United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies

Acronym: ODET

Established: 2022

Address: Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Stakeholder group: International and regional organisation

On 1 January 2025, the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology transitioned to a new UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET). This historic development flows from a decision by the UNGA on 24 December 2024, following the adoption of the GDC at the Summit of the Future in September 2024.

The establishment of ODET reflects the growing importance of a coordinated, inclusive and multistakeholder approach to the governance of technologies anchored in the UN Charter, human rights, and the sustainable development agenda. With a strengthened mandate, ODET helps the UN address more effectively the opportunities and challenges posed by today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape. A key focus for the office is supporting the follow-up and implementation of the GDC, including its decisions on the governance of AI.

Digital activities

iOn 1 January 2025, the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology transitioned to a new UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET). This historic development flows from a decision by the UNGA on 24 December 2024, following the adoption of the GDC at the Summit of the Future in September 2024.

Digital policy issues

Global Digital Compact

Adopted by world leaders in September 2024 at the Summit of the Future in New York, the GDC is a comprehensive framework for global governance of digital technology and AI. Twenty years after the WSIS, it charts a roadmap for global digital cooperation to harness the immense potential of digital technology and close digital divides.

Negotiated by 193 member states and informed by global consultations, the GDC commits governments to upholding international law and human rights online and to taking concrete steps to make the digital space safe and secure.

The GDC recognises the critical contributions of the private sector, technical communities, researchers, and civil society to digital cooperation. It calls on all stakeholders to engage in realising an open, safe, and secure digital future for all.

The GDC pledges a range of ambitious actions. To close all digital divides and deliver an inclusive digital economy, it calls for connecting all people, schools, and hospitals to the internet; making digital technologies more accessible and affordable to everyone, including in diverse languages and formats; increasing investment in digital public goods and digital public infrastructure; and supporting women, youth innovators, and SMEs.

To build an inclusive, open, safe, and secure digital space, the GDC calls for strengthening legal and policy frameworks to protect children online; ensuring that the internet remains open, global, stable, and secure; and promoting access to independent, fact-based, and timely information to counter mis- and disinformation.

To strengthen international data governance and govern AI for humanity, it supports the development of interoperable national data governance frameworks; the establishment of an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and a Global Dialogue on AI Governance; and the development of AI capacity-building partnerships, including consideration of a Global Fund on AI.

ODET is facilitating the GDC’s endorsement process and supporting the integration of its commitments into the updated WSIS framework. This approach aims to strengthen existing structures while avoiding duplication, with both processes aligned in their vision of an inclusive, safe, secure, and human-centred digital society. Implementation and the WSIS+20 review will continue through 2025, culminating in a high-level review in 2027.

Turning the GDC into action requires collective effort. Thousands of people and organisations contributed to its development, and all stakeholders are encouraged to engage in shaping a digital future for all.

AI governance

To foster a globally inclusive approach to the governance of AI, the UN Secretary-General convened a multistakeholder High-level Advisory Body on AI for 12 months starting in October 2023. The 39 members, selected from over 2,000 nominations, and serving in their personal capacity, brought diverse expertise across public policy, science, technology, human rights, and more.

The Body engaged and consulted widely with existing and emerging initiatives and international organisations to bridge perspectives across stakeholder groups and networks. Working at speed, it delivered an interim report in two months, consulted over 2,000 stakeholders in five months, and released its final report, Governing AI for Humanity, in September 2024.

The report outlines a blueprint for addressing AI-related risks and sharing its benefits globally. It urges the UN to lay the foundations of the first globally inclusive and distributed AI governance architecture; proposes seven recommendations to address existing governance gaps; and calls on all governments and stakeholders to work together to foster development and protect human rights. It also proposes light institutional mechanisms to complement existing efforts and enable global cooperation on AI governance that is agile, adaptive, and effective in keeping pace with the technology’s rapid evolution.

An Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and a Global Dialogue on AI Governance, outcomes of the GDC

Following the adoption of the GDC, member states agreed to continue collaborating on the development of new mechanisms to support the governance of AI. Two key proposals included in the GDC are the establishment of an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence and the launch of a Global Dialogue on AI Governance.

These mechanisms aim to address the critical gaps identified by the Secretary-General’s High-level Advisory Body on AI. At present, there is no single, impartial source of authoritative scientific knowledge on AI. As a result, policymakers face significant information asymmetries– both among themselves and in relation to leading AI developers. At the same time, international AI governance remains fragmented. Of the 193 UN member states, only seven currently participate in the seven most prominent global AI initiatives, leaving 118 countries, primarily in the Global South, without a voice in shaping global AI norms.

The Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance represent an important step toward building a more inclusive and coherent global governance architecture for AI, one grounded in international law and human rights. ODET is engaged in supporting the intergovernmental process co-facilitated by Costa Rica and Spain, appointed by the President of the General Assembly. An elements paper and zero draft were released in April 2025, reflecting inputs from consultations with member states and stakeholders.

ODET is also preparing a report on Innovative Voluntary Financing Options for AI capacity building, drawing on recommendations from the High-level Advisory Body on AI on a global fund to complement existing UN mechanisms. The report will be submitted to the General Assembly at its 80th session.

Understanding the implications of AI

In June 2024, a special report was developed in partnership with the ILO on the topic of AI and the world of work. The publication, Mind the Divide: Shaping a Global Perspective on the Future of Work, offers recommendations for harnessing the potential of AI while mitigating its impacts on employment. It emphasises the importance of workforce empowerment, AI capacity building, and sustained social dialogue.

Digital Public Infrastructure

In his policy brief on A Global Digital Compact – an Open, Free and Secure Digital Future for All, the UN Secretary-General called for the development of common frameworks and standards for DPI. Like roads and bridges, DPI comprises digital building blocks that enable governments to deliver inclusive and secure services at scale. While some countries are deploying DPI rapidly, others are in the early stages of their digital transformation. Regardless of the stage, robust safeguards are essential to ensure DPI is safe, trusted, and inclusive for all.

To advance this agenda, ODET – together with the Government of Egypt, UNDP, ITU, the World Bank, and Co-Develop – hosted the inaugural Global DPI Summit in October 2024, convening participants from over 100 countries to explore the future of digital public infrastructure and exchange knowledge, practices, and experiences across regions.

In parallel, ODET and UNDP jointly stewarded the development of the Universal DPI Safeguards Framework to help unlock the full potential of DPI while mitigating its risks. The framework was shaped through collaborative, multistakeholder working groups with diverse experts from government, civil society, academia, donor institutions, and the private sector. It was informed by consultations with 12 international organisations and countries, and drew additional input from 13 public consultations and over 100 public contributions.

The resulting Universal Safeguards Framework includes more than 250 recommendations addressing both process and practice. It provides practical guidance to help stakeholders ensure that DPI implementation is inclusive, rights-based, and aligned with the SDGs. In 2025, a second cohort of working group members, along with an advisory body, is refining and advancing the framework toward implementation.

Open source

In his Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, the UN Secretary-General recognised the critical role of open source solutions in advancing the SDGs. Open source acts as a powerful equaliser in the global digital landscape, promoting equitable access to innovation regardless of economic status. By reducing costs and fostering local innovation and skill development, open source technologies enable countries at all levels of development to build tailored, context-specific solutions. Given its convening power and its role as a platform for governments, the UN is uniquely positioned to promote the effective use of open source across the public sector.

To support this effort, ODET has collaborated with OICT to host the OSPOs for Good Symposium—a global convening that brought together stakeholders from governments, civil society, and the open source community. With over 500 participants in 2024, the conference facilitated discussions on the governance, sustainability, and funding of open source technologies, responding to the growing urgency to accelerate digital cooperation in support of the SDGs. The 2024 edition also expanded its focus to explore how open source networks can foster international collaboration around digital public goods and digital public infrastructure, both within and across countries. The 2025 edition, revamped as UN Open Source Week, will take place from 16–20 June and feature a broader range of programming, including the UN Tech Over Hackathon, OSPOs for Good, a dedicated Digital Public Infrastructure Day, and a series of partner-organised side events.