by ARNOLD MULENGA
LUSAKA – THE Pan-African Parliament (PAP) is advocating for proper legislation of artificial intelligence (AI) to promote human rights and enhance inclusivity in the continent.
The call came at the ongoing, inaugural Africa Digital Parliamentary Summit, aimed at promoting evidence-based policy making for Africa’s digital future.
Bahdja Lammali, Chairperson of the PAP Committee on Transport, Industry, Energy, Science and Technology, officially opened the event in Lusaka, Zambia on Wednesday.
She highlighted the transformative potential of AI in addressing Africa’s development challenges, particularly in improving service delivery in underserved areas and easing workforce and resource constraints.
“There is an urgent need for responsible and ethical AI governance to safeguard human rights and ensure inclusivity,” Lammali said.
“While African Union frameworks like the Data Policy Framework and Model Law on Data Protection provide a foundation, there is a clear need for a dedicated legislative instrument on AI,” she said.
Lammali encouraged partners between stakeholders and PAP to initiate the drafting of such a framework.
This, she said, would ensure Africa is not lagging behind in the global AI revolution.
The summit is a collaboration featuring the PAP, African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) and Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA).
The event ending on Friday brings together members of the PAP Committees on Transport, Industry, Communications, Energy, Science and Technology, Health, Labour and Social Affairs as well as representatives from some African Union organs, researchers and digital policy experts.
The discussions are focusing on the roles of AI, digital health, and data governance in shaping the continent’s digital landscape.
Established in 2004, PAP is the legislative body of the 54-member states of the African Union (AU).
– CAJ News
