By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
Senegal has joined a new
international initiative aimed at strengthening global cooperation on
artificial intelligence (AI), becoming a founding member of the World
Organization for Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence.
The agreement establishing
the organisation was signed on July 16, 2026, on the sidelines of the World
Conference on Artificial Intelligence and ahead of the High-Level Meeting on
Global AI Governance.
Senegal was represented at
the signing ceremony by Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Affairs, Mr.
Samba Diouf, with the event held in Shanghai under the leadership of Chinese
President Xi Jinping.
The newly established
organisation comes amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence and growing
calls for stronger international collaboration to ensure that AI development
remains inclusive, responsible and beneficial to humanity.
Its key objectives include
promoting human-centred AI innovation, strengthening global cooperation,
expanding access to artificial intelligence technologies, and addressing the
digital divide associated with AI adoption.
The organisation will also
focus on managing emerging risks linked to AI development while supporting the
advancement of secure, ethical, reliable and responsible artificial
intelligence systems.
