From Munich to Stellenbosch: Building Momentum for a Global AI and Human Rights Framework

Press release by the TUM Institute for the Ethics of AI (IEAI) / September 8, 2025

In August, the IEAI co-hosted a high-level International Policy Dialog on AI and Human Rights in Stellenbosch, South Africa together with scholars from Stellenbosch University and Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich. 

The Stellenbosch dialog directly followed the International Summit on AI and Human Rights in Munich, where the IEAI initiated the critical discussion on a globally binding framework for AI, data and human rights. Central to this effort is the Munich Convention on AI, Data and Human Rights –a draft framework proposed by IEAI researchers and partners, and formally presented at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2025.

The central agenda item was the role of the “Global Majority” in shaping international frameworks that govern the development and deployment of AI technologies, ensuring inclusive and equitable governance. The event was explicitly held in South Africa, as the country has emerged as a significant regional power and has contributed significantly to international debates on decolonization and transitional justice post-Apartheid. The event brought together distinguished representatives from diplomacy, government and academia, including:

• Amb. Prof. Muhammadou M.O. Kah, Permanent Representative of The Gambia to the United Nations.

• Mireille Wenger, Minister of Health and Wellness of the Western Cape.

• Tanja Werheit, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Cape Town, and Nicole Manger, Lead for AI Governance at the German Federal Foreign Office.

• Denis Naughten, former Irish Minister for Communications and Chairperson of the IPU Working Group on Science and Technology.

• Lavina Ramkissoon, advisor to the African Union and African Union AU for AI and Digital Ethics.

• Paula Starr, Chief Information Officer of the Cherokee Nation.

• Academics and experts from different perspectives and backgrounds included Brenda W. Maina, Sophia Devlin, Nathan C. Walker, Dérick Swart, Prof. Mariette Awad and Gray Manicom, who offered diverse academic, technical and ethical insights.

Key Outcomes:

The policy dialog produced concrete results. Participants expressed broad consensus on the urgent need for a binding global framework on AI and human rights, firmly anchored in the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Such a framework was seen as vital to preventing the deepening of digital inequalities and to ensuring that AI technologies serve the global public good rather than reinforcing structural disparities and digital divides.

Participants also emphasized the need to engage with African Union initiatives and other regional governance structures, ensuring meaningful participation of Global South actors in global norm-setting processes. This engagement is essential for capturing the full human rights implications of AI—including socio-economic, cultural and political dimensions—within the broader framework of international law.

For more information, please check out the Stellenbosch University Press Release: “Stellenbosch dialogue advances AI and human rights convention”.

About the Munich Convention

The Munich Convention on AI, Data and Human Rights is a draft framework for a binding international treaty, grounded in the principles of the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It represents a global, multi-stakeholder effort to move beyond fragmented voluntary guidelines and establish enforceable standards for AI governance. Building on the Munich Summit and now expanded through dialogs such as Stellenbosch, the Munich Convention continues to gain international momentum as a blueprint for fair, inclusive and rights-based global AI governance.

For more on the IEAI’s work on this topic, visit the project page or check out the related whitepaper – “Promoting and Advancing Human Rights in Global AI Ecosystems: The Need for a Comprehensive Framework under International Law”.