Professor Abdelhak Azzouzi, Participates in 10th Summit of PA-UfM in Cairo

At the invitation of the Presidency of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM), Professor Abdelhak Azzouzi, President of the United Nations Chair for the Alliance of Civilizations at the Euromed University of Fez, participated as Guest of Honour in the opening session of the 10th Summit of the Speakers of Parliament of the Union for the Mediterranean, held at the headquarters of the House of Representatives of the Arab Republic of Egypt in the New Administrative Capital.

This high-level Summit brought together the Speakers of Parliament and parliamentary delegations representing the Member States of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. It provided a unique platform for dialogue on the major challenges facing the Euro-Mediterranean region, particularly those relating to peace, security, sustainable development, regional cooperation, and the profound transformations brought about by emerging technologies.

On this occasion, Professor Abdelhak Azzouzi delivered a keynote address entitled "The Future of Human Civilization in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," drawing upon the outcomes of the International Meetings held in Fez under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, organized by the Euromed University of Fez, the United Nations Chair for the Alliance of Civilizations, the Muslim World League, and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC).

During his address, Professor Azzouzi emphasized that humanity is experiencing an unprecedented historical transformation driven by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, which is not only reshaping economic and technological models but also redefining the relationship between humanity, knowledge, power, and values. He stressed that the greatest challenge is no longer how to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence, but rather how to ensure that it remains firmly at the service of humanity while upholding human dignity, justice, peace, and universal ethical principles.

The President of the United Nations Chair for the Alliance of Civilizations also presented the main outcomes of the Fez Call, endorsed by more than 2,100 participants from 74 countries, which advocates the establishment of a global ethical governance framework for artificial intelligence based on transparency, accountability, fairness, respect for human rights, and cultural diversity.

Highlighting the decisive role of parliaments in providing the legal and ethical framework for technological innovation, Professor Azzouzi called upon Mediterranean legislators to develop forward-looking legislation capable of protecting citizens from algorithmic bias, safeguarding individual freedoms and privacy, combating disinformation and hate speech, and reducing the digital divide between the countries of the Global North and the Global South.

With a forward-looking vision, Professor Azzouzi proposed several initiatives aimed at strengthening Euro-Mediterranean parliamentary cooperation, including:

• the adoption of a Mediterranean Parliamentary Charter on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence;

• The establishment of a Mediterranean Observatory on Artificial Intelligence Legislation;

• The launch of a Mediterranean training programme on artificial intelligence and digital transformation for young people and parliamentarians;

•The creation of a Mediterranean network of universities and research centres dedicated to scientific research, innovation, and excellence;

• Strengthening regional cooperation in combating cybercrime, digital disinformation, and hate speech.

In the concluding part of his address, Professor Abdelhak Azzouzi delivered a powerful message to the youth of the Euro-Mediterranean region, encouraging them to become the architects of a civilization founded on dialogue, knowledge, responsible innovation, and mutual respect. He recalled that technological progress can never be an end in itself and affirmed that the future of humanity will depend above all on societies' ability to preserve their ethical and humanistic values.

In conclusion, Professor Abdelhak Azzouzi called upon the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean to draw inspiration from the principles enshrined in the Fez Call and translate them into legislative initiatives and regional cooperation programmes, with the ambition of making the Mediterranean region an international model of ethical artificial intelligence governance founded on human dignity, justice, peace, and dialogue among civilizations.

This participation provided an important opportunity to showcase the work carried out by the United Nations Chair for the Alliance of Civilizations at the Euromed University of Fez and further strengthened the international visibility of its initiatives promoting responsible artificial intelligence and Euro-Mediterranean cooperation based on the universal values of peace, dialogue, and human development.