AI Diplomacy Guide for Africa: A Resource to Shape Governance and Dialogue

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming global systems, from economies to governance and human rights. For African nations, ensuring their voices and interests are reflected in the evolving rules of AI governance is not just an option but a necessity. In our effort at the "Tech Governance Project" to promote active and effective engagement of African stakeholders in International AI governance and dialogue, we developed a guidebook that provides clear, practical guidance for effective participation in international AI discussions and governance. It aims to empower African diplomats, policymakers, statespersons, technical advisors, and designated representatives to engage effectively in International AI discussions and governance. This blog post summarizes the contents of the guidebook. The complete guide is available as a report, accessible here.

Part I: Strategic Context & Advocacy

The African Union (AU) AI strategy acknowledges the crucial need for Africa to have a strong voice in global AI governance. However, several barriers hinder full participation, including limited representation, high travel costs, information gaps, capacity challenges, and brain drain of African experts. To overcome these, the AU recommends strengthening coordination, building AI diplomacy capacity, ensuring African interests are reflected in global standards, and integrating AI into national and regional foreign policy.

Potential Agendas for African Advocacy in Global AI Discussions

As global AI norms develop, African countries have a crucial opportunity to advocate for priorities aligned with the continent's development, rights, and security goals. Key areas for advocacy identified include:

• Military AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS): Advocating for strong global oversight and preventing AI from exacerbating conflicts in fragile regions.

• AI-Generated Misinformation: Pushing for international rules on labeling and verifying AI content, including in democratic processes.

• Fair Benefit Sharing: Ensuring Africa benefits from global AI advances and support models that reduce inequality.

• Reckless AI Race: Calls for cooperation and safety in global AI competition and prevents Africa from becoming a testing or battleground.

• AI Developer Responsibility: Promoting global rules on accountability for AI systems that cause harm and protect African markets from dangerous technologies.

• Boosting AI Research & Collaboration: Supporting public-private partnerships, such as in agriculture, health, and climate AI, and working with global bodies to build local talent.

• Data Sovereignty: Advocating for fair rules on how African data is stored, shared, and protected across borders.

• Algorithmic Fairness: Advocating for bias mitigation measures that consider the sociocultural complexity of African societies, ensuring discrimination-free and inclusive AI systems.

  
  

Part II: Platforms for Engagement

African stakeholders can leverage various platforms for AI engagement and governance:

• Global Platforms: ITU AI for Good, UNESCO AI Ethics Framework, Global AI Safety Summits, G7 & G20 AI Processes, OECD & GPAI, Internet Governance Forum (IGF), International Network of AI Safety Institutes, and IEEE AI Ethics Standards.

• AU-Affiliated / Continental African Platforms: AU Commission & Continental AI Strategy, AfCFTA – Digital Trade Protocol, Pan-African Parliament (PAP), African Governance Architecture (AGA), and the Malabo Convention.

• Informal / Unofficial Regional and African Platforms: AI4D Africa, African IGF (AfIGF), C4IR Rwanda, SmartBots Lab (Botswana), Research ICT Africa (RIA), Smart Africa & Africa AI Council, and Civil Society & Grassroots Networks.

• Global South / South–South Cooperation Platforms: Group of Friends on AI for SDGs, China–Africa Digital Cooperation, BRICS AI Cooperation, Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), and India-Africa / Latin America-Africa Dialogues.

• Bilateral AI Partnerships: Cooperation with global players like the US, China, UK, and France, as well as intra-African partnerships and North–South/triangular cooperation models (e.g., Switzerland’s ICAIN, Germany’s GIZ Fair Forward).

  
  

Part III: Initial Preparation for AI Diplomacy

Long-term improvements in AI diplomacy capacity require:

• Dedicated AI Diplomatic Units: Establishing specialized teams or designated personnel within government ministries for AI-related international engagement.

• Common Positions on AI: Coordination through regional bodies like the AU to build strong, unified positions on major AI issues.

• AI and Diplomatic Training: Investing in specialized training programs to strengthen the technical expertise of African representatives.

• Cross-Sector Collaboration: Fostering linkages between government, academia, industry, and civil society to build consensus.

• Leverage AU Membership in G20: Utilizing the AU’s G20 membership and South Africa’s G20 presidency in 2025 to advocate for Africa’s AI priorities.

Conclusion

AI will profoundly shape global systems. Active participation from African countries is crucial to ensure that the future of AI governance aligns with the continent's development priorities, human rights values, and technological potential. By investing in relationships, shared positions, and institutional memory, African nations can transition from merely participating to genuinely shaping the global AI landscape.