The independent panel is the first global scientific body of its kind. It aims to bring experts together to assess how technology is transforming the world and its people.

All three AI4D representatives are principal investigators at AI4D labs housed in public universities across sub-Saharan Africa. Together, these labs advance responsible, locally grounded AI research and develop solutions aligned with regional priorities.

Tegawendé Bissyandé – CITADEL 2.0, Burkina Faso

Tegawendé Bissyandé is a principal investigator at the Centre of Interdisciplinary Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Development (CITADEL 2.0), based at the Université Virtuelle du Burkina Faso. CITADEL seeks to foster innovation in responsible AI, democratize AI education and contribute to an enabling policy and practice environment aligned with ethical standards and local needs.

Bissyandé described his appointment is “above all a recognition of a community: the researchers, student and partners of CITADEL and IDRC who work toward useful and responsible AI.” He added, “I therefore commit to bringing the realities and aspirations of our communities to this panel so that AI can truly serve human development.”

Bissyandé is also chief scientist at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust in Luxembourg.

Joyce Nakatumba-Nabende – AI4D research lab, Uganda

Joyce Nakatumba-Nabende is the principal investigator at the AI4D research lab at Makerere University in Uganda. The lab supports research and capacity building in the development and deployment of responsible AI to address national priorities and contributes to the strengthening of a network of AI research and capacity-building labs across Africa.

She noted that "the appointment on the panel is a great opportunity for me to bring scientific evidence from the Global South on the development and governance of Artificial Intelligence." Nakatumba-Nabende is a senior lecturer in the College of Computing and Information Sciences at Makerere University. She has also been recognized as one of the top 100 Career Women in Africa 2025 and was honoured by 100 Women Davos as a trailblazer shaping the future of AI.

Vukosi Marivate – AI4D African Languages Lab, South Africa 

Vukosi Marivate is the principal investigator at the AI4D African Languages Lab at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. The lab works to unlock the potential of African-language-based AI applications to address development challenges. 

Marivate said he is “honoured to have been selected to serve on this panel. I look forward to continuing to share experiences and perspectives from across the African continent, and to learning from the rich insights and expertise of my fellow panelists.”

A widely recognized AI expert, Marivate serves on several academic and technology-focused organizations in the sector.

The new UN panel, established by General Assembly resolution in 2025, will examine real-world AI opportunities, risks and impacts relevant to policy, including:

▪️ safe, secure and trustworthy AI systems
▪️ open-source software, open data and open AI models
▪️ social, economic, ethical, cultural, linguistic and technical implications of AI
▪️ transparency, accountability and meaningful human oversight
▪️ protection and promotion of human rights in the context of AI

Two Canadians have also been named to the UN panel. Dalhousie University Computer Science Professor Rita Orji and AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio, founder of Mila, Quebec’s world-renowned AI institute.

The series promoted knowledge exchange, highlighted regional experiences and encouraged multi-stakeholder dialogue to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) among adolescents, while exploring practical pathways to build a sustainable future for their health and wellbeing.

The first webinar, “A Regional Overview: Evidence, Challenges and Opportunities,” explored the policy and program landscape surrounding adolescent SRHR and GBV. Grassroots leaders, researchers, policymakers and practitioners, including Professor Takyiwaa Manuh, Aminata Thioye, Dr Nafissatou Jocelyne Diop and Dr Jacques Emina, identified knowledge gaps and discussed how research can strengthen adolescent health, rights and protection. 

Key insights highlighted the demographic urgency facing the region: adolescents make up nearly 25% of the population in Central and West Africa and adolescent girls face high rates of child marriage, adolescent pregnancy, female genital mutilation and sexual violence. Policy frameworks are absent or lagging in many countries, and enforcement remains inconsistent in those countries that have adopted legal frameworks to address these issues. Panelists emphasized the importance of adolescent participation in policymaking and called for inclusive, respectful SRHR services, especially for marginalized youth. The lack of disaggregated data was identified as a major barrier to targeted interventions. Broader socio-economic factors such as conflict, urbanization and economic instability further amplify vulnerabilities. As a way forward, participants recommended comprehensive sexuality education, stronger evidence-based policies, integrating GBV and SRHR into national strategies, and more research to support policy development and implementation. 

The second webinar, “Transformative Research on Adolescent Health and Rights: Best Practices and Lessons Learned,” examined how transformative and action research can catalyze structural change. It showcased IDRC-supported projects in The Gambia, Senegal, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi (including work by the International Center for Advanced Research and Training and the Panzi foundation), through presentations and interventions by Dr Marie Hatem, Dr Nathalie Sawadogo, Dr Jacques Emina and Mrs Phebian Ina Grant Sagnia. Using participatory methods,their projects  Using participatory methods, these projects studied how to integrate health education, address mental health and design adolescent-centered SRHR services. Presenters stressed the importance of inclusive, multidisciplinary approaches in research and programs while noting persistent challenges such as social taboos, political resistance and limited data. The session concluded with a call to bridge research and policy, invest in youth-centred approaches and strengthen cross-sectoral alliances. 

The third and final webinar, “Building a Sustainable Future for the Health and Wellbeing of Adolescents in Central and West Africa,” synthesized insights from the series and foster solution-oriented dialogue among researchers, policymakers, funders and implementers. The final session featuring Mrs Astou Diouf Gueye, Mrs Tracey Hébert-Seck, Mr Bertin Rutega Nkwale, Dr Abdoul-Moumouni Nouhou and Professor Issiaka Sombié focused on actionable recommendations for future programming and investment. Adolescents in West and Central Africa face persistent barriers to sexual and reproductive health—including unsafe abortion, restrictive laws, stigma, and unequal access to care—exacerbated by limited data and the lack of adolescent‑specific services. Addressing these challenges requires multisectoral collaboration, community engagement, digital innovation, and stronger international partnerships, while also trusting and empowering youth, strengthening interconnections among stakeholders, and recognizing adolescents as a distinct group with unique needs to transform evidence into action and improve support for adolescent girls, including survivors of violence. 

The investment will support the implementation of the African Union’s Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA-2034) and will be delivered through the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), a partnership led by Science Granting Councils from 20 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. 

This international contribution was announced ahead of the African Union (AU) summit of heads of state to be held at AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in February 2026. It builds on a collective pledge made by SGCI member councils in September 2025 to work with the AU to strengthen the continent’s science, technology and innovation systems and drive sustainable development. 

This new support responds to Africa’s urgent need for stronger science systems to address challenges such as climate change, health threats, food insecurity and rapid technological advances. Science Granting Councils play a critical intermediary role in these systems by funding, managing and translating research and innovation into policy and practice. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, national councils face interconnected challenges and, as a result, African research and innovation remain underutilized as drivers of sustainable development. 

Starting in March 2015, two successive five-year phases of the initiative (SGCI-1 and SGCI-2) have addressed systemic constraints by co-investing in local research projects and strengthening councils as institutions. SGCI has helped national science councils strengthen their key organizational capabilities, improve the design and management of research calls, enhance research and innovation governance and advance evidence‑informed policymaking, strategic communications and knowledge uptake. It has also worked with councils to mainstream gender equality and inclusion, enabling public‑private partnerships and commercialization and supporting the creation of new councils. 

Running from 2026 to 2030, the newly launched third phase (SGCI-3) will expand Africa‑led research, strengthen national and regional science, technology and innovation policy engagement and build long‑term institutional capabilities. A new SGCI Alliance will enhance African leadership in research priority‑setting and STISA‑2034 implementation, with multi-country research calls expected later this year. 

Learn more about SGCI 

The summit will take place on February 19-20, 2026, in New Delhi, with summit week side events running from February 16-24. More than 100 countries are invited, alongside ministers, researchers, innovators and global institutions. Several IDRC research partners — through the Artificial Intelligence for Development (AI4D) partnership with the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office — will be taking part. 

Canada’s delegation is being led by Evan Solomon, minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, with IDRC President Julie Delahanty and Maggie Gorman Vélez, IDRC vice-president, Strategy, Regions and Policy, also in attendance. 

The summit agenda is structured around three pillars — people, planet and progress — and is supported by seven working group tracks (chakras): 

• Science – IDRC co-chair 
• Human capital 
• Inclusion 
• Safe and trusted AI 
• Democratizing AI resources 
• Social good 
• Resilience, innovation and efficiency 

India has emphasized the need for summit outcomes that are tangible and development-oriented, including: 

• South-South scientific collaboration 
• Locally led innovation ecosystems 
• Scaling equitable access to AI infrastructure 
• Development-focused AI use cases 

By supporting Canada’s co-chair position in the Science Working Group and bringing decades of experience supporting innovation in the Global South, IDRC is helping to ensure that international cooperation advances not only technological progress and shared prosperity, but also supports responsible AI that is safe, inclusive, rights-based and sustainable. The working group is hosting events and workshops during the summit, convening funders, researchers and policy partners around responsible innovation, equitable infrastructure access and collaborative scientific ecosystems to leverage AI for scientific breakthroughs in the Global South. 

IDRC’s AI4D partnership: Responsible AI for Development

AI4D aims to ensure local experts in the Global South can solve development challenges through inclusive innovation and leadership in global AI governance. IDRC’s leadership at the summit reflects AI4D’s strength and its alignment with summit principles. Many of these projects and more will be discussed as the summit hosts a wide ecosystem of official and partner-led side events. 

IDRC and its research partners will be involved in more than 30 sessions. Below are some of the highlights:

Links

Artificial Intelligence for Development 

India AI Impact Summit 2026 

David was known for his intellectual curiosity and generosity of spirit. He engaged staff in thoughtful dialogue, encouraged bold ideas and valued collaboration across teams and regions. His ability to connect global policy debates with practical action strengthened IDRC’s reputation, both in Canada and globally, as a trusted partner. 

David brought to IDRC a wealth of experience as a diplomat, scholar and advocate for international cooperation. This included positions as Canada’s high commissioner to India and non-resident ambassador to Bhutan and Nepal (2006-08), assistant deputy minister for global issues at Canada’s then-Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (2004-06) and president of the International Peace Academy (now the International Peace Institute) (1998-2004). From 1990-94, David represented Canada at the United Nations in New York, serving as Canada’s representative to the UN Economic and Social Council and later as ambassador and deputy permanent representative.  

David’s experience and foresight resonate with today’s landscape. He shepherded IDRC through a period of fiscal constraint, encouraged IDRC to diversify funding sources and recognized the need and opportunity to actively assert IDRC’s value to Canadians. He encouraged IDRC to go beyond its core role as a research funder to also distill, analyze and share its knowledge and expertise. This reflected his own track record of continuing to publish work alongside his leadership roles. 

“IDRC has always been for me the model of an ambitious and innovative organization that has increased steadily in stature and accomplishment as it matured,” he said alongside the announcement of his appointment as IDRC president in 2008.  

His enthusiasm was equally evident as he concluded his term as president: “I’m very excited about IDRC,” he told an interviewer in 2013. “I’ve loved every minute of being here.” 

Following his time at IDRC, David became rector of the United Nations University and under-secretary general of the United Nations, a post he held until February 2023. 

David’s legacy lives on through his advocacy for the value of science and innovation to drive shared prosperity, promote global stability and strengthen Canada’s ties with low- and middle-income countries. David channeled a characterization of IDRC that emerged in the 1990s when he wrote in his first message as president in IDRC’s 2008-09 annual report that “IDRC is an expression of Canada on the world stage.”  

IDRC extends condolences to David’s family and friends, including the many current and past IDRC employees who worked alongside him.