Below is an overview of ratification or membership of a selection of international charters, conventions, agreements or organisations potentially relevant to responsible AI adoption. This data is organised according to the AU regional groupings and based on status information from the following sites:
- African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights link
- African Continental Free Trade Area link
- AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection link
- Budapest Convention on Cybercrime link
- Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data link (& 2018 modernising protocol link - data not shown)
- Network of African Personal Data Protection Authorities link
There are various other continental initiatives that African states are more or less active in that are directly addressing AI issues, including the African Union High-Level Panel on Emerging Technology (APET) and a Working Group on AI. Some initiatives are region-specific, such as the Windhoek Statement on Artificial Intelligence in Southern Africa.
It should be noted that almost all African states have ratified global human rights-related treaties, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Also, several countries reference EU regulations and conventions, both informally through alignment with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and formally through accession to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data.
More information can be found on the Policy & Governance Map by selecting International cooperation under the Policy Areas filter. Please contact us via email or Twitter if data is incorrect or out of date.
Central Africa
|
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights |
African Continental Free Trade Area |
AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection |
Budapest Convention on Cybercrime |
Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data |
Network of African Personal Data Protection Authorities |
| Burundi |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
|
| Cameroon |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
| Central African Republic |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
| Chad |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
Yes |
| Congo DR |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
| Congo R |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
| Equatorial Guinea |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
| Gabon |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
Yes |
| Sao Tome and Principe |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
Yes |
Western Africa
|
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights |
African Continental Free Trade Area |
AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection |
Budapest Convention on Cybercrime |
Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data |
Network of African Personal Data Protection Authorities |
| Benin |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
Yes |
| Burkina Faso |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
Yes |
| Cabo Verde |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Cote d'Ivoire |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Yes |
| Gambia |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
| Ghana |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Yes |
| Guinea |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
| Guinea-Bissau |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
|
| Liberia |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mali |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
Yes |
| Niger |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Yes |
| Nigeria |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
| Senegal |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Sierra Leone |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
| Togo |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
Southern Africa
|
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights |
African Continental Free Trade Area |
AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection |
Budapest Convention on Cybercrime |
Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data |
Network of African Personal Data Protection Authorities |
| Angola |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Yes |
| Botswana |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
|
| Eswatini |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
| Lesotho |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
| Malawi |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
| Mozambique |
Yes |
|
Yes |
|
|
|
| Namibia |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
| South Africa |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
Yes |
| Zambia |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
| Zimbabwe |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
Eastern Africa
|
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights |
African Continental Free Trade Area |
AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection |
Budapest Convention on Cybercrime |
Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data |
Network of African Personal Data Protection Authorities |
| Comoros |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
|
| Djibouti |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
| Eritrea |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ethiopia |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
| Kenya |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
Yes |
| Madagascar |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mauritius |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Rwanda |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
| Seychelles |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
|
| Somalia |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
|
| South Sudan |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
|
| Sudan |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
|
| Tanzania |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
| Uganda |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
Yes |
Northern Africa
|
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights |
African Continental Free Trade Area |
AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection |
Budapest Convention on Cybercrime |
Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data |
Network of African Personal Data Protection Authorities |
| Algeria |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
| Egypt |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
| Libya |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
|
| Mauritania |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
| Morocco |
|
Yes |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Tunisia |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
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