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Global AI Governance

The US and Global AI Governance

The US has thus far prioritized unilateral or regional action over global AI governance, and in some cases seems to obstruct progress at the global level.

Treaty participation

Human rights treaties

Year Treaty US UK China India
1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) P P P P
1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) P P S P
1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) S P P P
1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) S P P P
1984 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) P P P S
1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) S P P P
2000 ―Optional protocol to the CRC on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (CRC-OP-SC) P P P P
1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICMW) N N N N
2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) S P P P
PParty SSignatory NNone

The difference between party and signatory is explained elsewhere on this website.

This table shows that the US has thus far failed to ratify even the most fundamental human rights treaties, unlike e.g. China. Additional ratification status comparison can be found on the OHCHR website. In fact, the vast majority of countries are party to more human rights conventions than the US.

International transport

As road and rail transport treaties tend to be more regional, only participation in aviation and maritime shipping conventions will be compared, and only those mentioned on corresponding thematic pages of this website.

The tables below show that the US does not lag behind when it comes to international transport law, and even ratifies some treaties faster than other countries.

Aviation

Year Treaty US UK China India
1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation P P P P
1970 Hague Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft P P P P
2010 ―Beijing Protocol to the Hague Convention S S S P
1971 Montreal Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Civil Aviation P P P P
2010 Beijing Convention on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Relating to International Civil Aviation S S S N

Maritime transport

Year Treaty US UK China India
1948 IMO Convention P P P P
1974 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea P P P P
1988 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA) P P P P
2005 ―Amending Protocol to SUA Convention P S N N

Crime

While the US is party to a number of major international treaties in this domain, it has not yet joined the 123 states parties to the International Criminal Court, and in fact has imposed sanctions targeting ICC staff in an unprecedented obstructionist move, because the court decided to investigate alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan (the latter being a party to the Rome Statute).

Year Treaty US UK China India
1956 INTERPOL Constitution P P P P
1997 International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings P P P P
1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court S P N N
2000 UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime P P P P