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The Eastern Africa sub-Regional Forum on Artificial Intelligence (EARFAI) builds on the previous fora organized by UNESCO to place the spotlight on AI and its potential to benefit the African countries and societies.
The first UNESCO Forum on Artificial Intelligence in Africa was organized from 12 to 13 December 2018 in Bengu茅rir, Morocco. This Forum adopted the Bengu茅rir Statement, urging African countries to integrate AI into national development policies and strategies, as a vector for the emergence of African economies based on African cultures, values and knowledge. The Forum also called for the organization of sub-regional forums in Africa to facilitate the exchange of ideas and the development of strategic frameworks and action plans, with a view to encouraging greater use of AI at national and regional levels.
The EARFAI is a follow-up to the Southern Africa sub-Regional Forum on Artificial Intelligence (SARFAI) co-organized by UNESCO and the Government of Namibia, from 7 to 9 September 2022 in Windhoek, Namibia, under the theme 鈥Towards a sustainable development-oriented and ethical use of artificial intelligence鈥. This Forum adopted the Windhoek Statement, calling notably for a strengthening of multi-stakeholder cooperation on AI in Southern Africa, as encapsulated in the SADC-UNESCO Joint Programme 2022-2025, and the establishment of a Southern African coordination mechanism for the implementation of the Recommendation on the Ethics of AI.
The EARFAI will also build upon the 2nd Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, held in Kranj, Slovenia, on 5 and 6 February 2024, under the theme: 鈥Changing the Landscape of AI Governance鈥. This Forum brought together the experiences and expertise of countries at different levels of technological and policy development, for a focused exchange to learn from each other, and for a dialogue with the private sector, academia and civil society.
In November 2021, during the 41st session of the General Conference of UNESCO, Member States unanimously adopted the first-ever Global Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (2021). This first global normative instrument provides a comprehensive basis to make AI systems work for the good of humanity. In order to assist countries in the implementation of the Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, UNESCO is implementing the Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM), a tool that guides Member States in highlighting any institutional and regulatory gaps and enables the Organization to tailor support for Governments to address them, in order to ensure an ethical AI ecosystem in line with the Recommendation. Currently, UNESCO is rolling out the RAM in 22 African countries7, including 5 countries in Eastern Africa.
Furthermore, the EARFAI is in line with Flagship Programme 4 of UNESCO鈥檚 Operational Strategy for Priority Africa (2022-2029), entitled 鈥樷Harnessing new and emerging technologies for sustainable development in Africa, including through the implementation of the recommendation on the ethics of artificial intelligence鈥欌.
The EARFAI will also build on the ongoing development of an African Union Continental Strategy on AI, which is supported by UNESCO.
The Forum will be held in hybrid format (both in presentia and online), articulated into three key segments: the Expert Segment (24-25 June), the Partnership Forum (25 June) and the High-Level Segment (26 June). Side-events will also be organized.
The Forum will be attended by Ministers and Government representatives from the sub-region, international AI experts and panelists, high-level personalities and partners from various sectors and stakeholders from academia, industry, and civil society. In all, around 500 participants (300 in presentia and 200 online) are expected to attend the Forum.