On 4 March 2026 in Strasbourg, the Committee of Ministers adopted two new recommendations addressing the intersection of artificial intelligence, equality, and technology-facilitated violence. The first, CM/Rec(2026)1 – Equality and Artificial Intelligence, focuses on how member states and relevant stakeholders should promote equality, including gender equality, throughout the lifecycle of artificial intelligence systems. The second, CM/Rec(2026)2 – Accountability for Technology-Facilitated Violence Against Women and Girls, establishes an international standard on accountability for technology-driven abuse targeting women and girls.
CM/Rec(2026)1 – Equality and Artificial Intelligence provides guidance to member States and stakeholders to promote equality, including gender equality, and prevent discrimination across the lifecycle of AI systems. It highlights transparency, explainability, procedural safeguards, and policy fields where AI may have an acute impact on equality. By emphasizing transparency and explainability, the recommendation seeks to ensure that automated decisions can be understood and challenged, and that procedural safeguards are embedded in the design, deployment, and oversight of artificial intelligence tools.
CM/Rec(2026)2 – Accountability for Technology-Facilitated Violence Against Women and Girls sets the first international standard on accountability for such violence. It provides guidance on legal, institutional, and regulatory measures to prevent and respond to technology-facilitated abuse. The recommendation addresses how authorities and stakeholders should structure responsibilities, remedies, and enforcement mechanisms to protect women and girls from digital forms of violence. The Recommendation will be officially launched on 10 June 2026 at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg, with online participation available. Full texts and additional information are accessible through the Council of Europe’s artificial intelligence portal, which promotes an application of artificial intelligence based on human rights, the rule of law, and democracy.
