The Kingdom of Morocco, in partnership with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), will host the first-ever International Conference on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in advancing the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) from October 22-24, 2024, in Rabat, Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita and Director-General of the OPCW Fernando Arias will co-chair the event.
The conference is expected to bring together over 140 international participants, including representatives from more than 40 countries that are members of the Chemical Weapons Convention, as well as experts in science, industry, civil society, and academia.
According to the agenda, the participants will address the challenges and opportunities of AI in the areas of chemical disarmament and security. They will also explore various themes, including the applications of AI in chemistry, the challenges of ethical governance of AI, and its role in combating chemical terrorism.
As the first African and Arab country to implement the UNESCO Recommendation on AI Ethics, Morocco co-sponsored the initial UN resolutions on AI and launched, in partnership with the United States, the Group of Friends of Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development. That group is mobilizing efforts to accelerate the process of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where AI and chemistry could play a pivotal role.
Established in 1997 to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention, the OPCW is working toward establishing a world free of chemical weapons. With 193 member states, the OPCW won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for its efforts in disarmament.