CSOAI Partnership Charter

Article 1: Purpose - This charter establishes governance framework for AI system certification, safety evaluation, and continuous oversight.

Article 2: Definitions - AI system is any system using machine learning or computational inference to make decisions or produce outputs affecting users.

Article 3: Scope - Charter applies to all AI systems in CSOAI partnership, including development, deployment, monitoring, and retirement phases.

Article 4: Risk Classification - Systems classified as high-risk, moderate-risk, or low-risk based on potential harms and affected populations.

Article 5: Certification Levels - Three certification levels (Commercial, Government, Defense) with corresponding requirements and oversight mechanisms.

Article 6: Safety Standards - All certified systems must meet defined safety, security, fairness, and explainability standards.

Article 7: Continuous Improvement - Certification requires ongoing monitoring and regular assessment of emerging risks and mitigations.

Article 8: Byzantine Council - 33 independent evaluators using 22/33 consensus voting for certification decisions.

Article 9: Council Independence - Council members operate independently with no conflicts of interest with certification applicants.

Article 10: Decision Authority - Council has final authority on certification approvals, denials, and revocations.

Article 11: Secretariat Function - Central coordination office manages applications, scheduling, and administrative operations.

Article 12: Appeals Process - Applicants may appeal Council decisions through documented procedures with independent review.

Article 13: Transparency - All decisions published with rationale and vote tallies to maintain public trust.

Article 14: Accountability - Council members subject to removal for misconduct or failure to meet fiduciary duties.

Article 15: System Documentation - Complete architecture, data, training, validation, and deployment documentation required.

Article 16: Risk Assessment - Formal risk assessment identifying potential harms and mitigation strategies.

Article 17: Fairness Evaluation - Comprehensive testing for bias across demographic groups and protected classes.

Article 18: Explainability - Systems must provide meaningful explanations for decisions to users.

Article 19: Human Oversight - Humans must be able to understand, review, and override AI decisions.

Article 20: Performance Monitoring - Systems must be monitored for performance degradation and drift.

Article 21: Incident Response - Organizations must have documented procedures for responding to system failures or misuse.

Article 22: Security Assessment - Systems must undergo comprehensive security testing by qualified assessors.

Article 23: Adversarial Testing - Red teaming and adversarial robustness evaluation required for high-risk systems.

Article 24: Vulnerability Disclosure - Security vulnerabilities must be disclosed and remediated promptly.

Article 25: Access Controls - Systems handling sensitive data must implement role-based access controls.

Article 26: Audit Trails - Comprehensive logging of system access and decisions affecting users.

Article 27: Cryptographic Protection - Sensitive data must be encrypted in transit and at rest.

Article 28: Threat Modeling - Formal threat modeling identifying and mitigating attack vectors.

Article 29: Data Governance - Clear policies for data collection, use, retention, and deletion.

Article 30: Privacy Rights - Users' privacy rights protected including data access and deletion rights.

Article 31: Consent - Explicit user consent required for using data in AI systems.

Article 32: Data Minimization - Only data necessary for system function should be collected.

Article 33: Sensitivity Handling - Especially sensitive data (medical, financial, biometric) subject to heightened protections.

Article 34: Third Party Data - Clear agreements on data usage with third party providers.

Article 35: Data Breach Response - Immediate notification and remediation procedures for data breaches.

Article 36: Regulatory Alignment - Certified systems comply with applicable regulations (EU AI Act, NIST, etc.).

Article 37: Audit Rights - Council has right to audit certified systems for compliance verification.

Article 38: Monitoring Requirements - Level 2/3 systems subject to ongoing monitoring and quarterly reviews.

Article 39: Incident Reporting - Organizations must report significant incidents within 30 days.

Article 40: Remediation Timeline - Organizations must remediate non-compliance within 90 days or face suspension.

Article 41: Certification Revocation - Certification revoked for material non-compliance or unresolved risks.

Article 42: Dispute Resolution - Formal procedures for resolving certification disputes.

Article 43: Global Recognition - Certified systems recognized internationally across partner jurisdictions.

Article 44: Regulatory Harmony - Alignment with international AI governance frameworks.

Article 45: Information Sharing - Council shares threat intelligence and best practices with global community.

Article 46: Cross Border Certification - Mechanisms for certifying systems operating across borders.

Article 47: Capacity Building - Support for developing countries to implement governance frameworks.

Article 48: Research Collaboration - Partnerships with academic institutions and research organizations.

Article 49: Standard Evolution - Regular update of standards to reflect emerging risks and best practices.

Article 50: Amendment Process - Charter amendments require unanimous Council approval.

Article 51: Implementation Deadline - Organizations must achieve compliance within 12 months of charter adoption.

Article 52: Effective Date - Charter becomes effective upon ratification by CSOAI members.