Marija Pejčinović Burić – Keynote 05 2024
19 June 2024 | 10:00 EEST | Auditorium | 
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Consolidated programme 2024
Marija Pejčinović Burić
Secretary General of the Council of Europe
The Secretary General has the overall responsibility for the strategic management of the Organisation. Ms Pejčinović Burić was elected in June 2019.
Biography of Marija Pejčinović Burić
Born: 1963
Nationality: Croatian
Languages: French, English, Spanish – active knowledge; German – passive knowledge
Education
- 1993 – 1994 College of Europe, Bruges (Belgium) and Warsaw (Poland), Post-graduate study – Master in European Studies
- 1980 – 1985 University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics, Zagreb, Croatia Bachelor of Science Degree
Work Experience
- June 2017 – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs
- May – November 2018 Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
- November 2016 – June 2017 State Secretary, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
Read more at https://www.coe.int/en/web/secretary-general/biography
Video record
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOu14s5vg3o&t=1022s
Transcript
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Transcripts and more session details were provided by the Geneva Internet Platform
Marija Pejčinović Burić:
Deputy Secretary General Lamanauskas, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. It is a great pleasure to be back in Vilnius for EuroDIG 2024. The digital dimension of freedom is a priority of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers. So there is probably no better place to hold this event, or to explain the cutting edge role of the digital dimension of freedom or to explain the cutting edge role that the Council of Europe is playing when it comes to public policy on internet governance. Our organization has always understood the importance of balancing innovation and regulation when it comes to new technologies. But in fact, it would be wrong to see these things as weighing against one another. Rather, they should move in tandem, ensuring that technology develops in a way that truly benefits our societies. This has been our approach with previous tech-related legal treaties. Our Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, which remains the international gold standard in its field, harmonizing national laws, improving investigations and increasing cross-border cooperation. Our Eurodig to tackle internet and computer-based crime. And our Convention 108, which has ensured people’s privacy and data protection to over for four decades now. Both of these are open conventions, allowing countries from outside Europe to ratify them. And I know that our team taking part has explained how the recent upgrades of these treaties have ensured that they keep pace with ever-evolving technology. As well as outlining our pioneering work on addressing the human rights challenges brought by the metaverse. And sharing our guidance on how to counter disinformation on the internet. This is a subject of particular importance in a bumper election year. In which more than 4 billion people have the opportunity to vote worldwide. And where they should be able to cast their ballots based on accurate information. There is, however, a specific and positive development about which I also want to speak today. Last month, as it was already mentioned, our ministerial session in Strasbourg, the Council of Europe’s foreign ministers adopted our new framework convention on artificial intelligence. And human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. This is the first international legally binding treaty in this area. It is designed specifically to allow AI technology to flourish. But to do so in a way that protect individuals’ rights and does not undermine them. This means that AI systems should uphold the highest standards throughout their life cycles. Applying principles that are technology neutral and therefore future proof. So that gaps created by rapid technological advances are closed and remain closed. These principles include human dignity and individual autonomy. Equality and non-discrimination. Protection of privacy and personal data. Accountability and responsibility. Protection, transparency, and oversight. And safe innovation and reliability. On top of this, the framework convention also sets our government’s obligations to provide accessible procedural safeguards and remedies to help prevent AI systems from going off the rails. Both in the private and the public sectors. And thereby breaching our common standards and also to ensure justice where this does happen. This treaty has the potential to ensure safer, more secure artificial intelligence. Not just in Europe, but around the world. Because the framework convention, just like the Budapest Convention and Convention 108 plus, is an open convention. With a potential to help coverage AI regulation throughout not just our continent, but among countries around the world that share our values. And of course, that want to be part of this process. Many of them are already well-versed in the content. Our Committee on Artificial Intelligence, which did such good work in bringing this text together. And you have the conductor of this important work sitting in the first row. Another Thomas. Thomas Schneider. And I would like to pay special tribute and thank him for an excellent work. So, we had the input not only of our 46 member states, which is just normal for the Council of Europe, because they are member states. But also the insights of a diverse group of 11 observer states from around the world, plus the European Union. Our inclusive process has produced a strong text that also drew from the ideas and expertise of 68 non-state actors. Respected academics, private businesses, and civil society organizations. This even-handed, big tent, multi-stakeholder approach has delivered. Now, we move to the next stage. The Framework Convention will be open for signature on 5th September, and by no surprise here in Vilnius. And I hope that many countries will move swiftly to sign it, ratify it, and indeed bring it into force. So that as many citizens as possible gain from what it has to offer. But we are also aware that a transversal treaty like the Framework Convention alone is not enough. We need to ensure a comprehensive approach with binding and non-binding instruments that address sector-specific challenges so that our common standards apply there too. We know, for example, that AI can include and even amplify bias in the systems. So we will undertake further urgent work on how to prevent these systems from entrenching structural discrimination, marginalization, and inequality. More than this, we should look for ways to ensure that AI should not merely avoid bias, but actively and positively promote equality instead. So alongside the Framework Convention, we will develop new sectoral instruments designed to do just that. We will shape tools to evaluate the implementation of the new convention. This will also be prepared by our Committee on Artificial Intelligence by the end of the next year. Ladies and gentlemen, we know that artificial intelligence has the power to transform our societies. But while people often talk about this in terms of its impact on our personal and professional lives, it is equally true of our rights, just simple as that. At the best, innovation in AI can promote equality and uphold our standards of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law when these are challenged. The Council of Europe is determined to work with experts and others to ensure that this happens so that AI innovates in the best possible way. Our new Framework Convention and future work plan reflect our determination to deliver on this forum and from these all angles, including internet governance. And finally, the future of technology remains ours to determine. Let us do so in the right way. Thank you very much.