Representatives from 29 countries today signed the agreement to establish the World Organization for Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence in Shanghai, China.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi signed the agreement on behalf of the Chinese government during the signing ceremony, which was attended by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

The agreement stipulates that this independent intergovernmental organization shall be guided by the purposes of the United Nations Charter, adhere to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefit, and adopt a human-centered approach.

The organization aims to promote international cooperation and global governance in the field of artificial intelligence, ensure its sound and orderly development in a direction that is beneficial, safe, and fair, for the benefit of all humanity, and its headquarters will be in Shanghai.

Earlier last year, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had explained that the proposal to establish the organization represents a practical step by China to practice multilateralism, reflecting the aspirations of Global South countries.

It added that the goal is to unleash the benefits of artificial intelligence, bridge the gap in this field, and ensure its use to achieve positive outcomes.

The signing of the agreement comes on the eve of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference hosted by Shanghai from July 17 to 20 this year.