Ukraine Signs Council of Europe’s Groundbreaking AI Convention
Ukraine has joined a pioneering international agreement that sets the foundation for ethical artificial intelligence governance. The country signed the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law, becoming one of the first states in the region to endorse binding standards for responsible AI deployment.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
The document was signed in Strasbourg by Oleksandr Bornyakov, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, and Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
As the world’s first international treaty dedicated exclusively to AI and human rights, the convention outlines essential principles that must guide state policy: respect for human dignity and autonomy, transparency, non-discrimination, privacy protection, safety, and accountability in the use of AI, particularly in the public sector.
“Artificial intelligence will soon be part of our flagship digital tools like «Diia» and «Mriia»,” said Bornyakov. “By signing this convention, Ukraine commits to shaping digital transformation based on European democratic values and global best practices.”
The agreement excludes military and defense applications but will influence public governance and indirectly impact private sector standards. To support this, the Ministry of Digital Transformation will introduce HUDERIA, a methodology developed by the Council of Europe to evaluate AI systems in terms of human rights, democratic safeguards, and rule-of-law compliance.
Fifteen countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Israel, Japan, and EU member states, have already signed the convention, positioning it as a new global benchmark for AI regulation.
The convention will enter into force in Ukraine following ratification by the Verkhovna Rada.
This move follows the Ministry’s recently unveiled AI development roadmap and the launch of the “WINWIN AI Center of Excellence”, a platform aimed at testing and scaling AI solutions tailored for Ukraine’s public needs.
As Ukraine accelerates its digital integration into the European space, this commitment reaffirms its ambition to help shape a future where innovation is balanced with rights, accountability, and democratic oversight.
As The Gaze reported earlier, Ukraine has officially launched its first online master’s program in artificial intelligence, supported by the Ministry of Digital Transformation and developed by online Neoversity.