DCO launches Ethical AI guidebook to help governments build responsible AI policies

The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) has launched its Ethical AI Guidebook for Policymakers, a new

The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) has launched its Ethical AI Guidebook for Policymakers, a new resource designed to help governments develop responsible, trustworthy and inclusive artificial intelligence (AI) governance frameworks.

The guidebook was unveiled during a high-level session held in partnership with the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) and the International Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics (ICAIRE) on the sidelines of the first United Nations Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance in Geneva on 6–7 July.

The session, titled “Responsible, Trusted, and Safe AI for Prosperity: From Principles to Practice,” brought together policymakers, international organisations, technology leaders, academics, civil society representatives and members of the technical community to discuss practical approaches to AI governance and international cooperation.

The DCO, the world’s first standalone international organisation dedicated to advancing an inclusive and sustainable digital economy, said the guidebook aims to bridge the gap between broad ethical principles and practical implementation by providing governments with actionable tools for developing national AI strategies, legislation and governance frameworks.

Speaking at the launch, DCO Secretary-General Ms. Deemah AlYahya said the world was at a defining moment in shaping the future of artificial intelligence.

“The architecture of the AI age is being drawn right now, and more than half the world’s nations are not holding the pen,” she said.

She warned that the challenge facing many countries was not simply one of technology adoption but of ensuring equitable participation in setting the global rules governing artificial intelligence.

“The world does not lack principles; we agree AI must be responsible, trustworthy and inclusive. What the world lacks is the capacity to act on them,” AlYahya said, adding that the new guidebook was designed to equip governments with practical tools to ensure AI becomes a trusted driver of digital prosperity.

As part of the United Nations Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance, AlYahya also participated in a high-level panel discussion alongside leaders from the AI industry and civil society, highlighting the perspectives of what the DCO describes as the “World Digital Majority” in shaping inclusive global AI governance.

According to the organisation, the guidebook is intended for policymakers, regulators and national AI task forces, enabling them to translate ethical AI principles into effective public policy, regulatory frameworks and implementation strategies.

The publication is based on the DCO Principles for Ethical AI and the Riyadh AI Call to Action Declaration and forms part of the organisation’s broader AI governance ecosystem. This includes the DCO AI Ethics Evaluator, the AI-REAL Toolkit and Web Portal, and the Digital Economy Navigator (DEN), all of which are designed to strengthen national AI readiness, institutional capacity, public trust and evidence-based policymaking.

The launch comes as governments worldwide accelerate efforts to establish governance frameworks that balance innovation with safety, transparency and accountability amid the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence technologies.

The DCO said international collaboration and practical policymaking would be essential to ensuring that the benefits of AI are shared equitably and contribute to sustainable digital economic growth across both developed and developing nations.