2 March 2026 – Barcelona

Thomas Schneider, former Vice-Chair of the Council of Europe’s Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI), participated in a high-level panel on artificial intelligence at the Ministerial Programme of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026 in Barcelona.

Organised by the GSMA (GSM Association), MWC Barcelona is one of the world’s largest annual gatherings of mobile industry leaders, policymakers and regulators. The Ministerial Programme provides a platform for governments and industry to exchange views on digital policy and regulatory developments.

During the panel entitled “Unlocking AI Readiness Globally”, Mr Schneider highlighted the importance of international cooperation to ensure that the transformative potential of AI is shared equitably. He referred to the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence as the first legally binding international treaty in this field and underlined its role in promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the development and deployment of AI systems.