Speaking at the opening plenary, "Shaping Responsible AI Together", DDG Paugam warned that fragmented regulatory approaches risk undermining innovation, interoperability and inclusiveness - all essential for a safe and development-oriented digital transition.

"There is an opportunity - and a need - for cooperation," DDG Paugam said, urging governments and standards bodies to work together to ensure that AI systems remain trustworthy and supportive of open trade. He underlined the value of international standards in promoting coherence across regulatory frameworks.

The Summit, organized by the International Organization for Standardization, the International Electrotechnical Commission and the UN International Telecommunication Union, and hosted by the Republic of Korea's Agency for Technology and Standards, brought together senior officials, regulators, industry leaders, technical experts and international organizations to explore pathways toward globally compatible AI governance. 

DDG Paugam noted that while the WTO is not a standard-setting body, it plays a critical convening role by helping members ensure that emerging AI-related measures are transparent, non-discriminatory and coherent. He stressed that WTO members, through the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade, work to promote coherence by encouraging the use of relevant international standards as a basis for regulations, including those supporting AI governance frameworks.

On the margins of the Summit, DDG Paugam delivered a keynote address at a seminar hosted by the Korea Testing Laboratory on standards and trade in the age of robotics and AI. He also met with the Republic of Korea's Deputy Minister for Trade Negotiations to discuss enhanced cooperation ahead of the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14).