AI regulation in Belize (2026)

Act No. 45 of 2021 establishes data subject rights including protection from decisions made solely by automated processing, requiring human oversight; a Data Protection Commissioner and Tribunal enforce compliance. This is the closest instrument to AI-specific governance currently in force.

Issued by the Belize Senior Courts, effective 12 August 2025, this binding practice direction regulates the ethical use of generative AI in court proceedings: mandatory disclosure when AI tools are used in submissions, prohibitions on AI-generated evidence without human verification, and an explicit emphasis on judicial oversight. Belize was among the first Commonwealth Caribbean jurisdictions to issue such a direction.

The government's overarching strategy for digital transformation identifies AI as a driver of economic diversification; focuses on digital infrastructure, public sector digitisation, and enabling a high-value 'Orange Economy' (creative/tech industries). It does not establish AI-specific regulatory obligations.

Launched by the Office of the Prime Minister and funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, this 2025 policy explicitly leverages AI to move Belize's BPO sector toward data analytics and AI-driven services. It is an economic investment framework, not an AI governance instrument.

As of May 2026, no standalone AI regulation bill has been tabled in the National Assembly of Belize. The National Assembly's published draft bills for 2025 include no AI-specific legislation; discussion of AI harms (e.g., child digital protection) is ongoing but has not produced enacted law.

Belize participates in the Caribbean Telecommunications Union AI Task Force (launched July 2025) and the UNESCO-backed CARICOM AI Policy Roadmap, both calling for a harmonised, rights-based regional AI framework. These are non-binding regional initiatives; no CARICOM AI treaty has been adopted.