International Laws, International Accord on AI and Digital, while simultaneously working with governments and international organizations towards this goal.
Remaking the World takes a major step toward creating a “rights-based agenda for the global governance of AI and digital societies,” says Nguyen Anh Tuan, who edited the book and serves as CEO of the Boston Global Forum (BGF). “We’re moving toward a framework, an ecosystem, a social contract for the AI age.” Tuan also directs the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation.
The 256-page book is made up of white papers, speeches, remarks, and other presentations at events held during the pandemic and sponsored or co-sponsored by BGF. Among the contributors are well known policy makers and innovators such as Ursula von de Leyen, President of the European Commission, Ashton Carter, former U.S. Secretary of Defense; Vint Cerf, “the father of the Internet” and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google; former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; and former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis.
The opening chapter, authored by leading scholars and policy makers affiliated with the Boston-based group, proposes a “social contract,” or an agreement among members of global society to cooperate in the interests of social wellbeing. Just as TCP / IP is the platform for communication among internet users, the Social Contract for AI Age is a platform for connection among governments, stakeholders, and private and public institutions. One of many principles enunciated is that individuals have a right to both privacy and “access and control over their own data.”
Tuan added that Remaking the World, along with the Policy Lab, represents the first time that prominent international leaders are coming together to lay the groundwork for global AI accords. The book is currently in an electronic edition and will be available in print soon.
For more information, or to review video summaries of the Policy Lab, please visit: aidigitalrights.com
About the Boston Global Forum
The Boston Global Forum (BGF), in collaboration with the United Nations Centennial Initiative, released a major work entitled Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment.
More than twenty distinguished leaders, scholars, analysts, and thinkers put forth unprecedented approaches to the challenges before us. These include President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Governor Michael Dukakis, Father of Internet Vint Cerf, Former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Harvard University Professors Joseph Nye and Thomas Patterson, MIT Professors Nazli Choucri and Alex ‘Sandy’ Pentland, and European Parliament Member Eva Kaili.
The BGF introduced core concepts shaping path breaking international initiatives, notably, the Social Contract for the AI Age, an AI International Accord, the Global Alliance for Digital Governance, the AI World Society (AIWS) Ecosystem, and AIWS City.
About the Club de Madrid
Club de Madrid is the world’s largest forum of democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers, who leverage their individual and collective leadership experience and global reach to strengthen inclusive democratic practice and improve the well-being of people around the world.
As a non-partisan and international non-profit organisation, it counts on the hands-on governance experience of more than 100 Members from over 70 countries, along with a global network of advisers and partners across all sectors of society.
This unique alliance stimulates dialogue, builds bridges and engages in advocacy efforts to strengthen public policies and effective leadership through recommendations that tackle challenges such as, inclusion, sustainable development and peace at the national and multilateral level.
Links and Attachment:
Media kit for Policy Lab
Registration for Policy Lab
About the Boston Global Forum
Cover of Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment
Former President of Latvia, Leading Figures from Greece, Viet Nam, International Organizations Call Attention to Growing Need for Rights Accord
Boston-Madrid, September 7, 2021 — During this week’s high-level online Policy Lab to explore ideas and strategies to arrive at an International Accord on Digital Rights, sponsored by the Club de Madrid and Boston Global Forum, the Plenary V session will focus on the upcoming United Nations’ Centennial Initiative and its role in helping to develop such an Accord. The session begins at 9 A.M. EST on Thursday September 9, as part of the three-day Policy Lab.
The UN Centennial Initiative was launched in 2019 by the United Nations Academic Impact in partnership with The Boston Global Forum. The Initiative hosts roundtable discussions, conferences, new concepts, solutions, think pieces, and reflections as we look ahead to the global landscape in 2045—the United Nations Centennial year. It’s mission is: Remaking the World: The Age of Global Enlightenment.
The core concepts of the UN Centennial Initiative include the idea of a social contract for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) age, a framework for an AI international accord, an ecosystem for the “AI World Society” (AIWS) and a community innovation economy.
Some of these ideas have already begun to be put into practice, including the evolution of an AIWS City being developed by NovaWorld in Phan Thiet, Viet Nam as a pilot project. AIWS City is a virtual digital city dedicated to promoting the values associated with AIWS. It looks to bring together a global enlightenment community of scholars, innovators, leaders, and citizens dedicated to fostering thought, creativity, and ethical behavior.
Mr. Tran Dinh Thien, Senior advisor to the Vietnamese Prime Minister, expressed his excitement to build NovaWorld Phan Thiet City into a leading healthcare and wellness tourism destination:
“Nova World Phan Thiet and AIWS City will become a model, representative of the standards and ambitions of the United Nations Centennial Initiative and the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid.
Vietnam invites world leaders, ideologists, and innovators to Phan Thiet, to support the plan to build NovaWorld Phan Thiet City… We look forward to receiving unique ideas and suggestions to help Phan Thiet develop and become a leading ecosystem for a new economy, one for those looking to pioneer in the Age of Global Enlightenment, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the United Nations.”
Ramu Damodaran, Co-Chair of the United Nations Centennial Initiative, will be the lead speaker at the Plenary V session, scheduled for 9 AM EST. The panel will also feature:
● Former President of Latvia, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, a member of Club de Madrid;
● Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Minister of State and Digital Governance of Greece, Chair of the Global Strategy Group, OECD
● Thomas Patterson, Research Director of The Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation, Professor of Government and the Press of Harvard Kennedy School
● Sean Cleary, Advisor of Club de Madrid, Executive vice-chair of the FutureWorld Foundation, Member of the Carnegie Council’s Artificial Intelligence & Equality Initiative’s Board of Advisors
● Tran Dinh Thien, Professor, Senior Advisor to Vietnamese Prime Minister
The Facilitator for the session will be David Silbersweig, Chairman, Department of Psychiatry and Co-Director for Institute for the Neurosciences, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard University Professor.
The policymakers, including former presidents and prime ministers, will convene September 7-9 for a virtual “Policy Lab” co-sponsored by the Club de Madrid and Boston Global Forum. In advance of the gathering, the Boston Global Forum has teamed up with United Nations Academic Impact to release Remaking the World: Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment.
Together with the upcoming Policy Lab, Remaking the World takes a major step toward creating a “rights-based agenda for the global governance of AI and digital societies,” says Nguyen Anh Tuan, who edited the book and serves as CEO of the Boston Global Forum (BGF). “We’re moving toward a framework, an ecosystem, a social contract for the AI age.” Tuan also directs the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation.
The 256-page book is made up of white papers, speeches, remarks, and other presentations at events held during the pandemic and sponsored or co-sponsored by BGF. Among the contributors are well known policy makers and innovators such as Ashton Carter, former U.S. Secretary of Defense; Vint Cerf, “the father of the Internet” and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google; former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; and former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis.
The opening chapter, authored by leading scholars and policy makers affiliated with the Boston-based group, proposes a “social contract,” or an agreement among members of global society to cooperate in the interests of social wellbeing. Just as TCP / IP is the platform for communication among internet users, the Social Contract for AI Age is a platform for connection among governments, stakeholders, and private and public institutions. One of many principles enunciated is that individuals have a right to both privacy and “access and control over their own data.”
Elsewhere in the book, political scientist Nazli Choucri of MIT articulates a framework for artificial intelligence international accords, including “the precautionary principle,” which aims not to impede innovation but to “explore the unknown with care and caution.” Likewise, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, discusses the need for an AI “ecosystem of trust.” This would include regulation not “for regulation’s sake,” but for the purpose of protecting basic rights, encouraging innovation, and spurring technological leadership. They are among 25 prominent contributors to the book.
Tuan added that Remaking the World, along with the Policy Lab, represents the first time that prominent international leaders are coming together to lay the groundwork for global AI accords. The book is currently in an electronic edition and will be available in print soon.
For more information, or to register to attend the Policy Lab September 7-9, please visit: aidigitalrights.com
About the Boston Global Forum
The Boston Global Forum (BGF), in collaboration with the United Nations Centennial Initiative, released a major work entitled Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment.
More than twenty distinguished leaders, scholars, analysts, and thinkers put forth unprecedented approaches to the challenges before us. These include President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Governor Michael Dukakis, Father of Internet Vint Cerf, Former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Harvard University Professors Joseph Nye and Thomas Patterson, MIT Professors Nazli Choucri and Alex ‘Sandy’ Pentland, and European Parliament Member Eva Kaili.
The BGF introduced core concepts shaping path breaking international initiatives, notably, the Social Contract for the AI Age, an AI International Accord, the Global Alliance for Digital Governance, the AI World Society (AIWS) Ecosystem, and AIWS City.
About the Club de Madrid
Club de Madrid is the world’s largest forum of democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers, who leverage their individual and collective leadership experience and global reach to strengthen inclusive democratic practice and improve the well-being of people around the world.
As a non-partisan and international non-profit organisation, it counts on the hands-on governance experience of more than 100 Members from over 70 countries, along with a global network of advisers and partners across all sectors of society.
This unique alliance stimulates dialogue, builds bridges and engages in advocacy efforts to strengthen public policies and effective leadership through recommendations that tackle challenges such as, inclusion, sustainable development and peace at the national and multilateral level.
Links and Attachment:
· Media kit for Policy Lab
· Registration for Policy Lab
· About the Boston Global Forum
· Cover of Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment
Leading policymakers from around the world explore promise and pitfalls of new technologies
Boston-Madrid, September 2, 2021. As leading policymakers from around the world prepare for a pivotal meeting on digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence, a first-of-its-kind book is drawing attention to the bold idea of establishing international accords to help guide the evolution of AI while safeguarding against potential abuses.
The policymakers, including former presidents and prime ministers, will convene September 7-9 for a virtual “Policy Lab” co-sponsored by the Club de Madrid and Boston Global Forum. In advance of the gathering, the Boston Global Forum has teamed up with United Nations Academic Impact to release Remaking the World: Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment.
Together with the upcoming Policy Lab, Remaking the World takes a major step toward creating a “rights-based agenda for the global governance of AI and digital societies,” says Nguyen Anh Tuan, who edited the book and serves as CEO of the Boston Global Forum (BGF). “We’re moving toward a framework, an ecosystem, a social contract for the AI age.” Tuan also directs the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation.
The 256-page book is made up of white papers, speeches, remarks, and other presentations at events held during the pandemic and sponsored or co-sponsored by BGF. Among the contributors are well-known policy makers and innovators such as Ashton Carter, former U.S. Secretary of Defense; Vint Cerf, “the father of the Internet” and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google; former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; and former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis.
The opening chapter, authored by leading scholars and policy makers affiliated with the Boston-based group, proposes a “social contract,” or an agreement among members of global society to cooperate in the interests of social wellbeing. Just as TCP / IP is the platform for communication among internet users, the Social Contract for AI Age is a platform for connection among governments, stakeholders, and private and public institutions.
One of many principles enunciated is that individuals have a right to both privacy and “access and control over their own data.”
Elsewhere in the book, political scientist Nazli Choucri of MIT articulates a framework for artificial intelligence international accords, including “the precautionary principle,” which aims not to impede innovation but to “explore the unknown with care and caution.” Likewise, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, discusses the need for an AI “ecosystem of trust.” This would include regulation not “for regulation’s sake,” but for the purpose of protecting basic rights, encouraging innovation, and spurring technological leadership. They are among 25 prominent contributors to the book.
Tuan added that Remaking the World, along with the Policy Lab, represents the first time that prominent international leaders are coming together to lay the groundwork for global AI accords. The book is currently in an electronic edition and will be available in print soon.
– The Boston Global Forum (BGF), in collaboration with the United Nations Centennial Initiative, released a major work entitled Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment. More than twenty distinguished leaders, scholars, analysts, and thinkers put forth unprecedented approaches to the challenges before us. These include President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Governor Michael Dukakis, Father of Internet Vint Cerf, Former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Harvard University Professors Joseph Nye and Thomas Patterson, MIT Professors Nazli Choucri and Alex ‘Sandy’ Pentland, and European Parliament Member Eva Kaili. The BGF introduced core concepts shaping pathbreaking international initiatives, notably, the Social Contract for the AI Age, an AI International Accord, the Global Alliance for Digital Governance, the AI World Society (AIWS) Ecosystem, and AIWS City.
About the Club de Madrid
– Club de Madrid is the world’s largest forum of democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers, who leverage their individual and collective leadership experience and global reach to strengthen inclusive democratic practice and improve the well-being of people around the world.
As a non-partisan and international non-profit organisation, it counts on the hands-on governance experience of more than 100 Members from over 70 countries, along with a global network of advisers and partners across all sectors of society.
This unique alliance stimulates dialogue, builds bridges and engages in advocacy efforts to strengthen public policies and effective leadership through recommendations that tackle challenges such as, inclusion, sustainable development and peace at the national and multilateral level.
April 21, 2021 (Boston, Tokyo, Vietnam and Russia.)
Boston Global Forum Japan
China‘s attempt to alter the situation by the use of force should never be allowed.
The Senkaku Islands are without doubt an integral part of Japan in terms of history and under international law.
It is not permissible to take away the territory of another country just because they know the existence of oil under the East China Sea.
A 1969 UN survey announced the potential for abundant oil resources in the East China Sea, and only after the 1970s did China begin to claim the Senkaku Islands its territory for the first time in history. Until then, the Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party had acknowledged that the Senkaku were Japan’s.
China’s revised Maritime Police Law went into effect on February 1, 2021, which violates international law, Chinese Maritime Police vessels have long harassed and surprisingly recently driven away Japanese fishing boats operating peacefully in Japan’s waters and now they are armed and permitted to use force.
Under the recent situation where freedom and democracy are challenged, it is very important that democratic countries unite and commit to world security and peace.
Opening Remarks: Mr. Tuan Anh Nguyen, CEO of BGF
Moderator: Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki, Former Japanese Ambassador to the USA, President of Nakasone Peace Institute.
Speakers:
Mr. Yasuhide Nakayama, State Minister of Defense. Former State Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Ambassador Shunji Yanai, Judge of the ITLS, former Japanese Ambassador to the USA.
Prof. Nobukatsu Kanehara, Former Assistant Secretary to Prime Minister Abe, Former Diplomat.
4.Mr. Robert Eldridge,Ph.D. President of The Eldridge Think Tank, Former Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, G-7, Government of External Affairs,
Marine Corps Installations, Pacific Okinawa Japan, and former Associate Professor, Osaka University.
Audiences:
Professor Daniel Okimoto, Stanford University.
Mr. Thomas Vallely, Senior advisor, Harvard Kennedy School.
Professor Thomas Berger, Boston University
Mr. Tsuneo Watanabe, Sasagawa Peace Foundation, Adjunct Fellow of CSIS
Ambassador Seiichi Kondo, Former Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Former Ambassador of UNESCO, and others.
Mr. Yasuhide Nakayama, State Minister of Defense; Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan.
-The official stand point of Japanese government is that the Senkaku Islands(“Senkaku”) are inherent territory of Japan in light of history and international law and thus there exists
no territorial dispute to be resolved;
– Japan has been exercising effective control over the Senkaku for more than 120 years;
-Year 1885: The Senkaku were investigated by Okinawa Prefecture, Japan;
-Year 1895: After careful examinations that they were uninhabited and not under control of any other states, the Senkaku were incorporated into Okinawa Prefecture, Japan by cabinet decision (“Japan’s Lawful Incorporation of the Senkaku”);
-Year 1920: The Senkaku were recognized as part of Japan in appreciation letter of Chinese consul of Nagasaki (“Recognition in Chinese Consul’s Letter in 1920”);
-Year 1951: The Senkaku were placed as Japanese territory to be administered by the United States in the San Francisco Peace Treaty (“Reaffirmation in the San Francisco Peace Treaty”);
-Year 1971: The Senkaku were indicated as a territory to be returned to Japan in the minutes of Okinawa Reversion Agreement between Japan and the United States (“Recognition in the Okinawa Reversion Agreement”);
-Year 1971: China and Taiwan officially claimed their sovereignty over the Senkaku fist time in history following the release of UN ECAFE Report in 1969 which stated potential existence of oil reserve in the vicinity of the Senkaku (“China’s First Claim after UN ECAFE Report”); and
-Year 2008: Against aforementioned backgrounds, continuous and expanding Chinese intrusions into the waters of the Senkaku began.
The State Minister also emphasized his concern over Chinese military expansion and that Chinese intrusion into the South and East China Sea could lead to their newly developed missile attack to the east coast of the United States, thereby pointing out that the issue is not only a bilateral territorial dispute but also a threat to world peace. He calls for the world’s attention on the issue as well as on other regional conflicts such as Honk Kong and Uighur, to think together and act together.
Mr. Shunji Yanai, Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLS); Former Japanese Ambassador to the United States.
Important 6 points of Japan’s position:
1.The grounds for Japan’s territorial sovereignty over the Senkaku pertaining to the Japan’s Lawful Incorporation of the Senkaku, the Reaffirmation in the San Francisco Peace Treaty, and the Recognition in the Okinawa Agreement;
2. Japan’s effective control over the Senkaku;
3.China’s recognition of Senkaku as part of Japanese territory pertaining to the facts that that Chinese government did not contest Japan’s sovereignty for approximately 75 years following the Lawful Incorporation of the Senkaku (which, however, changed suddenly after the UN ECAFE Report), and that even after the San Francisco Peace Treaty, the Senkaku continued to be treated as Japanese territory in Chinese maps and publications;
4.There has never been any agreement between Japan and China to shelve issues relating to the Senkaku;
5.Chinese claim of its sovereignty in relation to the descriptions in ancient Chinese document does not constitute legal grounds,
6. There are number of evidences that China recognized the Senkaku as part of Okinawa, Japan, which include the Recognition in Chinese Consul’s Letter in 1920, fact that the U.S. military used part of the Senkaku for firing/bombing ranges while the islands were under the administration of the United States, and Chinese Communist Party publications.
Mr. Nobukatsu Kanehara, Professor of Doshisha University, Japan; Former Assistant Secretary to Prime Minister Abe; Former Diplomat.
– Reaffirmation in San Francisco Peace Treaty about which neither Mao, Zhou nor Chiang Kai-Shek, had ever complained until oil was found in 1969;
– In 1972, Deng Xiaoping made his comment after the meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda that they had agreed to “shelve the issue of the Senkaku to future generations”. But it’s a lie. The truth that can be found in an archive accessible on the internet is that Deng only said “There is an issue of the Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyo in Chinese. I don’t want to talk about it now. The next generation is likely to be savvier than us, they will probably be able to find some resolution to the issue.”, to which Fukuda remained silent. Thus, Japan regards that there has never been such an agreement to shelve issue of the Senkaku and thus there is no dispute to be solved;
– In 1978, just before the conclusion of the Japan-China Friendship and Peace Treaty, China sent 357 vessels to the territorial border of the Senkaku to warn and show that there was a dispute in the area. However, if China had agreed to shelve the issue, there is no need for them to take such an action; and
– Since 2012, Chinese intrusion of vessels into the waters of the islands has been expanding and the military tension is now so high. The United States expressed its stance that the Senkaku are covered by the article 5 of Japan-US Security Treaty.
Mr. Robert EldridgePh.D. President, The Eldridge Think Tank, Former Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, G-7, Government of External Affairs, Marine Corps Installations, Pacific Okinawa Japan, and former Associate Professor, Osaka University.
– Mr. Eldridge who specializes in Japanese territorial issues and Japan-US frictions,
presented American point of view and supported above discussions in reference to 4 points:
History (The Origins of U.S. Policy in the east China sea Islands Dispute.2014) including early exploration, development and settlement, incorporation into Japan and unimpeded administration through 1945;
2.The Senkaku and the San Francisco Peace Treaty (Origins of the Bilateral Okinawa Problem. 2001). Because of the effort made by the Japanese government, Japan was recognized as having “residual sovereignty” over the islands including the Senkaku;
The Senkaku and Okinawa’s Reversion (The Origins of U.S. Policy in the East China Sea Island Dispute. The Return of the Amami islands, 2004 and Iwo Jima and the Bonin Islands in U.S.-Japan Relations.); and
Facts against China’s claims. China’s claim violates the principle of estoppel in international law for the reasons of China’s First Claim in history (in 1971) after UN ECAFE Report (in 1969), the Chinese Consul’s Letter in 1920 and its prior official maps and publications that had acknowledged Japanese sovereignty.
Q&A session
After the speeches, the panel held a stimulating and revealing Q&As with distinguished worldwide intellectuals over the issues of: China’s unique expansion case other than the Senkaku; the Senkaku’s incorporation into Japanese territory in 1985; importance of QUAD alliance; possibility of military outbreak on the Senkaku, how to cope with Chinese expansionism; and whether or not Japan will resort to armed forces.
