Mozambique has become one of 29 founding members of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation, known by its acronym WAICO, after signing the body’s founding agreement on 16 July in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China.
According to Forbes África Lusófona, the new international organisation aims to promote global cooperation in the development and responsible use of artificial intelligence, with a human-centred approach oriented towards collective benefit.
Alongside Mozambique, the founding group includes South Africa, Algeria, Brazil, China, Cuba, Ethiopia, Kenya, Russia, and Venezuela. The signatory states have committed to strengthening international cooperation to ensure that artificial intelligence development is safe, ethical, responsible, and accessible. The agreement also provides for the promotion of an open, fair, equitable, and non-discriminatory environment for AI development, as well as the reduction of inequalities in access to new technologies.
The organisation is expected to work towards expanding countries’ access to artificial intelligence technologies and services, while reinforcing cooperation in the prevention of risks and challenges associated with the advancement of the technology.
The signing of the agreement preceded the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-Level Meeting on Global Artificial Intelligence Governance, held between 17 and 20 July in Shanghai. The events brought together political leaders, representatives of international organisations, experts, and officials from various countries to discuss the future of artificial intelligence and the mechanisms required to ensure more inclusive global governance.
At the opening of the event, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for strengthened multilateral cooperation, the promotion of open-source technologies, and the broadening of developing countries’ access to new technological solutions.
The Chinese leader criticised the excessive use of national security arguments to justify restrictions on the international circulation of technologies, arguing that such barriers widen technological inequalities and limit the economic development of Global South countries. Xi Jinping further contended that artificial intelligence should be regarded as a collective opportunity to advance shared development, rather than as an instrument for deepening dependency relationships between nations.
During the conference, China announced plans to step up support for developing countries in building artificial intelligence capacity.
Among the initiatives presented is the provision of five thousand training opportunities and seminar placements in artificial intelligence over the next five years.
China also intends to establish international technology cooperation centres and develop joint projects with BRICS, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the African Union, and Latin American countries. Plans also include making artificial intelligence systems applied to meteorology available to approximately 30 countries, with the aim of improving early warning mechanisms for extreme weather events and natural disasters.
The 29 founding members of WAICO are Algeria, Belarus, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, China, Congo, Cuba, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and Zambia.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/07/27/tech-2/mocambique-adere-a-nova-organizacao-mundial-da-ia/
