By: Isatu Yollah Bangura
Sierra Leone’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Hon. Alpha Sesay, Esq., has held a bilateral meeting with UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Science and Artificial Intelligence, Dr. Abou Amani, and his team on the margins of the 4th UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (GFEAI 2026) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
During the meeting on Wednesday, Attorney-General Sesay outlined President Julius Maada Bio’s Big Five Game Changers, highlighting the potential role of artificial intelligence in advancing the Government’s national development priorities.
He said Sierra Leone had a clear position on AI but had yet to enact specific legislation governing the technology. He stressed the need for the country to develop a strong legal and regulatory framework that would guide the responsible use of AI and support national development.
The Attorney-General also informed the UNESCO delegation that Sierra Leone already has a cybersecurity framework and that the Government had made progress towards drafting a Data Protection Bill.
Hon. Sesay further emphasised the need to popularize AI beyond legal and technical professionals, saying ordinary citizens should also understand and benefit from the technology.
“We are interested in the Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) and in tapping into UNESCO’s support extended to other countries,” he said.
He also disclosed that Sierra Leone had tabled a proposal within ECOWAS for regional cooperation on AI governance.
Responding, Dr. Abou Amani welcomed the Attorney-General’s presentation and said UNESCO was open to supporting Sierra Leone through the Readiness Assessment Methodology process.
He further disclosed that a UNESCO Communication and Information Team would visit Sierra Leone later this month to provide training for members of the legal community, including judicial officers, law officers and private legal practitioners.
The meeting concluded with an agreement for both sides to continue discussions when the UNESCO team visits Freetown.
The Attorney-General was accompanied by State Counsel, Alpha Amadu Bah, Esq.