Madam President,

I have the honour of delivering this statement on behalf of the fourteen Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

CARICOM welcomes the establishment of the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence as mandated by General Assembly Resolution 79/325, comprised of scientific experts from all regions of the world. CARICOM further welcomes the convening of this interactive dialogue with the Co-Chairs of the Panel, and we thank them both for the briefing just delivered.

In light of the rapid evolution and utilization of AI technologies, it is imperative for the United Nations system to advance international governance and to ensure that AI is used safely and sustainably. It is also important to consider the intersection of AI and other global and national policy areas such as finance, education, health, and security.

Madam President,

Within CARICOM, in addition to the efforts each of our individual Members are deploying to manage and make the most of AI, a number of our regional organisations are working on harnessing the power of artificial intelligence.

In 2024, UNESCO worked with over 20 countries in the region, and over 1000 institutions, to develop the UNESCO Caribbean Artificial Intelligence Policy Roadmap. The Roadmap has aided in shaping AI for the unique needs and challenges faced by small island developing states (SIDS), and is built on four pillars: 
-    Culture and creativity; 
-    Governance and transformation; 
-    Education and upskilling; and 
-    Resiliency and sustainability.

These guiding principles ensure that Caribbean SIDS are prepared to protect their citizens and promote economic growth.

In December 2025, the Caribbean Artificial Intelligence Task Force (CAITF), convened under the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), published an interim report on AI policies and recommendations for the region, guided by principles such as human rights, sustainable development, data sovereignty and regional collaboration.

The report outlines a regional AI policy framework and connects it to critical sectors for the Caribbean, such as tourism and the development of infrastructure towards improved resilience to climate change.

A key recommendation from the Task Force, inspired by our SIDS friends in the Pacific, discusses using AI for early warning dashboards and damage assessment drones to mitigate climate disasters, as well as developing a regional AI resilience hub to coordinate data sets, simulations and training in collaboration with nearby universities and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).

These discussions from the report will continue at the first Caribbean Artificial Intelligence Forum in Trinidad and Tobago on 23 and 24 July, where policymakers, private sector, civil society and other stakeholders from across the Caribbean and beyond will work to further advance regional AI governance.

This forum will, of course, complement the work of the upcoming Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance in Geneva on 6-7 July that will also examine the intersectional dimensions of AI implications, capacity-building and access, and the development of safe and secure AI systems and policy on a global level. 
Madam President, 
The United Nations and its Member States must reckon with the current crossroads we face in this digital age, and must be prepared. AI is reshaping the global public order and we must ensure that it will benefit all of humanity, and not just a privileged few. In this regard we warmly welcome the work being undertaken by the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence.

I thank you.