This side event to the 81st session of the UN General Assembly First Committee, organized in partnership with UNITAR and Austria, gathers practitioners and policy experts to address a fundamental area of concern for AI in the context of international peace and security: non-proliferation.
The risks of AI proliferation, in particular its access and misuse by malicious non-state actors, are recognized to be particularly high and urgent. Yet discussions on how to effectively counter AI’s proliferation have been rather limited.
Existing non-proliferation regimes, expert networks and export control frameworks provide a useful foundation to address some of the proliferation risks of AI, but the challenges introduced by AI technologies extend beyond traditional domains and, in some cases, even beyond dual-use governance. More dedicated efforts are needed to identify gaps and to develop actionable policy recommendations at the national and international levels.
This side event aims to provide a deep dive into the limitations and gaps of existing non-proliferation efforts, as well as discuss concrete and implementable policy recommendations for the field of AI. The discussion draws on multidisciplinary expertise and lessons, integrating technical depth and policy knowledge.
Agenda
Further details will be added in due course.
When and where
Wednesday, 21 October 2026 | 08:30 – 09:45 EDT | In person (UNCA Room, S-308, United Nations Headquarters, New York).
Check your local time here.
Participants
The event is open to all First Committee delegates. Please note that participants joining us in person must have a valid visitor pass or long-term badge to enter United Nations Headquarters, as UNIDIR is unable to facilitate entry arrangements.
RSVP
For in-person participation, please register through UNITAR’s registration page before 16 October.
In collaboration with
