Shanghai, July 16 (QNA) - A total of 29 countries signed today an agreement in Shanghai establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization.

Under the terms of the agreement, the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization will be an independent intergovernmental international organization headquartered in Shanghai.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in China.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi signed the agreement on behalf of the Chinese government, alongside representatives from 29 countries, including Kazakhstan, Laos, Pakistan, Russia, and Indonesia, making their countries founding members of the organization.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was among the representatives of countries and international organizations who attended the signing ceremony.

According to the agreement, the organization will uphold the purposes of the United Nations Charter, promote extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, and adopt a people-centered approach.

The organization aims to strengthen international cooperation and global governance in artificial intelligence, ensuring that AI is beneficial, safe, and fair, and to promote its healthy and orderly development for the benefit of all humanity. (QNA)