29 Countries Sign Agreement to Establish World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization
China and Russia, alongside 27 other countries, signed an agreement in Shanghai to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO). The new intergovernmental body aims to promote international cooperation and global governance in AI, with headquarters in Shanghai.
Representatives from 29 countries gathered in Shanghai on July 16 to sign the founding agreement of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), a new intergovernmental body aimed at promoting international cooperation and global governance in artificial intelligence.
The signing ceremony was held a day before the opening of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, which runs from July 17-20 in Shanghai.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev were among the signatories. The organization's headquarters will be located in Shanghai.
The agreement stipulates that WAICO will be an independent intergovernmental international organization guided by the purposes of the UN Charter, upholding principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, while adhering to a people-centered approach.
The initiative was first proposed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, where he warned that AI risked becoming the exclusive preserve of a handful of countries and companies without international cooperation.
"We have consistently advocated for the establishment of transparent rules for extraterritorial technologies. I am convinced that our active participation in the organization will help strengthen global technological dialogue and contribute to the effective promotion of Russian developments and expertise on international markets." – Dmitry Grigorenko, Russian Deputy Prime Minister
The founding members include a diverse coalition of nations. According to reports, the signatories include Russia, Belarus, Serbia, Cuba, Brazil, and Venezuela, as well as 10 African and 12 Asian countries. UN Secretary-General António Guterres was among those present at the signing ceremony.
The agreement establishes WAICO as a separate entity from existing UN mechanisms, including the UN's Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance established through General Assembly Resolution A/RES/79/325.
WAICO's founding represents China's most significant push to shape international AI governance norms outside the UN framework.
The organization is expected to focus on bridging the AI divide between developed and developing nations, particularly supporting capacity building for Global South countries.
Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko emphasized that Russia is "one of the few countries with its own large language models" and that AI development in the country is progressing rapidly.
The announcement comes amid broader efforts by Beijing to position itself as a key architect of global AI governance. China has been advocating for multilateral approaches that reflect the interests of developing nations.
The organization's establishment at the eve of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference signals China's ambition to lead global AI cooperation while hosting the continent's premier AI gathering.
