# UNESCO member states adopt the Recommendation on the Ethics of AI

- **Record type**: Change log entry
- **Occurred on**: 2021-11-23
- **Jurisdiction**: International organisations (OECD, UNESCO, UN, G7, ISO)
- **Instrument**: UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (adopted by the General Conference, 23 November 2021)
- **Impact level**: High
- **Status after the change**: Adopted

## What changed

193 member states adopted the first global normative instrument on AI ethics at the 41st General Conference, with values, principles and eleven policy action areas and a readiness assessment methodology for implementation.

## What it means in practice

Governments use the readiness assessment to shape national AI strategies; organisations can use its ethical impact assessment.

## Provenance

- **Record page**: https://aipolicytracker.org/changes/2021-11-23-unesco-ethics-recommendation
- **Official source**: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381137
- **Source document**: Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
- **Published by**: UNESCO
- **Review status**: verified
- **Confidence**: high
- **Facts last confirmed**: 2026-09-26
- **Confirmed by**: AI Policy Tracker (see https://aipolicytracker.org/reviewers)
- **Retrieved**: 2026-09-27
- **Licence**: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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