Call for Papers: Global Forum on the Ethics of AI | 24-27 June, Bangkok, Thailand

Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

24-27 June 2025

Bangkok, Thailand 

UNESCO and partner organizations are pleased to announce a call for papers for the upcoming Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, to be held in Bangkok, Thailand from 24-27 June 2025. This call is dedicated to exploring the rapidly changing landscape of AI policy in the context of UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, the only globally agreed normative instrument in the domain of AI ethics, which has been adopted by 194 countries. The Global Forum acts as a venue for policymakers, civil society, academia and the private sector to share their experiences and good practices for implementing the Recommendation. With this call, we invite scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and students from around the globe to contribute to the Forum with their insights and research.

Presentation at the Forum and publication:

Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to present and discuss their research in a workshop and at a poster presentation at the Global Forum on the Ethics of AI in Bangkok on 24-27 June 2025. The costs associated with travel and participation in the Forum will be subsidized by the organizers. Authors may choose to have either an extended abstract or full working paper subsequently published in proceedings of the Global Forum on the Ethics of AI. For those interested, we will seek to organize one or more special issues of relevant academic journals following a process of peer review and revision.

Submission Themes:

We are seeking original and unpublished papers focusing on the following sub-themes linked to Policy Areas of the UNESCO Recommendation:

Ethical Governance and Stewardship

• Local / national / regional / global approaches to addressing AI governance, including policies, strategies, collaborations, interoperability of governance mechanisms, and good practices for institutional design of governmental agencies.
• Optimal institutional design for AI supervision in the public sector, including structures and frameworks for effective AI oversight and regulation.
• The role of civil society in setting the agenda for and participating in AI governance.
• Approaches to the ethical design, development and deployment of AI technologies.

Environment and Ecosystems

• Measuring, monitoring and mitigating the impact of AI technologies on the environment, including relevant tools, methodologies, practices and standards.

Gender

• Examining the impact of AI technologies on the gender equality agenda.

Culture

• Ethical design, use and governance of AI systems in domains of languages, arts, religion, cultural heritage, and indigenous knowledges.  

Communication and Information

• Social, political and ethical implications of AI systems, including challenges related to the amplification of hate speech, disinformation, bias and all forms of discrimination as well as potential benefits for addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Health and Social Well-Being

• Challenges and opportunities in advancing inclusive AI systems for and with persons with disabilities, and ensuring accessibility, fairness, and non-discrimination in AI design and deployment.

Ethical Impact Assessment

• Frameworks and good practices in assessing the ethical impacts of AI technologies throughout the AI life cycle, particularly in relation to the UNESCO Ethical Impact Assessment tool.

This call for papers is targeting academics and professionals from a wide range of disciplines, including but not limited to law, public policy, ethics, social sciences, and economics. We welcome research focused on aspects of implementation as well as critical theoretical approaches to the topics listed above. Priority in the selection process will be given to evidenced papers that are cross-disciplinary.

Key Dates:

Ø  Deadline for submission of abstract: 1 May 2025.

Ø  Notification of acceptance for presentation and/or publication: 31 May 2025.

Ø  Publication of extended abstract / working paper in proceedings of Global Forum: July 2025.

Ø  Target date for publication of full papers following a round of peer review and revisions: late 2025 / early 2026.

Submission Guidelines:

Ø  Abstracts must be submitted in English and should be between 500-1000 words, clearly outlining the research focus, methodology / theoretical framework and preliminary findings or arguments.

Ø  Each submission should include the author(s)'s name, affiliation, and contact information.

Ø  Submissions should be original work, not previously published or under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Ø  A maximum of two abstracts may be submitted per person.

Ø  Abstracts should be submitted here: https://ircai.org/global-forum-on-the-ethics-of-ai-2025/.

Ø  All submissions will be peer reviewed.

We look forward to receiving your submissions and to your valuable contributions to this critical discourse on the ethics and governance of AI.

For more information, please contact ai-ethics@unesco.org.

Join us in shaping the future of AI governance!

JNU World Water Day Seminar on From Glaciers to Taps: Ensuring Water Security for All | 22 March

From Glaciers to Taps: Ensuring Water Security for All

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), in association with Igniting Minds Organization and Pahle India Foundation, organizes a special seminar on World Water Day 2025. This event focuses on the pressing issues of water and air pollution and the urgent need for glacier preservation. Experts and thought leaders will share insights on sustainable solutions and global initiatives, including "One World, Greener Earth", a movement dedicated to building a cleaner, healthier planet.

Seminar Details:

⁠Date: 22nd March 2025

Time: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Venue: Convention Centre, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi

Online Registration

Call for Papers: Globelics International Conference 2025 | Pretoria, South Africa

Globelics International Conference 2025

November 24-26, 2025

Venue: Pretoria, South Africa

https://globelicsnetwork.org

Call for Papers

Greetings from Globelics Secretariat! We are pleased to invite paper submissions for the Globelics International Conference 2025, which will take place from November 24-26, 2025, in South Africa. This year's theme focuses on innovation for sustainable and inclusive development, addressing critical global challenges such as inequality, climate change, and geopolitical disruptions, with a special emphasis on developing nations.

The conference will provide a platform for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to engage in discussions on various sub-themes, including:

• Innovation and inequality reduction
• Climate crisis and sustainable innovation
• Geopolitical disruptions and resilient innovation systems
• Digital transformation and data infrastructure
• Innovation policy for global development goals
• Multi-level innovation systems
• Innovation and capabilities in firms and economies
• Theoretical and methodological advances in innovation and development studies

We invite full paper submissions (max. 8,000 words) via the conference website by May 16, 2025. Selected papers will be considered for special issues in leading innovation and development journals. Opportunities for PhD students and early-career researchers, including a PhD Paper Award and limited travel support, are also available.

For submission guidelines, conference details, and key dates, please find the Call for Papers.

Please circulate this widely in your networks.

Best regards,

Globelics Secretariat

E: secretariat[@]globelicsnetwork.org

Fwd: Fw: 5 Days to Becoming a Solar Expert – Register Today!

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World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2025 | 25-27 April, New Delhi

World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2025 

Theme: Scaling Access to Ensure Health Equity

Venue: Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

Dates: April 25-27, 2025

https://whsnewdelhi2025.com/

The WHS Regional Meeting is a unique global forum for strategic discussion on initiatives and dialogues on international and regional issues, impacting health and development. The summit is represented by diverse stakeholders from academia, Industry, the private sector, NGOs, and Governments from around the world to set the agenda for collaboration, cooperation, and consultation on key strategic issues impacting health and well-being. The WHS Regional Meeting 2025 from April 25-27 in New Delhi convenes experts and leaders to work together towards building a healthier future for the region by addressing its most pressing challenges and promoting global health progress, focusing on the overall theme "Scaling Access to Ensure Health Equity." The WHS Regional Meeting 2025 is hosted by NIMS University and co-hosted by Manipal Academy of Higher Education, and Ashoka University.

Central Topics

• Digital Health and AI Futures
• Future of Health
• Health Diplomacy and Cooperation
• Planetary Health
• Innovation and Leadership
• Health and Peace
• Communication and Health Care

Further Details | Registration

 

Workshop on Transforming Healthcare with AI & Data Science | 4-5 April, AU Haryana

Workshop on "Transforming Healthcare with AI & Data Science", a WHS Regional Summit pre-event

April 4-5, 2025

Venue: Koita Centre for Digital Health, Ashoka University (KCDH-A), Haryana

🔗Details for Registration

Glaciers and mountains: melting water towers will aggravate global crises (report)

PRESS RELEASE   Glaciers and mountains: melting water towers will aggravate global crises (report) [EMBARGOED 21 MARCH 2025, 00:01 CET]   Paris/New York, 21 March 2025 – The United Nations World Water Development Report 2025, published by UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water, reveals the extent to which climate disruption, biodiversity loss, and unsustainable activities are transforming mountain environments at an unprecedented rate, threatening the water resources upon which billions of people and countless ecosystems depend. There is now an urgent need for international cooperation and adaptation strategies and actions to face the unfolding crisis in our mountains and glaciers. Click here to view the full report. "Regardless of where we live, we all depend in some way on mountains and glaciers. But these essential natural water towers are facing imminent peril," said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO. "This report demonstrates the urgent need for action and that the most effective solutions require a multilateral approach."   "Water flows downhill, but food insecurity rises uphill. The earth's mountains provide 60% of our freshwater, but the communities that safeguard these vital resources are among the most food insecure. We must invest in their resilience to protect glaciers, rivers - and a shared future for all of us," said Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Chair of UN-Water.   Two billion people depend on mountain waters   According to the UN World Water Development Report 2025, mountains provide up to 60% of the world's annual freshwater flows. More than one billion people live in mountainous regions, and over two billion directly rely on water originating from mountains for their drinking water, sanitation, and livelihoods.   Mountain regions are vital to sectors such as pastoralism, forestry, tourism and energy production. In the Andean countries 85% of hydropower is generated from mountain areas. Mountains also provide high-value products such as medicinal plants, timber and other forest products, unique mountain livestock and speciality agriculture products – all of which are water-dependent.   However, the Report indicates that glaciers across the world are melting at unprecedented rates, and that mountain waters are often the first to be exposed – and the most vulnerable – to the severe consequences of climate and biodiversity disruptions.   Today the situation is critical: up to half of rural mountain dwellers in developing countries suffer from food insecurity, with women and children being most at risk. More broadly, the Report reveals that receding glaciers and dwindling snowfall in mountains will impact two-thirds of all irrigated agriculture in the world and will have wide-reaching implications for the vast majority of the population.   Glacier retreat is only the visible part of the threat   While images of receding glaciers capture the public's attention, they are just one example of the rapid changes happening in mountain areas. In many regions, freshwater flows depend more on seasonal snowpack melt than on glaciers.   Due to climate disruption, rapid changes in the amount, frequency and regularity of snowfall are severely disrupting the water supply, creating unstable environments for biodiversity, and unpredictable conditions for human livelihoods. In Japan, for example, the iconic snowcap on Mount Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has recently started appearing nearly one month later than usual.   These changes in precipitation are also increasing the risk of natural disasters such as droughts and glacial lake outburst floods. The Colorado River in North America, which serves about 40 million people, gets most of its water from snowfall in the Rocky Mountains. The river basin has been in drought since 2000. The situation may become exacerbated by warmer temperatures, which are causing more precipitation to fall as rain, which runs off more quickly than mountain snow.   Climate disruption is also being felt strongly in mountain regions with no recorded glaciers or snowmelt, where water flows originate instead from rainfall. In tropical regions, such as Madagascar, changes in mountain waters are impacting the irrigation of cacao, rice and fruit production – some of the island nation's most important agricultural exports.   Impactful solutions are multilateral   Despite their essential role, the Report highlights that mountain regions have been largely absent from global agendas. National policies for water, agriculture, industry and energy tend to favour more populous river basin areas, while mountains generally receive much less attention – or are often only considered as sources for downstream users.   This year marks the launch of the first-ever World Day for Glaciers on 21 March, emphasizing the need for immediate and coordinated international efforts, aligned with World Water Day on 22 March. UNESCO is co-leading the Day with WMO as well as the 2025 International Year of Glaciers' Preservation, a global initiative to mobilize resources and commitments for glacier conservation, and the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025-2034) to advance scientific understanding and policy solutions.   These major events must give rise to a new impetus for international cooperation for the protection of glaciers and mountain waters. Many mountain ranges and their ecosystem services are transboundary in nature: treaties or agreements can enhance cooperation through data and information sharing, help to fill gaps in human and institutional technical capacity, and promote and foster dialogue and diplomacy.   Drawing inspiration from existing cooperation projects   In response to the growing crisis outlined in the Report, there is an urgent need adapt to this new reality and strengthen water security worldwide through scientific research, policy coordination, and concrete action on the ground.   In Central Asia, UNESCO has recently mobilized USD 12 million to reduce disaster risks and enhance scientific cooperation, including a new regional glacier monitoring system deployed this year across the region's transboundary glacial massifs. UNESCO is also establishing an Early Flood Warning System in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan which will help protect over 100,000 people at risk from glacial lake outburst floods.   In Africa, UNESCO is leading the "Unlocking the Kilimanjaro Water Tower" project, funded with USD 8 million from the the Global Environment Facility. It will benefit more than 2 million people in Tanzania and Kenya who depend directly on the waters of Africa's highest peak. Experts from both countries will map the region's aquifer systems and give an additional 100,000 people direct access to drinking water. They will improve groundwater storage and supply during the dry season. This initiative will also restore 400 km² of degraded cloud forests and put more than 17,000 km² of protected areas under reinforced management.   Learn more Press Corner containing the full report, executive summary and factsheet [Embargo 21/03/2024, 00:01 CET] World Day for Glaciers, celebrated on 21 March World Water Day, celebrated on 22 March 2025 International Year of Glaciers' Preservation Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025-2034) UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) UN-Water UNESCO Courrier on 'Vanishing Glaciers' About UNESCO   With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions. Its Director-General is Audrey Azoulay.   "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed" – UNESCO Constitution, 1945.   More information: www.unesco.org   About UN-Water   UN-Water is the United Nations inter-agency coordination mechanism for all freshwater-related matters, including sanitation. It represents 36 UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes and 49 international organizations who work together to address the cross-cutting nature of water and sanitation issues, to identify gaps and opportunities and to maximise system-wide coordinated action at the global, regional and country levels and across the United Nations pillars.   More information: https://www.unwater.org/     About the UN World Water Development Report   The United Nations World Water Development Report is published by UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water and its production is coordinated by the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme. The report gives insight into the main trends concerning the state, use and management of freshwater and sanitation, based on work by Members and Partners of UN-Water. Launched in conjunction with World Water Day, the report provides decision-makers with knowledge and tools to formulate and implement sustainable water policies. It also offers best practice examples and in-depth analyses to stimulate ideas and actions for better stewardship in the water sector and beyond.   Press contacts UNESCO : François Wibaux, f.wibaux@unesco.org, +33 1 45 68 07 46 UN-Water : Felicia VACARELU, felicia.vacarelu@unwater.org, +41 (0)79 9371995   UNESCO Newsroom All our press releases   Social media

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PMML and ANRF invite applications for Fellowships/ Grants

Details

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CESP-JNU Lecture on Knowledge Policy and Its Contradictions | 13 March

CESP-JNU Lecture on Knowledge Policy and Its Contradictions | 13 March

Kilimanjaro: UNESCO invests $8 million to protect water resources

PRESS RELEASE   Kilimanjaro: UNESCO invests $8 million to protect water resources   Dar es Salaam, 7 March 2025 – The Director-General of UNESCO has announced a new initiative to protect water resources and biodiversity in the Kilimanjaro region. This $8 million project, combining scientific research and support for local populations, will benefit the more than 2 million people who depend directly on the waters of Africa's highest peak.   "The melting glaciers of Kilimanjaro, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, pose an imminent threat to more than two million people in Tanzania and Kenya. The international community must support the authorities and local populations to protect this vital resource. Our Organization will be investing $8 million to this end over the coming years", announced Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, on the sidelines of a meeting with Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Tanzania.   This major initiative, led by UNESCO in partnership with the FAO, will be financed by the Global Environment Facility. It will begin with increased support for scientific research: UNESCO experts will map the region's aquifer systems, with a view to giving an additional 100,000 people direct access to drinking water. The aim will also be to improve groundwater storage and supply during the dry season to benefit 615,000 people who are currently exposed to water shortages.   A scientific observation center will be set up to monitor water quality, groundwater levels and the health of ecosystems. It will be founded upon close cooperation between researchers in Kenya and Tanzania. An initial constitutive meeting was held this week in Arusha. UNESCO also plans to train a further 200 water professionals at the national and local level.   The central role of cloud forests   UNESCO will also support the restoration of ecosystems by reforesting 400 km² of cloud forests, which play an essential role in water retention as well as replenishing groundwater reserves. The Organisation will support local communities in developing sustainable economic activities to prevent further deforestation.   Today, the iconic 'water tower' that is Mount Kilimanjaro suffers from the combined pressures of climate disruption, deforestation and increasing water demand. The melting of its glaciers, which could disappear completely by 2040, combined with increasingly recurrent droughts, threaten the availability of water and the stability of ecosystems in Kenya and Tanzania. The initiative announced by Audrey Azoulay is part of the International Year of Glacier Preservation, led by UNESCO and the WMO. The first World Day for Glaciers will be held on 20 March.   Soon a dedicated centre for the Kiswahili language   During her meeting with the President of Tanzania, the Director-General of UNESCO also reaffirmed the Organization's willingness to support the country's authorities in the management and development of Biosphere Reserves – a UNESCO programme aimed at restoring the balance in the relationship between human beings and their environment.    UNESCO will also continue to support Tanzania in safeguarding and promoting the Kiswahili language. National authorities plan to open a dedicated institute in the near future. UNESCO stands ready to contribute its expertise when the time comes by training professionals, networking with other language centres around the world and developing content linked to the General History of Africa.   About UNESCO   With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions. Its Director-General is Audrey Azoulay.   "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed" – UNESCO Constitution, 1945.   More information: www.unesco.org   Press contact François Wibaux, f.wibaux@unesco.org, +33 1 45 68 07 46   UNESCO Newsroom All our press releases   Social media

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