UN Open Source Week 2025

UN Open Source Week 2025 returns to the UN Headquarters in New York from 16 to 20 June, bringing together a diverse global community to explore the transformative potential of open source in shaping inclusive and sustainable digital ecosystems. Organised by the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies and the Office of Information and Communications Technology, the event has grown into a key platform for advancing digital cooperation and innovation grounded in openness, collaboration, and public value.

This year’s theme—‘An Open Community for the Global Digital Compact‘—underscores the importance of shared digital infrastructure and inclusive governance in achieving the objectives of the Global Digital Compact (GDC). The programme blends technical insight with policy dialogue, highlighting practical open source solutions, digital public infrastructure, and multistakeholder collaboration.

16–17 June: UN Tech Over Hackathon
The week opens with the UN Tech Over Hackathon, a two-day collaborative sprint designed to harness collective intelligence and creativity to tackle pressing global challenges through open-source tools and practices. Several thematic tracks will run in parallel:

• Ahead of the Storm (16–17 June): his two-day hackathon brings together global technologists and climate advocates to develop open-source geospatial analytics tools for child-centric climate emergency response. Participants will work in teams to address high-impact challenges identified by UNICEF, aiming to deliver scalable, data-driven solutions aligned with the SDGs and the Global Digital Compact.
• Edit-A-Thon (16 June): The Edit-A-Thon invites participants to enhance Wikipedia entries related to UN history. Supported by mentors and experts, attendees will use their research and writing skills to improve public knowledge on the UN’s evolution. A Wikipedia account is required to participate.
• Maintain-A-Thon (16 June): Focusing on the often-overlooked work of sustaining open source infrastructure, the Maintain-A-Thon gathers global maintainers and contributors for a day of hands-on learning. Activities will include issue triage, documentation, and software upkeep, with mentorship from experienced maintainers. The event underscores the role of long-term stewardship in supporting digital systems that advance the UN’s SDGs.

18 June: OSPOs for Good
The second half of the week opens with a full-day conference on the growing role of Open Source Programme Offices (OSPOs). Titled OSPOs for Good, the event will explore how OSPOs are becoming essential vehicles for connecting open source ecosystems across governments, academia, and civil society. Discussions will focus on their impact on AI policy, digital governance, and innovation, highlighting real-world collaborations and the importance of institutional frameworks to sustain open source development at scale.

19 June: Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Day
On Thursday, DPI Day convenes UN agencies, member states, and partners to accelerate progress on DPI as a foundation for achieving the SDGs. Sessions will explore how open source tools, shared standards, and collaborative governance models can foster more inclusive, interoperable, and transparent digital systems. The day aims to align DPI efforts with the Global Digital Compact and encourage stronger cross-sector coordination and investment.

Community-led Side Events
In addition to the official programme, two off-site side events hosted by partners will create space for focused dialogue and community-led contributions:

• Tuesday, 17 June: AI and the Future of Work: The ICT Sector in Transition, hosted by the Observatory of Digital Economy and Technologies (ODET) and LinkedIn, will explore how AI is reshaping work and skills within the ICT sector.
• Friday, 20 June: Community-Driven Sessions on Open Source and Digital Collaboration, hosted by RISE and PwC, will highlight grassroots approaches to digital inclusion, open innovation, and sustainable tech ecosystems.