On 5 September 2024, the Council of Europe’s (CoE) Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law (the ‘Convention’) opened for signature at the Conference of Ministers of Justice in Vilnius, Lithuania. As the first binding international legal instrument addressing AI governance, the Convention has already been signed by Andorra, Georgia, Iceland, Norway, the Republic of Moldova, San Marino, the United Kingdom, Israel, the USA, and the European Union.

The Convention was negotiated under the guidance of the Council of Europe’s Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI) and was formally adopted on 17 May 2024 during the annual ministerial meeting of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. While the Convention originates from the CoE, its relevance extends beyond Europe, as non-member states like the United States and Canada have actively participated in the negotiation process and several non-EU countries have signed up. Notably, Holistic AI contributed to the drafting process as an Observer to the CAI.