Event Overview

Artificial intelligence is reshaping economies, institutions and legal systems across Asia and the wider Global South. Governments, courts, regulators and businesses are being asked to make rapid choices about how AI should be governed, often in a landscape influenced by regulatory and policy developments in Europe and other parts of the world.

AI sovereignty has therefore become a practical question: how can states preserve meaningful policy space while engaging in trade, cross-border data flows, security cooperation and technical collaboration? At the same time, AI is starting to affect core public functions, from courts and tribunals to public administration and service delivery, raising important concerns about due process, equality, non-discrimination, privacy and long-term institutional resilience.

This India AI Impact Pre-Summit event, hosted by the Centre for International Law at NUS and supported by India AI,UNESCO, BIMSTEC and the ILA Committee on AI & Technology Law, will bring together speakers from Asia, the Global South and the West to explore these questions. The workshop will feed into the discussions of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, and a written report of the event will be submitted to the Summit.

Special Highlights

Presentations by selected authors for the  Asian Journal of Law and Society (Cambridge University Press) Special Issue on “AI Sovereignty and International Law: Asian Regional Challenges and Global Implications.”
Invited contributors will present and discuss their draft articles, allowing for peer feedback and cross-cutting reflections that will shape the final special issue.

Launch of UNESCO Guidelines on the Use of AI in Courts and Tribunals in South-East Asia
A dedicated session will present and discuss UNESCO’s new regional guidelines, with contributions from judges, justice sector officials, legal scholars and practitioners.

Introduction of the ILA Committee on AI & Technology Law
The Committee’s mandate and workplan will be introduced, and the event’s discussions will contribute to its ongoing work on AI and international law.

Keynote Address by the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (UN ODET)
The keynote address will be delivered by Lucia Velasco, Head of AI Policy at the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (UN ODET).

Topics Covered

The event will address, among others, the following themes:

• AI sovereignty, global norms and regional cooperation
• AI, environment and climate accountability
• AI in courts and tribunals, including the use of AI tools in justice systems
• Ethics and practice standards for international lawyers and arbitrators
• AI, development, trade, inclusion and social progress

Proposed Panels

The one-day programme will include:

1. AI Global Norms, Sovereignty and Regional Cooperation
   How global and regional AI-related frameworks are influencing domestic choices in Asia and the Global South, and what scope exists for common positions and cooperation.
2. Sustainable AI, Environment and International Governance
   The environmental and resource footprint of AI and compute infrastructure, and how climate and environmental commitments can be integrated into AI governance.
3. AI in Justice Delivery Systems
   This panel will launch UNESCO’s Guidelines on the Use of AI in Courts and Tribunals in South-East Asia. It will be followed by a discussion with judges, court officials, legal scholars and practitioners from the region, with reflections from Europe and beyond.
4. AI for Development, Trade, Inclusion and Economic Progress
   Opportunities and risks of AI for development and social inclusion, and the role of trade and investment frameworks, regional initiatives and financial arrangements.

Outcomes

The event aims to:

• Provide clear and practical messages and proposals to the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
• Develop a shared understanding of how AI sovereignty is being approached in practice in Asia and the Global South.
• Support responsible and rights-respecting uses of AI in justice systems and legal practice.
• Highlight ways to integrate environmental and climate considerations into AI-related decision-making.
• Strengthen regional and inter-regional cooperation on AI standards, capacity building and knowledge sharing.

A short policy brief, summary communiqué, panel notes and practical guidance materials will be prepared after the event and shared with the India AI Impact Summit and interested partners.

Target Audience

• Government officials and regulators
• Judges, court and justice sector officials
• Academics and researchers working on AI, law and governance
• Representatives of international and regional organisations
• Legal practitioners, arbitrators and bar association representatives
• Civil society, industry and technical experts interested in AI governance

Registration Form

• Participation is free, but registration is required.
• Places at the venue are limited; online participation will be available via a hybrid format. 
• Please complete the form below to register.
• Note: Overseas participants are expected to make their own travel arrangements to and from Singapore, except for invited speakers, whose travel will be coordinated separately with the organisers.
• Upon successful registration, you will receive an acknowledgement email from CIL Events.
• For enquiries , please contact Sheikh Sultan Aadil Huque at aadil.huque@nus.edu.sg