At the UN, ten states create a group on emerging technologies, peace and security

On 23 October 2026, ten members of the UN Security Council launched an informal group of experts on emerging technologies and their effects on international peace and security, Greece and Latvia announced. Artificial intelligence is among the technologies the group will examine.

The founding states are Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark and France, as well as Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Panama and the United Kingdom. They come from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe. The group is open to current and future members of the Council.

According to the statement by Greece and Latvia, the group will examine the risks and opportunities of emerging technologies for the Council’s mandates. Its discussions may cover peacekeeping, the protection of civilians or counterterrorism.

Participants may meet before certain mandate renewals, particularly those of peace operations, when technology is especially relevant. They plan to gather views from the UN Secretariat, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. These exchanges are intended to inform discussions on mandates, without prejudging the Council’s decisions.

The UN also has an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, created by the General Assembly. It is tasked with global scientific assessments of the effects of AI in the non-military domain. The group of ten states, meanwhile, examines several emerging technologies from the perspective of international peace and security.

On 12 October, the news outlet PassBlue was still presenting the initiative as a proposal. The group’s first meeting is scheduled for November 2026.