International organisations and AI governance

Patrick Penninckx has spent the last 30 years at the Council of Europe, focusing on transformation processes in the organisation, developing partnerships with other international organisations and national partners. He is currently heading the Digital Development and Governance Department of the Council of Europe, Patrick coordinates standard-setting and co-operation activities in the fields of media, internet governance, data protection and cybercrime. He is also responsible for projects related to public-private partnerships and cooperation with business partners. Patrick Penninckx led the Information Society Department in a large number of studies on most contemporary topics, such as filtering and blocking of illicit content on the internet, self-censorship of media and journalists and chilling factors to freedom of expression, disinformation the role of the media in times of crisis, such as the current sanitary crisis; quality journalism and investigative journalism, as well as media literacy. His professional focus encompasses areas such as freedom of expression, the safety of journalists, sound internet governance, international standards in data protection, action against cybercrime and the impact of AI on human rights.

Prateek Sibal is a Programme Specialist at the Digital Policies and Digital Transformation Section of the Communication and Information Sector at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. In this framework, he leads the Sector’s work on artificial intelligence and digital transformation with a focus on capacity building for the executive, legislative and the judicial branches of government. His work spans research, advocacy, policy advice and capacity building for the governance of digital technologies.

Lucia Russo is an economist and policy analyst in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) unit of the OECD Digital Economy Policy Division. As part of her work, she conducts AI country reviews and policy analysis on national AI strategies, policies, and regulatory approaches. Before joining the OECD, Lucia worked as an economist at the Digital Economy and Skills Unit of the Directorate General CONNECT of European Commission, where she designed policies for digital skills and led work on evaluating EU research programmes in the digital domain. Lucia holds a Master of Development Economics and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Roma Tre. She is currently pursuing the master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence for Public Services (AI4GOV) from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and Politecnico di Milano.