Emerging & Disruptive Technology (AI/Cyber) Global Governance Team
An operational unit of the Global Initiatives Division, developing international governance frameworks for artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, biotechnology, and other disruptive technologies that advance faster than existing regulatory structures — building the international coordination mechanisms needed to ensure these technologies serve humanity rather than destabilize it.
Mission & Operational Scope
Governing Technologies That Outpace the Institutions Designed to Oversee Them
The governance gap between technological capability and regulatory oversight has never been wider. Artificial intelligence systems are being deployed at scale in critical infrastructure, military applications, and social systems before international norms for their governance have been established. Cyber capabilities are being developed and used by state and non-state actors in ways that existing international law does not clearly address. Biotechnology is advancing toward capabilities that could be transformative or catastrophic depending on how they are governed.
This team develops the international governance frameworks — treaties, norms, standards, and coordination mechanisms — that allow the international community to shape the development and deployment of disruptive technologies before their consequences become irreversible.
Governing Doctrine
Frameworks & Standards
- UN AI Advisory BodyUN Secretary-General's Advisory Body on AI — international framework for AI governance recommendations and the foundation for binding international AI standards
- Tallinn ManualNATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence manual on international law applicable to cyber operations — foundational doctrine for cyber conflict governance
- Budapest ConventionCouncil of Europe Convention on Cybercrime — international framework for cybercrime prosecution and cross-border cyber enforcement cooperation
- OECD AI PrinciplesOECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence — internationally agreed standards for trustworthy AI development adopted by 46 countries
Operational Capabilities
Six Core Functions
01
International AI Governance Frameworks
Develop binding international frameworks for artificial intelligence governance — establishing the safety standards, transparency requirements, and accountability mechanisms that ensure AI systems deployed in critical applications meet internationally agreed standards for reliability and human oversight.
02
Cyber Norms & Rules of Engagement
Develop international norms and rules of engagement for cyber operations — establishing the prohibited targets, proportionality standards, and attribution frameworks that bring cyber conflict within the scope of international humanitarian law and reduce the risk of escalation.
03
Autonomous Weapons Systems Treaties
Advocate for and develop international treaties governing autonomous weapons systems — establishing the meaningful human control requirements, prohibited applications, and accountability frameworks that prevent the deployment of lethal autonomous systems without adequate human judgment.
04
Biotechnology Dual-Use Governance
Develop international governance frameworks for dual-use biotechnology — establishing the oversight mechanisms, publication norms, and international monitoring systems that allow beneficial biotechnology research to proceed while preventing the development of catastrophic biological capabilities.
05
Digital Infrastructure Protection
Develop international frameworks for critical digital infrastructure protection — establishing the mutual defense obligations, incident response protocols, and attribution standards that deter attacks on the digital systems that underpin modern economies and societies.
06
Technology Transfer & Governance Equity
Develop international frameworks for equitable technology governance — ensuring that developing nations have meaningful participation in the international bodies that set technology standards and that governance frameworks do not entrench technological inequality between nations.