Working Together for a Human-Centred Digital Future – Parliamentary Cooperation for Democratic Digital Governance – Opening Plenary 2025

Parliamentarian session on invitation by PACE

12 May 2025 | 15:45 - 17:15 CEST | Hemicycle
Consolidated programme 2025

Opening Plenary: Working Together for a Human-Centred Digital Future – Parliamentary Cooperation for Democratic Digital Governance

Session teaser

As digital technologies increasingly shape our democracies, economies, and societies, parliaments and parliamentarians are central to ensuring that this transformation reflects shared values. This session brings together elected representatives from across the world to exchange experiences and explore how to shape digital governance that upholds human dignity, enables innovation, and supports inclusive development. It will highlight the role of parliaments in translating international standards -such as those of the Council of Europe, the EU, OECD, and the United Nations etc. - into national policies that both manage risks and harness opportunities offered by artificial intelligence and internet technologies. Rather than focusing solely on challenges, the event and ensuing exchange aim to explore how digital tools, when guided by clear democratic principles, can help advance transparency, scientific progress, participatory governance, and the protection of human rights.

Session description

15:45 – 15:50 Welcome by the Moderator

Ms. Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, Vice Chair of PACE Brief welcome and framing of the session, stressing the importance of parliamentary leadership and international cooperation for digital governance rooted in democracy and human rights.

15:50 – 16:00 Protecting Rights in the Age of AI: A Treaty for Everyone

Introduction of the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and its role in advancing democratic standards in tech governance.

16:00 – 16.30 Steering Digital Innovation with Values – A Parliamentary Perspective

How parliaments are translating standards into action: oversight, legislation and fostering digital innovation aligned with democratic values.

Short input statements from key parliamentary bodies on their priorities, practices, or challenges in democratic digital governance (all tbc):

• Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
• European Parliament (EP)
• Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
• OECD Global Parliamentary Network
• Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie
• Pan-African Parliament
• Other invited parliamentary bodies

16:30 - 17:10 Parliamentary Roundtable: Making It Work in Practice

Moderated open exchange

• All present parliamentarians are invited to share insights, good practices, and challenges in shaping digital governance. Focus on peer exchange and identifying shared approaches and good practice.

Suggested topics to guide discussion:

• Making AI accountable: Parliamentary oversight and ethical frameworks
• Securing democratic participation - Digital resilience and inclusive online engagement
• Regulating without censoring: Rights-based approaches to content and data governance
• Aligning with international standards: Translating multilateral treaties, /conventions/standards into national laws
• Unlocking opportunity: Digital tools for innovation, accessibility and service delivery

17:10 - 17:15 What’s Next? Shared Priorities for Action

• Moderator wraps up with key takeaways, opportunities for cooperation and next steps for working together to build a democratic digital future.

Format

Moderated open exchange with in-put keynotes from parliamentarians.

Further reading

Links to relevant websites, declarations, books, documents. Please note we cannot offer web space, so only links to external resources are possible. Example for an external link: Main page of EuroDIG

People

Focal Point:

• Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

Moderator:

• Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, Vice Chair of PACE

Key participants:

• Parliamentarians worldwide
• in-put speaker tbd