Mallory Stewart, the US Assistant Secretary of State who heads up the newly renamed Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability, is expected to travel to Morocco on October 21-24, 2024, the US Department of State announced in a press release on Sunday.
During her visit, Stewart will serve as a keynote speaker at the Global Conference on the Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Advancing the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The conference will build on the efforts of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and involve collaboration with independent scientific experts. The discussions will help inform the OPCW’s newly established temporary working group that is focusing on AI, as well as guide the future activities of the organization’s policy-making bodies.
The Assistant Secretary will also engage in high-level discussions with Moroccan officials on emerging security threats. These discussions will focus on strengthening strategic partnerships, sharing perspectives on regional risk reduction, and exploring avenues for enhancing multilateral disarmament and international security mechanisms, according to the press release.
Stewart will also meet with representatives from OPCW members during the conference to highlight the importance of upholding international norms against the use of chemical weapons.
Key topics will include advancing comprehensive legislation to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention, prioritizing information resilience and endorsing Morocco’s Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy.
The Kingdom of Morocco and the OPCW Technical Secretariat are sponsoring the conference.