France and 19 Organizations Endorse UN’s Open Source Principles to Foster Global Collaboration

The United Nations Open Source United community has announced a significant development in the global support for open-source technologies. The Government of the French Republic has become the first national government to officially endorse the UN Open Source Principles. This move marks a significant commitment to transparency, collaboration, and digital innovation within the public sector. Alongside France, 19 diverse organizations, including Creative Commons, the WordPress Foundation, and Mercedes-Benz AG, also pledged their support, bringing the total number of endorsers to 36.

The UN Open Source Principles were developed by the Digital Technology Network (DTN) under the UN Chief Executive Board. These eight principles advocate for practices such as defaulting to open-source solutions, contributing back to the community, designing with security in mind, promoting inclusivity, and ensuring solutions are scalable and reusable. The initiative aims to promote a more inclusive and cooperative digital ecosystem across UN agencies and globally.

Open Source United, the practice community behind this initiative, encourages organizations to embrace these principles to deliver efficient and sustainable digital solutions. By endorsing these principles, France and the 19 organizations are setting a precedent for governments and institutions worldwide to adopt and support open, transparent technological frameworks.