By: Mamajah Jalloh
President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio, has called for stronger international cooperation to ensure the safe, secure and responsible development and deployment of advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) models, stressing that African countries and other developing nations must have a meaningful voice in shaping global standards for the emerging technology.
President Bio made the call on Monday, 9 November 2026, while addressing a High-Level Virtual Meeting on Strengthening International Cooperation on Frontier Model Security, convened by French President Emmanuel Macron.
During the meeting, President Bio reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s position that the development and deployment of artificial intelligence must remain under human direction, oversight and control.
He recalled that Sierra Leone endorsed the Call for Control of Frontier AI Models during the AI Middle Powers Roundtable at the United Nations General Assembly in September, co-hosted by Kenya and Finland and initiated by Finland and Norway. He described the high-level meeting as an important opportunity to translate those commitments into practical measures for strengthening international cooperation on frontier AI security.
Highlighting Sierra Leone’s progress towards establishing a national framework for AI governance, President Bio disclosed that the country had completed its National AI Readiness Assessment, which will inform the development of its first National AI Strategy.
He explained that the Government was exploring ways to harness artificial intelligence to improve agriculture, healthcare, education and public service delivery, while strengthening digital infrastructure and regional cooperation through ECOWAS.
He also highlighted the proposed Regional Data Embassy Framework, which seeks to expand access to shared digital infrastructure while safeguarding national jurisdiction and control over data.
“As we advance these efforts, we recognize the importance of building safety, security and accountability into our approach from the outset,” President Bio stated, emphasizing the need to balance the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence with appropriate safeguards against emerging risks.
On the international dimensions of frontier AI security, President Bio outlined the need for common and credible standards to evaluate the safety and security of advanced AI models, clear responsibilities and accountability for developers and deployers, and effective international mechanisms for reporting serious incidents and sharing information on emerging threats.
He stressed that independent evaluation, transparency, effective oversight and coordinated responses were essential, particularly as the benefits and risks associated with increasingly advanced AI systems transcend national borders.
Emphasizing the link between international cooperation and national sovereignty, President Bio stated: “No country can adequately address these challenges on its own. Sovereignty does not mean doing everything alone. It means choosing the terms on which we work together.”
He further argued that global AI governance must be inclusive, stressing that African countries and other developing nations should not merely be expected to adopt standards established elsewhere but must actively participate in developing them.
The President also called for increased investment in scientific expertise, institutional capacity and evaluation tools to enable developing countries to assess advanced AI systems deployed within their jurisdictions and participate effectively in global governance arrangements.
President Bio welcomed the proposed Paris Declaration, particularly its emphasis on common evaluation standards, clear accountability and international cooperation in reporting serious AI-related incidents. He, however, stressed the need to translate its commitments into practical action through credible evaluation mechanisms, timely information-sharing and stronger national and regional capabilities.
He concluded by reaffirming Sierra Leone’s readiness to work with international partners to ensure that the enormous potential of artificial intelligence is harnessed without compromising human safety, national sovereignty or human control.
The high-level virtual meeting brought together world leaders and senior government representatives, including United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Netherlands Prime Minister Rob Jetten, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, United States Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
Senior representatives of leading technology organizations also participated, including Microsoft President Brad Smith, OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman and Mistral AI Chief Executive Officer Arthur Mensch.
Their participation underscored the importance of collaboration between governments and the technology industry in strengthening the safety, security and responsible development of artificial intelligence.