International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) Symposium on Inclusive AI

The IFAP Working Group on Information Accessibility (WGIA), is hosting an online one-day conference on 28 September 2020. This event is hosted in collaboration with the Kule Institute for Advanced Studies (KIAS), University of Alberta, Canada, and the International Centre for Information Ethics (ICIE). The theme of the conference will be Inclusive AI with topics addressing information accessibility.

Recognizing the significance of access to information, the 74th UN General Assembly proclaimed 28 September as the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) in October 2019. The specific theme for the IDUAI 2020 is “Saving Lives, Building Trust, Bringing Hope”. The aim of the UNESCO IDUAI 2020 Commemoration is:

• To advocate for the adoption and implementation of sound constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for access to information in times of crisis;
• To endorse principles of the right to information in times of crisis and underline the role of multiple stakeholders in that view;
• To highlight the impact of proactive sharing of information on health and education, as well as of inclusive and gender-sensitive initiatives, focusing on vulnerable groups, for prosperity and sustainable development.

IDUAI 2020 will focus on the right to information in times of crisis and on the advantages of having constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information to save lives, build trust and help the formulation of sustainable policies through and beyond the COVID-19 crisis. During the IDUAI 2020, participants will advocate for sound constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for access to information and their implementation in times of crisis. The elaboration and validation of principles of the right to information in times of crisis and the role of multiple stakeholders will contribute to necessary implementation guidelines in times such as the present. The celebrations will also showcase the impact of proactive disclosure of information on health, education and inclusive and gender-sensitive initiatives.

UNESCO and its intergovernmental programmes – the International Programme for Development of Communication and the Information for All Programme (IFAP) – provide a platform and frame for all stakeholders to participate in international discussions on policy and guidelines in the area of access to information. The programmes also enable access to information to flourish through the development of projects aimed to strengthen open science, multilingualism, ICTs for disabled and marginalised, and media and information literacy. For more information on the IDUAI, please visit:

• Access to information in times of crisis: https://en.unesco.org/news/access-information-times-crisis
• The official page of the IDUAI 2020: https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/accesstoinformationday

The aim of this specific event is on promoting, but also understanding the barriers, to inclusive artificial intelligence. AI has the ability to be extremely beneficial to society, but if it remains in the hands of those in positions of power, access to AI is hindered. Monopolising and monetizing AI makes it a tool serving the interests of those in control of it. Conversely, enabling open access to AI will provide society with ways to apply, adjust and implement AI in ways which best serve their needs.

This event will provide a platform for open discourse involving participants from academia, civil society, private sector and government.

Organising committee:

• Jared Bielby: Chair: International Centre for Information Ethics, Canada
• Rachel Fischer, Co-Chair: International Centre for Information Ethics, South Africa
• Casey Germain
• Cordel Green
• Erin Klazar
• Geoffrey Rockwell