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22 June 2026, Geneva, Switzerland – UNITAR in collaboration with the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Economic Commission for Western Asia (UN ECWA) led the AI, BeSci and Digital Systems Expo in the framework of the 8th annual UN Behavioural Science (BeSci) Week from 1 June-5 June, 2026.
This year’s UN BeSci Week brought together colleagues from 22 UN Entities in 11 virtual events to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and behavioural science, examining how AI is transforming behavioural science, and how BeSci can help ensure AI is adopted responsibly, inclusively and effectively across diverse global contexts.
Through its participation, UNITAR contributed to ongoing discussions on the opportunities and considerations associated with integrating AI and behavioural science into capacity development and learning programmes. The event provided an opportunity to exchange experiences, learn from approaches being tested across the UN system, and explore how emerging technologies and behavioural insights can complement one another in programme design and delivery.
The AI, BeSci and Digital Sytems Expo held on 4 June 2026 brought together 131 participants to examine applications in transport and mobility, consumer protection, sustainable consumption, tourism and platform design. Many of the challenges to achieving the SDGs rely on the need to change behaviour – whether it’s transitioning to clean energy, addressing unequal gender and social norms, bridging the formal-informal divide and decreasing the spread of false information. Behavioural science draws upon what we know about human behaviour and decision-making to better diagnose behavioural barriers and enablers to help people achieve their aims.
Ms. Estrella Merlos, Senior Programme Specialist and Head of transport and mobility training programmes at UNITAR shared insights on how AI and Behavioural Science intersect and are applied across the Air Transport Sector highlighting how this intersection provides an essential lens into human behavior under time-critical, high-stakes conditions. UNITAR’s Airports Global Training Programme was featured as an example of integrating behavioural science into programme design and delivery to inform decision-making processes and more effective approaches that lead to optimization and organization improvements.
The Airports Global Training Programe provides learning opportunities to help countries build future-ready airports that are not only smart, efficient and profitable, but also resilient, inclusive, sustainable, and people-centred. Through its Smart Training Pillar, the Airports Programme offer airports and civil aviation authorities’ knowledge and good practices on using AI to streamline operations, improve management, enhance efficiency, increase safety & security, improve passenger’s experience, improve employees’ well-being, and increase revenue generation, while recognizing the fundamental role of human behaviour. Ms. Merlos stressed that a future-ready airport is behaviour aware, adaptive, and co-designed with AI to serve humans.
As member of the UN Innovation Network, supported by the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General, UNITAR contributes regularly to it along with over 10,000 colleagues from 70+ UN Entities and 150+ countries, alongside external observers from academia, government, civil society, the private sector and more.
The Expo also highlighted examples from the UN System including:
- Ms. Adriana Zacarias Farah, Global Coordinator – Finance and Economic Transformations at UNEP shared about the “Recipe of Change campaign” designed to create behavioral change by maximizing visibility on the global food waste problem.
- Ms. Nathalie Khaled, Programme Manager – Competition, Consumer Protection & Development Planning at UNESCWA highlighted the need to strengthening consumer protection in e-commerce across the Arab region by integrating legal analysis with behavioural science to identify vulnerabilities created by cognitive biases and dark patterns in digital marketplaces.
- Ms. Jennifer Park from the UN DGC stressed the importance of digital platforms and the benefits they bring to communities in times of crisis, in elevating marginalized voices and in mobilize global movements in support of development. At the same time, it is critical that all stakeholders take measures to ensure that AI applications are safe, secure, responsible and ethical, and comply with human rights obligations.
