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UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI

Self-Assess
International (UNESCO Member States)
vRecommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, adopted 23 November 2021 (41 C); publication SHS/BIO/PI/2021/1 (2022)
4 domains
35 controls

UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, adopted by the General Conference in November 2021: a voluntary, non-binding instrument that sets four values and ten principles for everyone involved in the AI life cycle and eleven areas of policy action for Member States, several shared with business, from ethical impact assessment and data governance to gender, environment, labour and health. Organisations are reached indirectly, through national law and as a basis for ethical impact assessment. Built from the adopted text, read in full.

Verified

UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI is a compliance framework from International (UNESCO Member States) with 4 domains and 35 controls that map to 96 other frameworks. The largest domains are IV. Areas of policy action (paras 48 to 130) – UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (20 controls), III.2 Principles (paras 25 to 47) – UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (10 controls), III.1 Values (paras 13 to 24) – UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (4 controls). Every control below carries what it requires and what an assessor expects to see.

Maintained by Gerard BlokdykVerified against the published standard Control text last updated

Framework summaries on this platform are interpretations grounded in the published source, for educational and compliance planning purposes. They do not reproduce or replace the official standards. Refer to the authoritative source for the definitive text. Framework names and trademarks belong to their respective organisations.

Framework Domains (4)

III.1 Values (paras 13 to 24) – UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI

4 controls
Controls in the III.1 Values (paras 13 to 24) – UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI domain of UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI: 4 controls
CodeTitle
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::V1paras 13 to 16 Respect, protect and promote human rights, fundamental freedoms and human dignity through the AI life cycle
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::V2paras 17, 18 Recognise, protect and promote environmental and ecosystem flourishing
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::V3paras 19 to 21 Ensure diversity and inclusiveness, respect lifestyle choices, and never exploit gaps in infrastructure or skills
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::V4paras 22 to 24 Contribute to peaceful, just and interconnected societies

III.2 Principles (paras 25 to 47) – UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI

10 controls
Controls in the III.2 Principles (paras 25 to 47) – UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI domain of UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI: 10 controls
CodeTitle
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::P1paras 25, 26 Proportionality and do no harm: justify the use and method of AI, assess risk, keep final human determination, no social scoring or mass surveillance
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::P10paras 46, 47 Multi-stakeholder and adaptive governance: respect data sovereignty, involve stakeholders across the life cycle and respect Indigenous data self-governance
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::P2para 27 Safety and security: avoid and eliminate safety risks and vulnerabilities to attack across the life cycle
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::P3paras 28 to 30 Fairness and non-discrimination: share benefits inclusively, minimise bias, provide effective remedy and close digital divides
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::P4para 31 Sustainability: continuously assess the human, social, cultural, economic and environmental impact of AI against sustainability goals
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::P5paras 32 to 34 Privacy and data protection: handle data lawfully across its life, with multi-stakeholder governance and privacy impact assessment by design
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::P6paras 35, 36 Human oversight and determination: responsibility always attributable to people or legal entities; life and death decisions not ceded to AI
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::P7paras 37 to 41 Transparency and explainability: tell people when AI informs decisions, give reasons and a human review route, and explain lasting impacts
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::P8paras 42, 43 Responsibility and accountability: attribute responsibility to AI actors by role, with oversight, audit, due diligence and whistle-blower protection
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::P9paras 44, 45 Awareness and literacy: promote public understanding of AI and data through education, training and media and information literacy

IV. Areas of policy action (paras 48 to 130) – UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI

20 controls
Controls in the IV. Areas of policy action (paras 48 to 130) – UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI domain of UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI: 20 controls
CodeTitle
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA10aparas 116 to 119 Economy and labour: assess labour market effects, reskill workers, ensure a fair transition and research local labour impacts
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA10bpara 120 Competition and export: prevent abuse of market dominance in AI, and respect home ethical standards when deploying abroad
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA11aparas 121 to 124 Health: regulate health AI to be safe, effective and proven, with bias oversight, clinicians and patients in development, consent, human final decisions and ethics review
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA11bparas 125 to 130 Human-robot interaction: disclose AI interactions and allow refusal, address anthropomorphism and emotion recognition, protect children, and involve young people
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA1aparas 48 to 52 Ethical impact assessment and due diligence: identify benefits and risks, test high-risk systems before release, and monitor the whole life cycle
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA1bpara 53 Public authorities: carry out transparent, multidisciplinary ethical impact assessments with auditability and external review, and monitor deployed systems
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA2aparas 54, 55, 57, 62, 63 Governance with enforcement and redress: investigate and remedy AI harms, self-assess public AI and prohibit rights-violating uses, oversee sensitive deployments and the judiciary's AI
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA2bparas 56, 58, 69 Strategies, certification, AI ethics officers and regulatory sandboxes
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA2cparas 61, 65, 68 Legislation, liability and accountability: laws consistent with human rights, clear liability for AI outcomes, and no legal personality for AI
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA2dparas 66, 67, 70 Combat stereotyping and bias in outputs and training data, diversify teams and data, and set clear transparency and explainability requirements
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA2eparas 59, 60, 64 Inclusive digital ecosystems, international participation, and measurable safety and transparency standards
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA3aparas 71, 75 to 77 Data governance for AI: evaluate training data quality continuously, promote open and quality datasets, annotate and share data responsibly
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA3bparas 72 to 74 Privacy safeguards and data rights: surveillance limits, privacy impact assessment, rights to access and erase data in AI systems, and full security for sensitive data
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA4paras 78 to 83 Development and international cooperation: put AI ethics on international agendas and ensure AI for development follows the Recommendation
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA5paras 84 to 86 Environment and ecosystems: assess and reduce AI's environmental impact, use AI for the planet, and favour efficient methods under precaution
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA6paras 87 to 93 Gender: include a gender perspective in impact assessment, close gender gaps, remove stereotyping and harassment, and fund women's participation
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA7paras 94 to 100 Culture: use AI for heritage and languages, assess effects on language and cultural diversity, support creators, local content and IP research
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA8aparas 101 to 106 Education: AI literacy for all, prerequisite skills, safeguards for AI used in learning, inclusive participation and AI ethics curricula
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA8bparas 107 to 111 Research: fund AI ethics research, train researchers in research ethics, open data for research, and require rigorous interdisciplinary science
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::PA9paras 112 to 115 Communication and information: protect expression and access to information in content generation and moderation, give reasons and appeal, and build media literacy

V. Monitoring and evaluation (paras 131 to 134) – UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI

1 controls
Controls in the V. Monitoring and evaluation (paras 131 to 134) – UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI domain of UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI: 1 controls
CodeTitle
unesco-recommendation-on-the-ethics-of-ai::MEparas 131 to 134 Monitor and evaluate AI ethics policies credibly and transparently, with broad participation, indicators and mechanisms such as ethics commissions and observatories

Your Compliance Coverage

If you comply with UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, you already cover:

ISO/IEC 23894:2023

8%

6 controls mapped

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ISO 26000:2010

7%

5 controls mapped

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WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025

7%

5 controls mapped

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+ 93 more: ISO 20400:2017 - Sustainable Procurement (5%), SASB Standards (5%)

See all 96 mapped frameworks ↓

Maps to 96 other frameworks

73 total controls
ISO/IEC 23894:2023
6 source controls mapped|8 target controls covered
8%
ISO 26000:2010
5 source controls mapped|6 target controls covered
7%
WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025
5 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
7%
ISO 20400:2017 - Sustainable Procurement
4 source controls mapped|5 target controls covered
5%
SASB Standards
4 source controls mapped|4 target controls covered
5%
Bahrain PDPL
4 source controls mapped|4 target controls covered
5%
AICPA Privacy Management Framework (PMF)
4 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
5%
Switzerland New Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADP/nDSG, 2023)
4 source controls mapped|8 target controls covered
5%
Saudi Arabia PDPL
4 source controls mapped|5 target controls covered
5%
South Korea Korea Internet Self-Governance Organisation (KISO) Code of Ethics
4 source controls mapped|5 target controls covered
5%
RICS Rules of Conduct and Global Professional Standards
4 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
5%
Singapore AI Governance Framework
4 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
5%
Vermont Data Privacy and Online Surveillance Act
3 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
4%
UNICEF Policy Guidance on AI for Children (2021)
3 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
4%
ISO 14001:2015
3 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
4%
TNFD Recommendations
3 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
4%
BREEAM - Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method
3 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
4%
AWWA Cybersecurity Guidance for the Water Sector (American Water Works Association)
3 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
4%
GDPR
3 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
4%
NIST SP 800-190
3 source controls mapped|4 target controls covered
4%
SOC for Cybersecurity - Cybersecurity Risk Management Examination
3 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
4%
ISO 27799:2025
3 source controls mapped|4 target controls covered
4%
FedRAMP High
3 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
4%
FedRAMP Moderate
3 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
4%
US Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSC) Manufacturer and Importer Duties
3 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
4%
Barbados Data Protection Act 2019
3 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
4%
UK Age Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code)
3 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
4%
Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 (SOCI)
3 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
4%
Singapore Government Instruction Manual on ICT&SS Management (IM8)
3 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
4%
UK Online Safety Act 2023
3 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
4%
Automotive SPICE (ASPICE) v4.1 - Process Assessment Model
3 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
4%
Vietnam PDPD
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
Vietnam Law on Cybersecurity (No. 116/2025/QH15)
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
ISO/IEC 27557:2022 - Organisational Privacy Risk Management
2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
3%
ISO/IEC 27003:2017
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0
2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
3%
FBI CJIS Security Policy
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
BSI IT-Grundschutz
2 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
3%
Singapore Cybersecurity Act 2018
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
IEC 62443
2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
3%
ISO/IEC 29147:2018
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
ASIS SPC.1-2009 - Organizational Resilience Standard
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) - Responsible Minerals Assurance Process
2 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
3%
NIST SP 1800-32
2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
3%
SANS Incident Handler's Handbook and PICERL Methodology
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
ISO/IEC 29134:2023
2 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
3%
SSAE 18 - Attestation Standards (SOC Reporting)
2 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
3%
UAE Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) Regulations
2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
3%
ISO 26262:2018 - Functional Safety for Road Vehicles
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
Annex 11 to EU GMP - Computerised Systems
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
South Korea ISMS-P
2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
3%
Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programmes - Global Standards
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
SQF Code Edition 9 - Safe Quality Food
2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
3%
APRA CPS 230 Operational Risk Management
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
APRA SPS 220 Risk Management (Superannuation)
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
UK Security and Emergency Measures Direction (SEMD) - Water Industry
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
ISO 22000:2018
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
Kuwait National Cybersecurity Framework
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5
2 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
3%
ISO/IEC 27019:2024
2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
3%
NFPA 1600 - Standard on Continuity, Emergency, and Crisis Management
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
AML/CTF Act 2006 (Australia)
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
EASA Part-IS - Information Security in Aviation
2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
3%
API 1164
2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
3%
ICAO Annex 17 - Aviation Security (AVSEC)
2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
3%
ISO/IEC 27031:2011
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
ISO 22313:2020 - Guidance on Business Continuity Management Systems
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
Virginia CDPA
2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
3%
Uruguay DPL
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
DAMA-DMBOK2 - Data Management Body of Knowledge (2nd Edition)
2 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
3%
ISO/IEC 25012:2008 - Data Quality Model
2 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
3%
Regulation on the European Health Data Space (EHDS)
2 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
3%
Albania Law No. 124/2024 on Personal Data Protection
2 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
3%
US Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) - Higher Education Safeguards Rule
1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
1%
FDA Quality Management System Regulation (QMSR)
1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
1%
IEC 60601-1 - Medical Electrical Equipment Safety
1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
1%
ISO 15189:2022 - Medical Laboratories Requirements for Quality and Competence
1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
1%
COSO Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013)
1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
1%
Aged Care Quality Standards 2019 (repealed edition)
1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
1%
Florida Digital Bill of Rights (FDBR)
1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
1%
UK Modern Slavery Act 2015
1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
1%
Sweden Data Protection Act (Dataskyddslag, 2018:218)
1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
1%
Uganda Data Protection and Privacy Act (2019)
1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
1%
ISO/IEC 27400:2022
1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
1%
TEFCA - Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement
1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
1%
Austria Data Protection Act (Datenschutzgesetz, DSG, amended 2018)
1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
1%
ISO/IEC 27011:2024
1 source controls mapped|3 target controls covered
1%
UK Defence Standard 05-138 - Cyber Security for Defence Suppliers
1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
1%
Nebraska Data Privacy Act
1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
1%
CISA Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals (CPG) 2.0
1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
1%
ASD Strategies to Mitigate Cyber Security Incidents
1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
1%
Telecommunications Sector Security Reforms (TSSR)
1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
1%
Azerbaijan Law on Personal Data (2010)
1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
1%
NIST SP 800-124 Revision 2 - Guidelines for Managing the Security of Mobile Devices
1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
1%
Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Australia)
1 source controls mapped|2 target controls covered
1%
South Africa Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA)
1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
1%
Compare UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI with ISO/IEC 23894:2023

Coverage is not the same as your position

This page shows what UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI overlaps with in general. Where your organisation actually stands, against the standard you are going for and the certifications you already hold, is a different question. Same graph and the same recorded refutations, scoped to you rather than to a pair.

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What is UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI and who does it apply to?

UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI is a compliance framework from International (UNESCO Member States) with 4 domains and 35 controls. UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, adopted by the General Conference in November 2021: a voluntary, non-binding instrument that sets four values and ten principles for everyone involved in the AI life cycle and eleven areas of policy action for Member States, several shared with business, from ethical impact assessment and data governance to gender, environment, labour and health. Organisations are reached indirectly, through national law and as a basis for ethical impact assessment. Built from the adopted text, read in full. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.

What does UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI actually require?

UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI has 35 controls organised across 4 domains. The largest domains are IV. Areas of policy action (paras 48 to 130) – UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (20 controls), III.2 Principles (paras 25 to 47) – UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (10 controls), III.1 Values (paras 13 to 24) – UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (4 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.

If I already comply with another framework, how much of UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI do I already cover?

UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI maps to 96 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are ISO/IEC 23894:2023 (8% coverage), ISO 26000:2010 (7% coverage), WHO Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020-2025 (7% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.

How do I implement UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI?

Start your UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 35 controls and track your progress.

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