AI regulation in Vanuatu (2026)

Vanuatu has not enacted any standalone artificial-intelligence statute. AI governance exists only as principles within wider ICT and digital-economy policy, not as binding AI-specific regulation.

Vanuatu's National ICT Policy frames the government's approach to ICT including AI and machine learning, emphasizing the need for ethical guidelines in the development and deployment of AI technologies, under the national vision of 'A Just, Educated, Healthy and Wealthy Vanuatu.'

Parliament passed the Digital Transformation Act in 2025 to modernize public service delivery, ICT governance, cybersecurity, digital public infrastructure and the digital economy, and to empower the Department of Communications and Digital Transformation. It is a broad digital-governance instrument rather than an AI-specific regulatory regime.

Vanuatu's digital legal framework, including AI-relevant provisions and a planned data-protection regime, is being developed through draft documents open to public/stakeholder consultation rather than finalized binding rules.

At the 80th UNGA First Committee (October 2025) Vanuatu stated that autonomous weapons systems, AI and cyber capabilities raise serious ethical and humanitarian concerns and must be governed by international law and human oversight; it co-sponsored and supported the UNGA resolution on lethal autonomous weapons systems.

Policy discussion references risk-based frameworks, transparency and accountability for AI, but these remain non-binding aspirational principles; there is no enforceable AI risk classification, AI authority, or prohibited-use list in force.