News Details

The Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, I.P. (IDIPD) participated in the event “Upholding Equality and Non-Discrimination by Equality Bodies Regarding the Use of AI in Public Administrations” which took place online and in Brussels on 17 September 2026, jointly promoted by the Council of Europe and the European Commission, dedicated to the challenges and opportunities associated with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in public administrations.

The meeting brought together representatives of the European institutions, national equality bodies, public authorities and experts in AI, fundamental rights, data protection and standardisation, with the participation of Belgium, Finland and Portugal, countries involved in the project.

The main outcomes of the project were presented throughout the event, including legal analyses, guidelines, evaluation methodologies, training and empowerment, and the need to mainstream equality, non-discrimination and fundamental rights by design and throughout the lifecycle of AI systems was reinforced. The importance of effective human oversight, data quality and representativeness, prevention of algorithmic discrimination, and accessible complaint and redress mechanisms was also highlighted.

The discussion also highlighted the need to strengthen cooperation between equality bodies, market surveillance, data protection and other relevant authorities, as well as to promote AI literacy among different actors.

The use of public procurement as a tool to promote fundamental rights and equality, the participation of affected persons in assessment processes, and the integration of the gender perspective and other intersectional dimensions in AI governance were also addressed.

For the IDiPD, these issues are of particular relevance in the context of the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, in particular as regards accessibility, non-discrimination and participation in digital transformation processes.

The meeting reinforced the importance of ensuring that technological innovation is accompanied by empowered institutions, inter-institutional cooperation and a human rights-centred approach, contributing to a more inclusive, accessible and fundamental rights-compliant Public Administration.