The International Bar Association (IBA), the global voice of the legal profession, has formally endorsed the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law.
The Framework Convention is the first ever international legally binding treaty for the governance of artificial intelligence (AI). The Convention aims to ensure that activities within the lifecycle of AI systems are fully consistent with human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Almudena Arpón de Mendívil Aldama, President of the IBA, commented: 'The Council of Europe's AI Convention establishes a necessary foundation to protect human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in our digital age. Lawyers and law societies around the world should seek to ensure its rapid adoption and implementation.'
This endorsement follows in the wake of a report titled, The Future is Now: Artificial Intelligence and the Legal Profession, recently published by the IBA in partnership with the Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP), a worldwide network of AI policy experts and human rights advocates. Marc Rotenberg, Founder of CAIDP, directed the project. The combined expertise of the IBA and CAIDP underscores the relevance of the legal profession's involvement in AI governance developments.
The Report, launched during the 2024 IBA Annual Conference held in Mexico City, highlights the importance of the legal sector being a key stake holder to determine the governance principles of AI, ensuring responsibility, fairness and transparency, thus avoiding black box decision-making that would frustrate the administration of justice.
IBA President Arpón de Mendívil added: 'The legal profession may not be alien to the AI revolution. We must play an active role in the governance of technological changes avoiding developments that may risk fundamental values of our modern societies- human rights, defence, of democracy and, the basis of it all, the rule of law.
'We must also embrace new technologies and the great benefits attached to them. I encourage other legal associations, of a national or international reach, to also endorse the Framework Convention and to support its adoption and implementation'.
The IBA is the foremost association of legal practitioners across the globe. The IBA was born under the conviction that a legal association should contribute to global peace, democracy and human rights protection upholding the rule of law. Today the Association has more than 80,000 members, including leading law firms around the world and 200 bars and law societies, representing 170 jurisdictions.
