More Countries Join New Delhi Declaration On AI Impact

The AI Impact Summit 2026, held in New Delhi on 18–19 February, concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact and marked a significant milestone in international cooperation on artificial intelligence. The declaration sets out a framework for assessing and addressing the social and economic effects of advanced AI systems and aims to foster collective approaches to mitigation and capacity building. The summit brought together a wide range of countries and international organisations to discuss impact assessment, governance and shared responsibilities.

As on 21 February, 2026, 88 countries and international organisations had endorsed the declaration, and since that date three more countries, Bangladesh, Costa Rica and Guatemala, have joined, taking the total number of signatories to 91 countries and organisations. The addition of these three signatories was recorded in a supplementary notice issued after the summit. The expansion of the signatory list reflects growing interest in collaborative mechanisms to address cross-border implications of AI.

The Press Information Bureau updated the earlier press release dated 21 February, ID 2231208, to reflect the new endorsements and indicated that the declaration is guided by principles including respect for national sovereignty and promotion of responsible innovation. Government officials involved in organising the summit described the outcome as a step towards harmonised approaches to impact evaluation and policy coordination. The New Delhi Declaration is intended to provide an operational reference for countries seeking to balance technological benefits with societal protections.

Observers noted that wider endorsement may strengthen multilateral dialogue and support technical cooperation, capacity building and information sharing among signatory states. The ministry responsible for electronics and information technology said follow-up work will focus on implementation measures and engagement with international partners to translate the declaration into practical steps. The updated release and the list of signatories are expected to inform ongoing discussions on global AI governance.

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