Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) Africa

GFCE Africa welcome the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance as a timely and necessary platform. Its primary value lies not only in shaping principles, but in correcting global imbalances in AI governance capacity. If this Dialogue is to succeed, it must move beyond conversation and deliver practical, inclusive capability.

• AI capacity-building
• Safe, secure and trustworthy AI
• Interoperability of governance approaches
• Protection and promotion of human rights

From GFCE Africa's perspective, three interlinked capacity challenges require urgent attention: First, fragmented institutional capacity. Across the continent, AI governance efforts remain uneven, dispersed, and often externally driven. This limits Africa's ability to engage coherently in global processes and risks positioning African countries as rule-takers rather than rule-shapers. It is therefore important that the Dialogue prioritise regional coordination mechanisms, strengthen alignment with continental frameworks, and support the establishment of regional AI governance hubs. Second, the human capital and expertise gap. AI governance is not only technical-it requires legal, ethical, regulatory, and interdisciplinary expertise, which remains scarce in most developing economies. Without this, participation in global AI discussions risks becoming symbolic rather than substantive. The Dialogue should therefore catalyse global AI governance skills initiatives, including fellowships, policy labs, and structured knowledge transfer, particularly for developing regions. Third, infrastructure and data governance limitations. Effective AI governance depends on access to data, compute capacity, and trusted systems. In Africa, these foundations are yet to be fully established, raising challenges around data sovereignty, equity, and participation in frontier AI debates. We encourage the Dialogue to explicitly link AI governance with digital infrastructure and data ecosystems, and to equally promote equitable data-sharing and investment partnerships.

To be effective, the Global Dialogue should consider and be structured around the following four core pillars: 1. Institutional governance and coordination 2. Skills, expertise and capacity development 3. Data and Infrastructure 4. Risk, safety, and ethical AI in development contexts Importantly, the Dialogue must go beyond plenaries. It should include regional tracks, technical labs, and partnership matchmaking platforms, that GFCE Africa has established, ensuring that discussions translate into implementation.

The success of this first Dialogue should be measured by tangible outputs, including: • A Global AI Governance Capacity Initiative, with a strong Africa focus • Practical policy toolkits and model frameworks informed by the Scientific Panel • New Match-Making platforms connecting needs with resources • Pilot initiatives on data governance, AI for public services, and AI safety in low-resource contexts

The Global Dialogue should consider and be structured around the following four core pillars: 1. Institutional governance and coordination 2. Skills, expertise and capacity development 3. Data and Infrastructure 4. Risk, safety, and ethical AI in development contexts Importantly, the Dialogue must go beyond plenaries. It should include regional tracks, technical labs, and partnership matchmaking platforms, that GFCE Africa has established, ensuring that discussions translate into implementation

• Governments must lead in policy and coordination • The private sector must invest in capacity and infrastructure • Academia and civil society must anchor knowledge, ethics, and accountability • International organisations must ensure coherence, financing, and inclusivity

Prioritise regional coordination mechanisms, strengthen alignment with continental frameworks, and support the establishment of regional AI governance hubs.

Civil Servants in Government

Both Online and Face to Face

Africa AI Continental Strategy