Analysis of the Practical Path of United Nations Participation in Global Artificial Intelligence Governance and Its Implications for China

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology holds immense potential to drive sustainable development. However, it simultaneously creates unpredictable risks, which intensify challenges in AI governance. In recent years, with the adoption of a people-centered governance philosophy, the United Nations (UN) and its specialized agencies have actively promoted global AI governance through rulemaking, standard development, capacity building and international cooperation, aiming to help developing countries bridge the AI gap and achieve fair, inclusive, and sustainable development of AI. These efforts seek to enhance the interoperability in AI governance and advance the formulation of coherent global rules. This paper provides a systematic overview of the key initiatives undertaken by the UN system in advancing global AI governance. It analyzes the internal and external drivers, enabling conditions, and constraints of UN participation in this field, and summarizes the practical experience gained by the UN. Based on four dimensions—philosophy implementation, model construction, pathway selection, and action demonstration—the paper proposes recommendations for China's participation in global AI governance and the development of a diverse, collaborative, agile, flexible, and inclusive global AI governance system within the UN framework.