Rwanda: Kagame Named Co-Chair of New Global Commission On Ai

7 July 2026
The New Times (Kigali)
By Alice Umutesi

President Paul Kagame has been appointed as co-chair of AI for Good Global Commission, an initiative of the United Nations.

The other co-chair is Marc Benioff, co-founder and chief executive of software company Salesforce.

ALSO READ: Africa must not be left behind, Kagame tells AI Summit

Kagame is one of 44 founding members of the commission, which was established under the UN's the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Secretary-General of ITU Doreen Bogdan-Martin is the commission's Vice-Chair.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

Presidents Alar Karis of Estonia and Halla Tómasdóttir of Iceland are also members of the commission.

Other members include leaders from governments, private companies and international organisations.

ALSO READ: Govt to set up National Artificial Intelligence Agency

According to Village Urugwiro, Kagame will attend the commission's inaugural meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, where delegates will discuss the future of artificial intelligence during ITU's AI for Good Global Summit 2026, taking place from July 7-10.

The AI for Good Global Commission was established by the United Nations through the ITU to bring together leaders from governments, businesses and international organisations to address key questions surrounding the development and use of artificial intelligence.

The commission aims to identify practical approaches to strengthen trust in AI, support responsible innovation and ensure that the benefits of the technology contribute to social and economic development worldwide.

The members will work on developing solutions to promote safe, inclusive and responsible AI development.

The commission's meeting will provide an opportunity for members to discuss priorities for the commission, including strengthening international cooperation, expanding access to AI technologies and addressing challenges linked to the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence.

A major focus of the commission will be on reducing digital inequalities. ITU estimates that about 2.2 billion people worldwide remain offline, limiting their ability to benefit from advances in digital technologies, including AI.

The commission aims to ensure that artificial intelligence becomes a tool for addressing global challenges rather than widening existing inequalities, particularly for communities in developing countries.

Read the original article on New Times.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2026 The New Times. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.