UNITAR and EELISA Ethos+Tekhne Announce “EVERYTHING AI” international event on AI governance in Brussels - Applications Open

13–14 May 2026, at the UN House Brussels in Belgium

19 February 2026, Bonn, Germany - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the EELISA Ethos+Tekhne are co-hosting “EVERYTHING AI,” a two-day international event examining artificial intelligence as a system-wide force shaping governance, institutions, and society. Interested parties are encouraged to submit their application for participation in-person or online. Application links can be found at the bottom of the page.

Artificial intelligence no longer fits neatly within disciplinary or sectoral boundaries. It is reshaping how societies organize, how power is exercised, how knowledge is produced and validated, how economies evolve, and how governance frameworks are designed and implemented. In response to these far-reaching transformations, EVERYTHING AI will convene policymakers, representatives of international organizations, researchers, engineers, legal experts, and practitioners to engage in structured, cross-sector dialogue.

Taking place on 13–14 May 2026 at the UN House in Brussels (Bd du Régent 37/40, 1000 Brussels), the event moves beyond viewing AI solely as a technical innovation or regulatory challenge. Instead, it adopts a multidisciplinary approach grounded in institutional realities. UNITAR is partnering with EELISA’s Ethos+Tekhne for its third edition, bringing together discussions on AI’s intersections with law, ethics, democracy, economics, science, global governance, and human rights, with a focus on translating principles into operational and accountable practice.

The event aims to:

Bring together policy, technical, legal, and standards expertise to confront the hard questions of AI governance.
Bridge what institutions want to do with what can actually be implemented, tested, and overseen in practice.
Equip participants with actionable insights on robustness, accountability, democratic resilience, judicial risk, cybersecurity, and frontier governance challenges.
Advance cooperation and shared understanding across jurisdictions and professional communities, bringing together perspectives from multiple regions and institutional contexts.

Participation is available both in person and online. In-person attendees will be provided with catering throughout the two days, including morning and afternoon coffee breaks and lunch. Registration is required, and due to limited capacity, early registration is strongly encouraged.

Concept Note & Agenda1.96 MB

Why Participate?

Across two days, participants will engage Global South perspectives, examine how agentic AI behaves outside controlled environments through the Moltbook case discussion, and assess what engineering can, and cannot, guarantee through robustness and assurance frameworks. Sessions will explore how ethical commitments translate into standards and operational controls, as well as AI’s implications for judicial systems, democratic resilience, health and privacy, and institutional accountability. Additional discussions will address digital twins for policymaking (DestinE), cybersecurity, red-teaming and adversarial risk, and the intersection of AI with post-growth and sustainability agendas.

Designed to prioritize exchange over formal statements, the programme combines keynote interventions, expert panels, and thematic workshops to foster practical, outcome-oriented discussions. Participants can expect structured question-and-answer sessions and a focus on clear, implementable takeaways that bridge policy ambition with operational feasibility.

Bringing together approximately one hundred international policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, including representatives from international organizations, academia, public institutions, civil society, and technical communities.

We welcome:

Policymakers, regulators, and public authorities at national, regional, and international levels;
Representatives of United Nations agencies and international organizations;
Academic researchers and scientific experts;
Civil society leaders, ethics practitioners, and human rights-focused stakeholders;
Technology governance specialists, standards and assurance professionals, and digital policy advisors;
Institutional leaders and senior decision-makers responsible for AI strategy, risk management, and accountability.

Thematic Areas

Through high-level panels, expert-led thematic sessions, and case-focused discussions intersecting different sectors, participants will engage with key themes including:

1) Policy, Oversight, and Institutional Accountability

EU AI Act implementation: oversight, standards, and operationalisation
Accountability frameworks and institutional controls
Privacy, and AI in sensitive domains
Digital twins and AI-driven policymaking (DestinE)

2) Security, Risk, and AI in High-Stakes Environments

Cybersecurity, red-teaming, and adversarial risk
Agentic AI in uncontrolled environments (Moltbook case discussion)
Courts and judicial risk in the age of generative AI
Democracy, elections, misinformation, and public trust

3) Society, Power, and Sustainable Futures

Knowledge, expertise, and epistemic authority
AI, inequality, and structural power
AI, post-growth, and sustainability

Submit Your Application

This is an application-based event; interested participants are encouraged to apply early before the deadlines. Applications will be reviewed by our team on a rolling basis. Accepted applicants will receive detailed registration instructions via email.

Please note that payment is required to finalize registration to secure a place in the event. Proof of payment must be sent to elearning.ptp@unitar.org. Registration will be confirmed upon verification of payment.

In-Person Attendance