Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
354. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the measures that have been undertaken by Government to support the agreement of international treaties on the development of artificial intelligence. [68221/26]
View answerOfficials from the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment represented Ireland in the Council of Europe’s Committee on Artificial Intelligence, which negotiated the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law.
The Convention, adopted by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers on 17 May 2024 and opened for signature on 5 September 2024, is the first legally binding international treaty in this field. It provides a technology-neutral framework for ensuring that AI systems are developed and used consistently with human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
The EU, represented by the Commission, and with the support of Member States including Ireland, participated very actively in the negotiations of this Convention. The convention is consistent with the EU AI Act as well as with other European Union law. The Convention is being implemented in the EU by means of the AI Act, which contains generally fully harmonised rules for the placing on the market, putting into service and use of AI systems, complemented by other relevant Union acquis, where applicable.
At the start of UN General Assembly week in September, Ireland signed a joint statement[[] on along with 21 countries and European Commission President Von der Leyen, calling for UN Member States to build on existing international mechanisms and explore creating an international institution, able to set standards, enable verification and convene States when capability thresholds are crossed.
