Ethiopia Signs Founding Agreement for World AI Cooperation Organization at Shanghai Summit

Ethiopia has signed on as a founding member of the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO), a new multilateral body launched at the World AI Conference in Shanghai aimed at coordinating international cooperation on artificial intelligence governance, standards and development assistance.

The founding agreement positions Ethiopia among a group of countries backing a China-led effort to establish a parallel or complementary track to Western-dominated AI governance forums, at a moment when international coordination on AI safety, standards-setting and cross-border data flows remains fragmented across competing initiatives from the United States, European Union, United Nations and now China.

### Ethiopia's bet on multilateral AI diplomacy

For Ethiopia, joining WAICO as a founding member offers a seat at the table of a new governance body during its formative period, rather than joining an established organisation after its rules and priorities are already set. Addis Ababa has increasingly positioned itself as a diplomatic hub for African multilateral engagement — it hosts the African Union headquarters — and Ethiopian officials have framed AI cooperation as a natural extension of that role, alongside the country's own domestic push to expand AI and digital skills training.

The organisation's stated priorities include facilitating technology transfer, supporting AI capacity-building in developing economies, and establishing shared frameworks for AI safety and standards among member states — areas where Ethiopia, like much of the continent, has limited existing institutional capacity but significant strategic interest given rapid AI adoption outpacing local regulatory frameworks.

China's role as WAICO's principal architect has drawn scrutiny from some Western commentators, who see the body as part of a broader effort to shape global AI governance norms in ways that reduce reliance on frameworks set by the US and EU. Ethiopian officials have not publicly addressed those geopolitical dynamics directly, instead emphasising the practical capacity-building and cooperation benefits of membership. Other African nations have not yet confirmed whether they will join WAICO as founding members or observe its early operations before committing.

The organisation is expected to hold its first formal working sessions in the months following the Shanghai summit, with member states, including Ethiopia, to begin shaping its initial governance and funding structures.