OSPOs for Good
In his Policy Brief “A Global Digital Compact — an Open, Free and Secure Digital Future for All,” and his “Roadmap for Digital Cooperation,” the UN Secretary-General recognizes the key role of Open Source solutions for the SDGs. Owing to its ability to overcome collective action related frictions and serving as a platform for governments, the United Nations is uniquely positioned to foster the better use of Open Source through governments.
The term Open Source applies beyond software and includes openly licensed content, data, standards and AI models that allow access for anyone to view, use and adapt them. These open solutions reinforce one another, creating increasingly open and accessible systems that have enormous capacity to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and ensure the benefits of increased internet connectivity can be fully and equitably realised.
To facilitate the global adoption of Open Source solutions, the Office of the UN Secretarty-General's Envoy on Technology co-organizes the conference Open Source Programme Offices (OSPOs) for Good in 2023. The conference will return in July 2024.
OSPOs for Good 2024
The second edition of the OSPOs for Good action symposium is set to be a multi-day event held on 9th and 10th July 2024, with a richer global presence of diverse open source thinkers, with bigger ambitions and strides for championing OSPOs as a global network for Good.
OSPOs for Good 2023: Building & Designing Cooperative Digital Infrastructure
The first edition of the OSPOs for Good action symposium was held on 21 June 2023 at the United Nations Headquarters, New York and featured over 70 global open source stakeholders from non-profit organizations, academia, private sector and many other key actors to address the issue of siloed OSPOs with the goal of interconnecting them to uncover the significant untapped potential that cross-border collaboration can bring.
Conference highlights: OSPOs for Good Building & Designing Cooperative Digital Infrastructure
A whitepaper detailing the key points, challenges, outcomes and future directions of OSPOs is to be released on 21 November 2023 at OSOR Turns 15, Brussels
Organizers
