Tbilisi: The Bureau of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia, approved Thursday a proposal by its president, Amina Bouayach, President of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), to focus in the coming period on challenges and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence (AI) and digital spaces in relation to the exercise and protection of human rights.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the GANHRI Bureau has therefore decided to devote its annual international meeting, scheduled for March 2026 in Geneva, to AI, digital spaces, and the role of national human rights institutions. This decision reflects the growing awareness of the scale of digital transformations taking place worldwide, as well as technological developments and their impact on the full enjoyment of rights and freedoms.

At this high-level meeting, Bouayach stated that ‘digital spaces and artificial intelligence systems are no longer simply virtual or futuristic technologies, b
ut have become a reality that affects the very essence of the exercise of human rights.’ She also noted that it is the responsibility of national institutions to promote the protection of rights and freedoms in digital spaces.

Highlighting the undeniable impact of these technologies on various aspects of life and rights, she emphasized the crucial role of national human rights institutions in protecting and promoting these rights and strengthening the governance of these systems, taking into account a human rights-based approach and non-discrimination.

The acceleration of innovation and technology presents unique challenges and opportunities for the exercise of human rights, with AI systems and digital spaces directly affecting a wide range of rights and freedoms, including the right to privacy, freedom of expression, data protection, non-discrimination, the right of access to information, the right to participation, the right to health, the right to education, and the rights of the child.

The 2026 Geneva
meeting, as a high-level event, should be a key step in highlighting the opportunities, challenges, and growing role of national human rights institutions in developing a common roadmap to ensure the effectiveness of these rights.