Reinventing Multilateralism: The United Nations Global Challenges to Democracy Cooperative Security, Arms Control and Disarmament Social Media, Technology and Peacebuilding Policy Brief No.335
Governing What Sovereignty Cannot: The Case of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance
Renata Dwan
October 19, 2026
UN reinvention depends on delivering collective action where sovereignty cannot. This paper explores how the UN became a principal body for navigating global issues that go beyond the power, authority, and capabilities of any one state. AI governance is the foremost such challenge today and one that offers the UN scope for renewed relevance and impact. This paper examines how the Organisation might rise to this challenge. It highlights continuity in the way the UN has approached AI governance to date as a global issue and recommends four actions for the first 100 days of the next Secretary-General.
