News Updates

The DTN Open Source Community of Practice Virtual Retreat (April 20–21), held virtually over two half days, brought together the community members to align on priorities, strengthen governance, and define the next phase of the initiative.

The retreat was designed as a working session focused on decision making, collaboration, and planning the next phase. Across both days, community members engaged in discussions, presentations, and interactive sessions aimed at advancing the Open Source United ecosystem.

Day 1 focused on showcasing progress and establishing a foundation for alignment. The session opened with welcome remarks and strategic framing, including opening remarks from Dejan Jakovljevic, Chief Information Officer and Director, Digital FAO and Agroinformatics, followed by a live demonstration of the Open Source United catalogue and platform.

A central component of the day was the introduction of the Project Review Group (PRG). Discussions addressed its mandate, governance structure, and selection criteria. Participants then collaborated to identify potential members and define additional roles and responsibilities.

The afternoon sessions focused on participants pitching new stream ideas such as Open Source Software Supply Chain and contributing to a growing pipeline of initiatives.

Day 2 opened with a recap of Day 1, reinforcing key decisions and outstanding items before moving into deeper discussions.

A dedicated session on Sovereign Agent Reference Architecture (OSARA) provided a deeper look at the architecture, with participants offering feedback and helping define its role within the broader Open Source United ecosystem.

Building on this, participants worked to finalize the strategic tracks, confirming priority areas, and refining their scope.

The session then transitioned into the final round of participant pitches. Contributors presented additional stream proposals and clarifications, leading into a structured voting process. Through this process, new streams were selected, and stream leads were identified, establishing clear ownership and accountability.

Following the selection, newly identified leads shared their initial commitments and outlined next steps, including coordination and key milestones ahead of the in-person DTN Open Source Community of Practice Retreat in Luxembourg.

The retreat concluded with alignment on a publication plan, including the announcement of PRG members and catalogue-related communications. Final discussions also confirmed key timelines and next milestones, ensuring continuity beyond the retreat.

More updates will be shared as implementation progresses.

The first edition of the UN Open Source Week Advisory Group was launched this past week, uniting key agencies and offices across the United Nations. UN Open Source Week 2026 will take place from 22 to 26 June 2026 at the United Nations Headquarters under the theme “Forging the Future of Digital Cooperation.”

The meeting brought together representatives from UN agencies, offices, and partner institutions to coordinate program contributions in direct support of the Global Digital Compact (GDC). Senior UN leadership highlighted the growing importance of open source technologies in building digital public infrastructure, supporting innovation, and advancing international cooperation on emerging technologies, including AI. Convened by the Office of Information and Communication Technology (OICT) and the Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET), UN Open Source Week is one of the leading global forums for global open source collaboration, providing a global platform for governments, UN agencies, private sector entities, open source communities, and civil society organizations to share knowledge, showcase successful use cases and solutions, generate new partnerships, and bridge digital divides.

Last year’s event drew over 1,000 participants from 75 countries, with 150+ speakers and 45 sessions, supported by more than 100 partners. The convening was co-hosted by several Member States, demonstrating growing global interest in open source collaboration. This year builds on this by scaling UN Member State ownership, expanding the scope to AI, and closely adhering to GDC implementation.

Representatives from UNDP, UNICEF, ITU, and UNU shared their experience hosting sessions in previous years, covering topics such as digital infrastructure safeguards, humanitarian applications of open source, and data protection. Advisory Group members were invited to propose session topics, nominate speakers, and suggest challenges and topics for the UN Tech Over Hackathon and Edit-A-Thon events. A follow-up meeting is planned for 28 May 2026 to finalize preparations.

UN Open Source Week continues to advance open collaboration and translate global digital commitments into practical action

Barcelona becomes the first city to endorse the UN Open Source Principles marking a key milestone for open digital collaboration across governments and public institutions.

Assistant-Secretary-General and Chief Information Technology Officer Bernardo Mariano Junior, together with the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology Amandeep Singh Gill, addressed the Deputy Mayor of Barcelona and congratulated the city for its leadership and commitment to openness, transparency and digital sovereignty.

With this endorsement, Barcelona joins a growing global movement of more than 150 organizations, including national governments such as the Government of France and leading open source foundations that have already endorsed the Principles.

This achievement is another strong example of inter-agency collaboration, driven by the Open Source Community of Practice, led by UNICC and United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology.

The German Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein has become the first regional government in the world to formally endorse the United Nations Open Source Principles, marking a major milestone for open digital governance at the regional level.

The endorsement was announced in Brussels on the margins of the EU Open Source Policy Summit by Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister and Head of the State Chancellery, Dirk Schrödter, together with Omar Mohsine and David Manset, Co-Chair and Vice-Chair of the UN Open Source United.

By endorsing the Principles, Schleswig-Holstein reaffirms its commitment to open, secure, and sustainable digital technologies that serve the public good, while strengthening transparency, digital sovereignty, and collaboration across the public sector.

This endorsement highlights Schleswig-Holstein’s long-standing leadership in open innovation and its role in advancing digital public goods, setting a strong example for regional governments worldwide. Read more

From May 14 to 16, 2024, the United Nations (UN) Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) Digital Transformation Network (DTN) Open Source Community of Practice (OSSCoP) convened a three day in person retreat at the UN Information and Communications Technology Facility (UNICTF) in Valencia.

The primary objective of this gathering was to foster collaboration and advance the development and implementation of open source initiatives across the UN system. The retreat brought together representatives from several organizations, including UNICC, World Bank, ITU, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNOICT, UNEP, UNDP, IAEA, UNU, and WHO. External speakers also participated and provided valuable insights and recommendations.

The discussions and outcomes of the retreat focused on five key areas: Common Policy Framework, Open Source License for UN, Software Catalogue, Capacity Building, and Code Hosting Platform.