Advocacy
United Nations
The Neurorights Foundation is transforming how the world’s most influential institutions think about and respond to the power of emerging technologies. At the United Nations, we’ve raised the alarm on the urgent need to set global standards and clarify and further interpret international law, working collaboratively to guide the international community towards responsible technology governance. Through foresight, legal analyses, agenda setting, and expert consultations, we’re steering the conversation towards concrete action, identifying critical gaps in international law and working to close them.
Our ongoing engagement with the UN system reflects our commitment to embedding neurorights protections within the fabric of international human rights law. We’ve made great strides so far, including:
Meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres to discuss the importance of prioritizing neurotechnology governance within the UN system. As a result, the Secretary-General highlighted addressing neurotechnologies as a key human rights priority in his five-year strategic plan, entitled Our Common Agenda.
Supporting the development of the draft resolution on neurotechnology and human rights at the UN Human Rights Council. Following high-level advocacy by our team, the resolution was adopted unanimously, resulting to the commissioning of a major UN report on emerging neurotechnologies.
Assisting the Advisory Committee of the UN Human Rights Council in developing its report entitled Impact, Opportunities, and Challenges of Neurotechnology with Regard to the Promotion and Protection of All Human Rights.
Briefing the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on risks related to algorithmic bias, unfair access, and discrimination, and the steps necessary to ensure that neurotechnologies do not reinforce or exacerbate existing racial disparities.
Briefing the UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) about potential forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment that neurotechnologies could enable, and the legal interpretations necessary to prohibit these applications.
Submitting inputs and consulting with UNESCO, resulting in a more carefully scoped and scientifically-grounded draft UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology.
Presenting at side event at the UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice with INTERPOL and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as it launched a new initiative to develop guidance on the ethical use of neurotechnologies in law enforcement and criminal justice settings.
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