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On 16 December 2025, the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET), France, Estonia, and the Wikimedia Foundation hosted a a side event ‘Building the Commons: Creating and Maintaining Digital Public Goods‘ at WSIS+20 High Level Meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in NYC. Digital public goods, including open knowledge, open standards, open-source software, and digital infrastructure, are core components of resilient societies and inclusive digital transformation. Together, these resources constitute the digital commons, supporting equitable access to information, innovation, and participation in the digital economy. The session highlights practical examples of digital public goods, with a particular focus on those that are built and maintained through community-led models. It will explore how collaborative governance, shared stewardship, and multistakeholder participation contribute to public trust, transparency, sustainability, and the protection of human rights in the digital environment.
HOST
Filippo, ODET
INTRODUCTION
Armando Guio Española – Executive Director, Global Network of Internet & Society Centers (GNISC)
Nandini Chami – Deputy Director, IT for Change
Amandeep Singh Gill – Under-Secretary-General and UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, United Nations
PANEL
Priit Turk – Director General, Department for Cyber and Digital Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Philip Dego – Special Envoy on Technology, Government of Kenya
Jan Gerlach – Public Policy Director, Wikimedia Foundation
Lea Kaspar – Executive Director, Global Partners Digital
Moderator: Costanza Sciubba Caniglia – Anti-Disinformation Lead, Wikimedia Foundation
RESPONDENTS
Dr. Syed Muntasir Mamun – Chief Innovation Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh
Thibaut Kleiner – Director for Future Networks, European Commission (European Union)
Steven Webb – Director of Policy and Advocacy, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
CLOSING REMARKS
Clara Chappaz – Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies, Government of France
#WSIS20 #DigitalPublicGoods #DPGs #DigitalCommons #OpenSource #GDC @ODET_UN @Wikimedia @EstoniaUN @francediplo_EN @gioasempre @pthigo @GlobalPartnersD @leakaspar @Network_Centers @ITforChange @IFLA @ClaraChappaz @DigitalEU