Key Takeaways
- Pakistan has signed the founding agreement of WAICO, becoming one of 29 founding members.
- Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar signed the agreement in Shanghai.
- WAICO aims to promote international cooperation in AI, especially from a Global South perspective.
Pakistan has joined the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) as one of its founding members. The agreement was signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar during his visit to Shanghai on July 17th, alongside representatives from other countries including China, Kazakhstan, Laos, and Russia.
The Foreign Office (FO) announced that the signing ceremony took place in Shanghai as part of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026. Deputy Prime Minister Dar emphasized Pakistan’s commitment to advancing international cooperation in AI, particularly from the perspective of the Global South.
As a founding member, Pakistan aims to contribute to bridging the global AI divide and promoting equitable access to artificial intelligence technologies for development purposes. The FO stated that Pakistan looks forward to working closely with fellow WAICO member states to achieve these goals.
During his visit, Deputy Prime Minister Dar also participated in discussions at the WAIC 2026, engaging with other leaders to advance international AI cooperation and promote inclusive, equitable governance of AI technologies.
The creation of WAICO was proposed by China last year as part of its broader efforts towards global AI governance. The organization aims to foster collaboration among member states to address challenges in the field of artificial intelligence.
Pakistan’s participation aligns with its strategic interests in promoting technological advancements and fostering international cooperation, especially within the context of emerging technologies like AI.
