# UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (adopted by the General Conference, 23 November 2021)

- **Record type**: Policy instrument
- **Jurisdiction**: International organisations (OECD, UNESCO, UN, G7, ISO)
- **Instrument type**: Framework
- **Status**: Adopted
- **Binding**: No — guidance, strategy or standard
- **Issuing body**: UNESCO General Conference (193 member states)
- **Adopted**: 2021-11-23

## In brief

UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI is a non-binding framework of International organisations (OECD, UNESCO, UN, G7, ISO), issued by UNESCO General Conference (193 member states). It was adopted on 23 November 2021. Addressed to member states; recommends measures for public and private AI actors; non-binding. The first global normative instrument on AI ethics.

## Summary

The first global normative instrument on AI ethics. It sets values (human rights and dignity, environment and ecosystem flourishing, diversity and inclusiveness, peaceful and just societies) and principles (proportionality and do no harm, safety and security, fairness, sustainability, privacy, human oversight, transparency and explainability, responsibility, awareness and literacy, multi-stakeholder governance), and eleven policy action areas from ethical impact assessment and data policy to gender, education, health and the environment. UNESCO supports implementation with a Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) and an Ethical Impact Assessment tool used by dozens of countries.

## Scope

Addressed to member states; recommends measures for public and private AI actors; non-binding.

## Notes on dates

Dates are taken from the linked official source; a reviewer should confirm in-force and application dates before relying on them.

## Provenance

- **Permanent id**: AIPT-POL-0105 (https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0105; never changes or gets reused)
- **Record page**: https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai
- **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**: Bhaskar Bhatt (see https://aipolicytracker.org/reviewers)
- **Retrieved**: 2026-10-27
- **Licence**: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- **Cite as**: AIPolicyTracker (2026). "UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (adopted by the General Conference, 23 November 2021)" [AIPT-POL-0105, record version 1, verified 26 September 2026 by Bhaskar Bhatt]. https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0105 (accessed 27 October 2026).

> This record is a structured summary with a link to the official text. It is not legal advice. Open the official source before relying on any date or duty. How current each record type must be is published at https://aipolicytracker.org/verification; what a record must carry at all is published at https://aipolicytracker.org/coverage.