Signal UN General Assembly votes for global AI governance in 2024

Summary

The report judges that international institutions keep advancing multilateral interests despite the obstacles they face. Its leading example is the 2024 UN General Assembly vote supporting global governance of AI. The WTO's Enhanced Integrated Framework, which helped the least developed countries achieve important trade milestones, is offered as a similar success. Even so, the report finds that institutions remain constrained in delivering their mandates. It points to food aid rollbacks in several crisis-affected countries that undermine UN humanitarian work, and to the ICC achieving just eight convictions across 17 years. Overall, the report portrays the state of international institutions as a mix of gains and setbacks.