Ghana has endorsed a global framework governing artificial intelligence in military applications, joining 34 other nations in committing to responsible deployment of the technology in defence and security contexts.
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Quayson, represented Ghana at the Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (REAIM) 2026 Summit held in A Coruña, Spain, on February 4 and 5, where participating countries adopted the REAIM 2026 Pathways to Action document.
The framework establishes steps for cooperation, transparency and accountability in developing and using artificial intelligence in military settings, marking a shift from principle setting to operational implementation.
Ghana’s endorsement signals commitment to engage in experience sharing and collaboration with other member states and stakeholders to advance responsible use of artificial intelligence in support of international peace and security.
The move acknowledges that artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly influential factor in global security requiring collective, rules-based governance approaches.
Ghana’s delegation reiterated at the summit that while artificial intelligence can enhance decision making, operational effectiveness and protection of civilians and security personnel, its military application must be subject to meaningful human oversight and strict compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
The Pathways to Action document outlines 28 recommendations covering legal compliance, accountability, technical safeguards, training, testing and governance across the lifecycle of military artificial intelligence systems.
It reaffirms that states and individuals remain responsible for decisions involving artificial intelligence enabled military systems, emphasising that decision support tools should assist rather than replace human judgment.
The declaration was also endorsed by Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, the Philippines, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
The summit brought together ministers, senior government officials, policy experts and industry stakeholders to examine risks and opportunities associated with artificial intelligence enabled military systems, including autonomous technologies and data driven decision tools.
Notably, the United States and China declined to sign the declaration, representing a significant decline from the 2024 Seoul REAIM summit where approximately 60 nations endorsed similar principles.
The document remains open for additional endorsements from countries that did not sign during the summit.
Ghana’s participation demonstrates commitment to contributing to global efforts ensuring emerging technologies uphold human dignity, reinforce peace and strengthen international security as advances in artificial intelligence accelerate across civilian and military domains.
The REAIM initiative originated with the first summit in The Hague in February 2023, followed by the Seoul summit in September 2024, with each gathering producing outcome documents aimed at building international consensus on military artificial intelligence governance.
The third summit was designed to move beyond awareness raising toward operationalising commitments contained in earlier documents, including the 2024 Blueprint for Action.
The summit took place alongside ongoing discussions at the United Nations, where the General Assembly has established an agenda item on artificial intelligence in the military domain and requested the Secretary General to produce a report on the topic.
Military artificial intelligence applications are already deployed across multiple domains, including unmanned systems, intelligence gathering and analysis, decision making assistance, cyber operations and information campaigns.
The rapid proliferation of these capabilities has intensified concerns about the need for international guardrails to prevent accidents, miscalculation or unintended escalation in conflict situations.
Mr Quayson, who serves as Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, is the Member of Parliament for Assin North on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress.
He was appointed to the ministerial position by President John Dramani Mahama and sworn in during July 2025 following parliamentary vetting and approval.
His priorities at the Foreign Ministry include deepening diaspora engagement, advancing economic diplomacy and reinforcing Ghana’s leadership within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU).