Centering Human Dignity in the Age of AI - Side Event on the Margins of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly

Organizers: Microsoft, Apne Aap International, A.F.I. World Peace Initiative, International Cocoa Diplomacy Eti-Oni Development Group, Generative AI for Good Co-sponsors: Vital Voices, British Standards Institution, NYU Ethical Tech CoLab, Equality Now, Black Basalt Foundation, Women for Afghanistan, Mediators Beyond Borders International, We are NOT Weapons of War, Cocoa Town and Visions of Peace Initiative, Women Voices Now, Save Ukraine. Aligned with: the UNGA81 theme, "Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All"; the UN International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026; and SDGs 5, 16, and 17. Program 9:00 – 9:30 am | Registration and Networking ASH Art Exhibit by Black Basalt Foundation. Works on paper created using ash collected from sites destroyed during the July 2025 violent events in Swaida, Syria. 9:30 – 9:45 am | Welcome Remarks Yorke E. Rhodes III, Director of Traceability, Microsoft; Adjunct Professor, NYU Center for Global Affairs; Co-founder, Ethical Tech CoLab Her Royal Majesty Queen Angelique-Monét of Eti-Oni, Osun State, Nigeria Royal Patron, Eti-Oni Development Group, AFI World Peace Initiative, and International Cocoa Diplomacy 9:45 – 10:30 am | Session 1: From Testimony to Accountability: A UN Framework Protocol on CRSV Moderator: Tatiana Kotlyarenko, Member of IF20 Advisory Group on Human Trafficking Despite a robust body of international humanitarian, human rights and criminal law addressing conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), a persistent gap remains between international commitments and their effective implementation at the national level. This high-level panel will examine the case for a United Nations Framework Protocol on the Implementation of International Obligations relating to Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and Survivor-Centred Responses, a practical framework designed not to create new legal obligations, but to help States translate existing commitments into effective prevention, reporting and documentation, national response frameworks, justice and accountability, comprehensive referral mechanisms, and long-term support for victims and survivors. Building on existing international standards and good practices, including the Murad Code, the discussion will consider how a Framework Protocol could strengthen survivor-centred and trauma-informed approaches, national coordination and international cooperation, while addressing emerging challenges and opportunities related to digital evidence, artificial intelligence and responsible innovation. The panel will bring together experts to identify priority implementation gaps and launch a global consultation process towards the development of the Framework Protocol. Fawzia Koofi, President, Women for Afghanistan Céline Bardet, Founder and President, We are NOT Weapons of War (WWoW) Jay Rosenzweig, CEO, Rosenzweig & Company; Honorary Chair, Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights; Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy Tsitsi Matekaire, Director, Regions, Equality Now Mandy Sanghera, International Human Rights Advocate 10:30 am – 10:45 | Session 2: Fireside Chat | Developing a standard for human dignity A fireside chat on the development of a standard on human dignity by the British Standards Institute, covering critical areas such as human rights due diligence, modern slavery, safeguarding, violence against women, and diversity, equality, and inclusivity. The discussion will also highlight how standardisation can play a role in preventing crimes linked to these issues, including money laundering, bribery, and fraud. Kevin Hyland OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Praevani Global and UK’s first Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Fr. Márcio Toniazzo, Executive Director, Scalabrini International Migration Network 10:45 – 11:00 am | Session 3: Fireside Chat | Hearing Their Voices: Survivor Testimony in the Age of AI Presentation of a survivor testimony developed through the Hearing Their Voices ethical framework, grounded in the principles of informed consent, transparency, authenticity, safety and non-discrimination, alongside additional testimonies developed with survivors from active conflict zones. The screening will be followed by a short discussion exploring the ethical and practical challenges of collecting, safeguarding and sharing survivor testimony during ongoing conflicts, including how to ensure that survivors retain agency and control over their stories while minimizing risks of retraumatization, stigma and retaliation. Yorke E. Rhodes III, Director of Traceability, Microsoft; Adjunct Professor, NYU Center for Global Affairs; Co-founder, Ethical Tech CoLab Shiran Mlamdovsky Somech, Founder & CEO, Generative AI for Good 11:00 – 11:45 am | Session 4:  AI for Peace: Centering Survivor Voices Moderator: Dr. Estera Borcsa, psychotherapist and trauma expert, Mediators Beyond Borders International As conflicts, repression and violence continue to affect communities worldwide, artificial intelligence presents new possibilities for ensuring that the voices and experiences of survivors are heard—while also raising critical questions about safety, dignity, consent, authenticity and the risk of retraumatization. This session will explore how AI and emerging technologies can be used responsibly to amplify survivor voices, preserve testimony, support truth-telling and accountability, and contribute to peacebuilding without exposing survivors to further harm, stigma or retaliation. Moderated through a trauma-informed lens, the discussion will examine what it means to place survivors, not technology, at the centre of innovation, including the safeguards needed to ensure meaningful consent, survivor agency and control over how testimony is collected, preserved and shared. Bringing together human rights advocates, practitioners and civil society leaders, the panel will consider how survivor-centred AI can help bridge the distance between lived experience and deci