ATU Signs AI And Digital Infrastructure Partnership With UN

The African Telecommunications Union (ATU) and the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (UN-ODET) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening cooperation on artificial intelligence capacity building and digital public infrastructure across Africa.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva by ATU Secretary-General John Omo and Amandeep Singh Gill, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, who heads UN-ODET.

According to the two organisations, the partnership will support the development of safe, inclusive and locally relevant digital technologies across Africa while promoting open, secure and interoperable digital systems that align with the continent’s development priorities.

Commenting on the agreement, Gill said the partnership is intended to help translate the objectives of the UN’s Global Digital Compact into practical outcomes for countries.

“Our goal is to translate the principles of the Global Digital Compact into tangible country-level outcomes,” he said.

The ATU said the collaboration supports its vision of advancing a digital future that is developed within Africa and responds to the continent’s own priorities. It also called on governments, private sector organisations, academia and innovators to work together in advancing AI and digital transformation initiatives.

The partnership brings together two organisations that play different but complementary roles in global digital development.

Headquartered in Nairobi, the ATU is the African Union’s specialised agency for telecommunications and information and communication technologies. Established in 1977, the organisation works with more than 50 African member states to coordinate regional positions on issues such as spectrum management, digital infrastructure and ICT policy.

The agreement follows another announcement made during the Geneva meetings in which the ATU was named among the partners supporting the International Telecommunication Union’s AI for Good Lab initiative, a programme designed to help developing countries access AI tools, datasets, computing resources and policy support.

UN-ODET, meanwhile, is one of the United Nations’ newest institutions. Established in January 2025, it serves as the UN’s central office for digital cooperation and is responsible for coordinating implementation of the Global Digital Compact, the international framework adopted by world leaders in 2024 to guide cooperation on digital technologies, artificial intelligence and digital public infrastructure.

Under the new agreement, the two organisations will collaborate on initiatives aimed at strengthening AI capabilities across Africa, including building technical skills, supporting institutional readiness and encouraging the development of locally relevant AI solutions.

The partnership will also focus on digital public infrastructure, helping countries strengthen foundational digital systems such as digital identity, data exchange platforms and digital payments while promoting interoperability, security and inclusion.

Neither organisation disclosed financial commitments, implementation timelines or specific programmes that will be delivered under the agreement. As with many memoranda of understanding, the document establishes a framework for future collaboration, with operational details expected to be developed through subsequent initiatives.

The signing adds to a series of Africa-focused announcements made during the week of AI and digital governance meetings in Geneva. Alongside the launch of the AI for Good Global Commission, increased African representation in global AI governance and new digital investment commitments, the partnership reflects growing efforts to position African institutions more centrally in international discussions on artificial intelligence and digital transformation.

While the agreement establishes a formal cooperation framework between the ATU and the UN’s digital office, its long-term impact will depend on how the partnership translates into funded programmes, technical support and country-level projects that strengthen AI capacity and digital public infrastructure across the continent.