UN Common Policy Framework on Open Source: A Leap Toward Sustainable Digital Transformation

The framework is a transformative blueprint for digital collaboration across UN organisations and members. Comprising 19 policy statements under five pillars and 35 guidelines, the framework promotes principles such as ‘Open by Default’, ‘Secure by Design’, and ‘Inclusive Participation’. Its four-stage engagement model is designed to foster scalable, sustainable, and inclusive development through open-source technologies.   

This initiative unifies diverse UN bodies under shared principles for open-source adoption, ensuring better alignment and efficiency in deploying digital public goods. The framework’s innovative focus on the RISE principles—Recognise, Incentivise, Support, Empower—sets the stage for sustained community-driven contributions and impact.   

Digital for Planet’s Role in Advancing Open-Source Sustainability Goals 

This framework resonates deeply with Digital for Planet’s mission to harness digital solutions for sustainability. Open-source technologies can be pivotal for such our focus areas, projects, and research as environmental data-sharing platforms, climate modelling tools, sustainable digital infrastructures, as well as enhanced community-driven contributions and impact. By embedding principles of reusability and inclusivity, Digital for Planet can align its efforts with the framework to amplify its impact globally.   

Our engaged work on such projects as 6G-NTN, 6G4Society, and ENFORCE further showcases the potential of open-source ecosystems to address environmental, socio-economic and, indeed, planetary challenges. As Digital for Planet advances its agenda, leveraging these synergies helps scale sustainable digital innovations and contribute to a greener, more inclusive, trusted, and secure digital future.   

This policy marks a historic stride in global digital governance, reinforcing open-source as a linchpin for collective progress toward sustainable development goals.