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The training brought together participants of UNESCO’s AI Ethics Action Cohorts, an initiative supporting countries in Africa and SIDS to turn findings from UNESCO’s Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) into concrete projects that advance responsible AI governance.
Through specialized training, peer exchange and expert guidance, the Cohorts support public officials in applying UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI to national priorities and strengthening institutional capacity to govern AI responsibly.
From AI ethics principles to practical implementation
On 14 September, participants engaged in dedicated training sessions covering two UNESCO tools: the AI for Environment and Ecosystems Toolkit for Policymakers and the Ethical Impact Assessment (EIA).
The Environment and Ecosystems Toolkit session explored how policymakers can address the environmental footprint of AI while also leveraging AI to support environmental sustainability and ecosystem protection.
Suriname is the greenest country in the world; we have 93% forest cover, and technology is going to play an important role in economic growth. It makes much sense to apply technology while keeping environmental considerations in mind.
Rafiq IlahiMinistry of Economic Affairs, Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation of Suriname
The EIA session provided a structured approach to identifying potential positive and negative impacts, engaging relevant stakeholders, developing mitigation measures, and strengthening accountability throughout the AI system lifecycle.
Together, these tools help public authorities move beyond high-level commitments towards practical approaches that integrate ethical considerations into AI policy and implementation.
Connecting training with national priorities
The AI Ethics Action Cohorts build on UNESCO’s RAMs, which help countries assess their preparedness to govern AI, identify gaps, and establish priorities for action. The Cohorts provide a structured follow-up to this process, combining specialized training with the development of national projects and peer exchange at a regional level.
Participants apply their selected tool to a concrete national project, helping ensure that the training responds to real policy challenges and can contribute to tangible progress in AI governance.
The Global Forum also provided Cohorts’ participants with the valuable opportunity to exchange with practitioners working across different nations. Their participation alongside the main Forum activities placed this implementation-focused work within a wider international discussion on responsible AI governance, connecting practical national efforts with global dialogue.
Being here and learning from different countries and organizations, seeing how they see the future of AI and implementation, it’s very important to take all this knowledge back to Curaçao for us to implement AI in a good and safe manner.
Bryan Cristian BakboordMinistry of Economic Development of Curaçao
Sustaining progress beyond the training
Following the Global Forum activities, participants will receive continued expert guidance as they advance their national projects and adapt the selected tools to their respective contexts. This next phase will support practical application, address implementation challenges, and support continued peer learning among participating public officials.
By linking AI readiness assessments with targeted capacity-building and national action, UNESCO’s AI Ethics Action Cohorts aim to strengthen the ability of countries in Africa and SIDS to develop and implement AI governance approaches that reflect their priorities.
This initiative is part of the “Supporting countries in building effective AI Governance through implementing the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI” project, funded by the Japanese Funds-in-Trust (JFIT).
