Empowering Congolese Judicial Operators with AI and the Rule of Law Training in Brazzaville

In alignment to this vision, UNESCO has supported the country’s judiciary in enhancing their understanding of cybersecurity and the opportunities and challenges associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially concerning human rights, based on UNESCO’s  Global Toolkit on AI and the Rule of Law. 

A pivotal aspect of UNESCO’s strategy involves the co-development of programmes with local organizations to ensure that capacity-building initiatives are both locally owned and sustainable. In line with this approach, UNESCO partnered with the ‘Centre Africain de recherche en Intelligence Artificielle’ (CARIA) and the Smart Africa Digital Academy for a series of training sessions held in Brazzaville from 7 to 11 November 2023. Eighty (80) judicial actors from the Congolese justice system participated in the sessions. 

As countries embrace digital transformation to overcome developmental challenges, it is important to understand the potential threats that technologies like AI pose to human rights. For instance, the use of facial recognition in public spaces may compromise freedom of expression and assembly, while the rapid dissemination of disinformation on social media platforms can impact the right to access information and jeopardize democratic processes. 

Recognizing the judiciary as the front-line defenders of human rights, it is crucial to empower them with the latest knowledge and tools to leverage AI technologies in strengthening access to justice across multiple languages. Simultaneously, addressing the challenges related to bias, discrimination and the lack of transparency in AI systems becomes a priority. 

The training sessions covered essential topics such as the functionalities of AI systems, their use cases in the justice sector, their impacts on human rights, ethical governance frameworks, the intersection of cybersecurity and discussions on case-law related to the technology. 

The Hon. Léon Ibombo, Minister of Posts and Telecommunications and Digital Economy for the Republic of the Congo, underscored the importance of AI and the Rule of Law in ensuring that the legal and justice sectors are well-prepared to navigate the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence while upholding principles of justice, ethics and human rights.

Mr Lacina Koné, the Director General of Smart Africa, added “The rise of AI in the justice sector brings to the forefront questions of fairness, transparency, and accountability. It is crucial that we strike a balance between harnessing the power of AI and ensuring that it respects and upholds the rule of law. This is where UNESCO’s Global Toolkit on Artificial Intelligence and the Rule of Law for the Justice Sector becomes an indispensable resource.” 

Notably, over 95% of participants that undertook UNESCO’s feedback survey expressed that the topics covered by the training were relevant to their work. 

The training was based on UNESCO’s Global Toolkit on AI and the Rule of Law supported by the European Commission through the project “Supporting Member States in Implementing UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI through Innovative Tools.”