New York: Amandeep Singh Gill of India has been appointed as United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' Envoy on Technology.

A thought leader on digital technology, Gill is the Chief Executive Officer of the International Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence Research Collaborative (I-DAIR) project, based at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, stated the UN Director general.

"He brings to the position a deep knowledge of digital technologies coupled with a solid understanding of how to leverage the digital transformation responsibly and inclusively for progress on the sustainable development goals," Guterres added, appreciating the newly appointed tech envoy.

The Secretary-General also extended his appreciation and gratitude to the Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, for her dedication and commitment as Acting Envoy on Technology recalling her contributions in the field to date.

Amandeep Singh Gill was the Executive Director and Co-Lead of the United Nations Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation from 2018 to 2019. In addition to delivering the report of the High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation, Gill also helped secure high-impact international consensus recommendations on regulating 'Artificial Intelligence' (AI) in lethal autonomous weapon systems in 2017 and 2018, the draft Al ethics recommendation of UNESCO in 2020, and a new international platform on digital health and Al.

He joined India's Diplomatic Service in 1992 and served in various capacities in disarmament and strategic technologies and international security affairs, with postings in Tehran and Colombo. Gill was India's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva (2016-2018).

He was also a visiting scholar at Stanford University.

Gill holds a PhD in Nuclear Learning in Multilateral Forums from King's College, London, a Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Electrical Communications from Panjab University, Chandigarh and an Advanced Diploma in French History and Language from Geneva University and he is fluent in English, French, Hindi and Punjabi, the release said.