Dr. Polona Picman Stefancic

Biography

Dr Polona Picman Stefancic is a Senior Advisor for AI Governance & International Affairs at Rea IT and a Slovenian legal and policy expert working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, international law, democratic governance and multilateral cooperation.
She is the Lead Author of Slovenia’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence until 2030, adopted by the Government in March 2026, and served as Slovenia’s Deputy High-Level Representative to the European Artificial Intelligence Board. She has represented Slovenia in the Council of Europe’s work on artificial intelligence and emerging digital technologies, including the Committee on Artificial Intelligence and the Steering Committee for New and Emerging Digital Technologies (CDNET).
Dr Picman Stefancic is a UNESCO AI Ethics Expert Without Borders and led Slovenia’s implementation of UNESCO’s Readiness Assessment Methodology, including the preparation of the country’s first national RAM report. She also served as Head of Delegation of the Republic of Slovenia at the 3rd UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of AI.
With an academic specialisation in international law, a PhD focused on electronic democracy and early diplomatic experience as Attaché for Latin America at Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she brings more than 25 years of experience across law, public policy, research and international business. Her work focuses on AI governance, regulatory interoperability, human rights, democratic resilience and the translation of international principles into effective national policy and institutions.