Latin America and the Caribbean Set New AI Ethics Roadmap at Santo Domingo Summit

Delegations from more than 20 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on June 25 and 26, 2026, for the Third Ministerial and High-Level Summit on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence — the region's central forum for shaping how AI is governed and used responsibly.

A Continuation of Regional Dialogue

The summit was jointly organized by UNESCO, the Dominican Republic's Government Office of Information and Communication Technologies (OGTIC), and CAF — the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. It drew ministers, senior government officials, representatives from multilateral organizations, academics, private-sector leaders, and civil society groups, all working toward a shared goal: strengthening regional cooperation and accelerating the rollout of public policies aligned with UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.

This year's gathering builds directly on two earlier milestones. The first summit, held in Santiago, Chile, in 2023, produced the Santiago Declaration and was signed by roughly 20 nations across the region. The second, held in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 2024, resulted in the Montevideo Declaration and a five-priority regional roadmap covering governance and regulation, talent development, protection of vulnerable groups, and environmental sustainability. Anne Lemaistre, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Havana, noted that this meeting builds on the summits held in Santiago and Montevideo, as well as on the work of the regional group and the development of a shared roadmap.

Calls for a Human-Centered Approach

Opening the summit, Dominican Republic Vice President Raquel Peña told delegates that their presence in Santo Domingo confirmed the region had chosen to come together to tackle one of the era's biggest challenges: capturing AI's potential while holding firm to the principles that should guide its development. She went on to stress that artificial intelligence must be built and governed with ethics, responsibility, and a deeply human-centered outlook.

Representatives from CAF echoed that framing in starker terms. Christian Asinelli, the bank's Corporate Vice President of Strategic Programming, argued that AI has become a new kind of social issue — not simply because it reshapes productivity, but because it shapes access to opportunity, work, freedom, democracy, peace, and the common good. He added that it is up to the region to ensure Latin America and the Caribbean has a strong voice in global AI discussions and becomes a genuine actor in shaping regional AI governance, rather than a bystander to decisions made elsewhere.

The European Union also weighed in through its ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Raúl Fuentes, who said the EU wants to collaborate with the region on practical solutions, not just shared principles. He pointed to the EU–Latin America and the Caribbean Digital Alliance's AI component as a vehicle for exchanging knowledge, opening space for innovation, and strengthening a genuinely human-centered approach to the technology.

A New Code of Ethics and a Regional Handover

One of the summit's most concrete outcomes came from the host country itself. Dominican authorities used the gathering to announce the upcoming approval of an Artificial Intelligence Code of Ethics, developed with input from civil society, the public and private sectors, and academia, and grounded in UNESCO's Recommendation on AI Ethics. Edgar Batista, OGTIC's Director General, framed the initiative as reinforcing the country's commitment to digital transformation centered on public value, saying the Dominican Republic intends to keep contributing actively to regional standards for digital governance.

Over the two days, delegations worked through core themes including AI governance, building institutional capacity, fostering responsible innovation, and deepening regional cooperation — all aimed at advancing regulatory frameworks that support safe, inclusive, and trustworthy technology development.

In a symbolic and practical handover, the Dominican Republic assumed the Pro Tempore Presidency of the regional AI mechanism, cementing its position as a leader in pushing forward public policy on ethical, inclusive artificial intelligence aligned with sustainable development goals.

Why the Summit Matters

The Santo Domingo gathering reflects a broader pattern: rather than treating AI ethics as a one-off declaration, Latin America and the Caribbean have institutionalized an annual cycle of summits that builds cumulative commitments — from Santiago's founding declaration, to Montevideo's roadmap, to Santo Domingo's code of ethics and rotating regional presidency. With AI's economic and social influence accelerating worldwide, the region is positioning these summits as proof that a coordinated, rights-based, multistakeholder approach to AI governance can be sustained over time rather than emerging only in response to crises.