Council of Europe Pushes AI Regulation with New Framework Convention

The Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, published in September 2024, is a legally-binding treaty that seeks to anchor AI development in human rights, democracy and the rule of law. It was signed by the outgoing Biden administration together with roughly 20 other nations, among them Japan, Israel and a range of European and American states. To date, the European Union is the only party that has ratified the convention, completing that step in May 2026. The treaty’s proponents argue it offers a concrete starting point for international cooperation on what they describe as an emerging existential risk.

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Founded in 1949 after World War II, the Council of Europe is an independent intergovernmental organization of 46 member states. It has a long history of treaty drafting, including the European Convention on Human Rights, which is enforced by the European Court of Human Rights. Membership extends beyond European Union members to include aspiring EU countries such as Turkey and Ukraine, as well as observer states—among them the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan and the Holy See. The Council recently opened a permanent observer office at the United Nations, aiming to raise the profile of its AI work on the global stage.

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Alain Berset — Secretary-General of the Council of Europe and former President of Switzerland, leading the advocacy for the AI framework.

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Berset emphasized that state involvement is essential to manage the “major arms race” surrounding AI, noting that specialists warn the technology could threaten humanity within years. He presented the convention as “one concrete contribution” among possible solutions, urging critics to propose alternatives rather than dismiss the existing effort. The former Biden administration’s endorsement contrasts with former President Donald Trump’s public rejection of AI regulation, which Berset identified as a major obstacle to broader international acceptance.

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• “I do not see any alternative to a strong, I would say, involvement of states,” — Alain Berset

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• “We have created the biggest common legal space that exists in the world,” — Alain Berset

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• “I would be more than happy if you bring a better answer. We have at least one answer, we have one element. We have one framework where we are able to work together to follow this,” — Alain Berset

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