Partnerships for the Goals
Executive summary
While artificial intelligence (AI) is far from an overnight sensation, the release of ChatGPT in November 2022 was a defining moment. It mobilized the global tech sector, corporations in other sectors, Governments and global investors. At the end of 2024, 90 per cent of Fortune 500 companies were using AI. A recent estimate projected $23 trillion in annual economic value from AI by 2040.
Introduction
The recent boom in generative AI has been astonishing. Since the free public release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022 and its 100 million monthly active users just two months later, it became the fastest growing consumer technology application in human history.
Key findings, key messages, and recommendations
In this section, drawn from the four preceding chapters, are key findings, key messages and recommendations, organized by the type of recommendation that each primarily represents. Most recommendations have more than one dimension. For example, some policy recommendations also encompass an investment dimension or a technical dimension. Similarly, some investment or technical recommendations also encompass a policy dimension.
Illustrative adaptations of AI for selected national vision goal areas in Arab region countries
The breadth and diversity of goals across the national visions of Arab region countries are considerable. The ways in which AI could be most meaningfully adapted will be different for different goals and different countries. Understanding and considering what AI adaptations to national goals might look like can help inform leaders’ thinking and decision-making. Several such adaptations are provided below as illustrative case studies. They depict what might be possible in the future, and in some cases, what is already being explored. In each case, the illustrations describe why the areas of effort are distinctively important in the Arab region; how AI can help create new kinds of valuable outcomes; and examples of where countries are already adapting AI innovations in these areas.
Preface
This report is the third in a series of analyses from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) on megatrends.
Artificial Intelligence Futures for the Arab Region
This report presents a comprehensive analysis of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a transformative global megatrend, specifically examining its far-reaching implications for the Arab region through 2040. It explores AI’s potential to revolutionize key sectors like healthcare, education, cultural preservation, and government services, driving innovation and reshaping economies across the region. The report identifies three strategic pathways for AI’s evolution in the Arab region: optimizing partnerships and technologies for local priorities, promoting cultural and linguistic identity through Arabic-language AI development, and leveraging AI to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. Beyond opportunities such as job creation and skill transformation, the report meticulously addresses the inherent risks and challenges associated with AI, including ethical concerns, data governance, and the potential for deepening inequalities. Concluding with a series of key findings and actionable strategic recommendations, it provides essential insights for government agencies, private sector stakeholders, and civil society. It serves as a vital guide for regional leaders, equipping them with the foresight and tools to proactively engage with AI and shape its trajectory for inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development aligned with the Arab region’s unique visions and aspirations.
Acknowledgements
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) appreciates the valuable contributions of the following individuals and organizations to this studyand report.
Information and outreach
In 2024, the General Assembly adopted its biennial resolutions on the “United Nations Disarmament Information Programme” (79/69) and the “United Nations study on disarmament and non-proliferation education” (79/28). These mandates, alongside the Assembly’s recurring resolution on youth, disarmament and non-proliferation (78/31), continued to guide the information and outreach activities of the Office for Disarmament Affairs and relevant efforts by other United Nations entities.
Biological and chemical weapons
In 2024, the Secretary-General continued to emphasize that the use of chemical weapons anywhere by anyone and under any circumstances is intolerable and that impunity for their use is equally unacceptable.
Disarmament machinery
The year 2024 saw modest progress across the disarmament machinery. In particular, the Conference on Disarmament adopted a decision in June on the work of its 2024 session, a positive signal for the body’s future work that importantly also introduced the concept of continuity between annual sessions.
Foreword
I am pleased to present the 2024 United Nations Disarmament Yearbook. For nearly five decades, this publication has provided an objective record of developments in multilateral disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. Now in its forty-ninth volume, the Yearbook continues its vital mission to document efforts by the United Nations, Member States and other stakeholders to advance international peace and security through disarmament initiatives and arms control measures. Its enhanced preview edition, issued earlier in the year, equips policymakers and the public with a timely and authoritative overview of the most salient developments in this field.
Regional disarmament
In 2024, despite protracted crises in the Middle East, Haiti, the Horn of Africa, the Sahel and Ukraine, regional activities to sustain peace and support disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control goals demonstrated effectiveness and resilience.