The Eight UN Open Source Principles
Adopted by the UN’s Digital and Technology Network in 2025, these eight commitments define what it means for an institution to take open source seriously — from how software gets built to how the people who build it are supported.
Primarily, this means that software built for the city ought to be:
Open by default
Making the use of open source software components to build city solutions the standard and default approach to creating software.
There are very few scenarios when open source isn’t appropriate, and vendors ought to justify why their solutions should be closed, not the other way around.
As leaders in the global open source movement, we are committed to the following:
Building Good Software that is…
- Secure by design. Making security a priority in all software projects.
- Designed for reusability. Designing projects to be interoperable across various platforms and ecosystems.
- Well documented. Providing thorough documentation for end-users, integrators and developers.
Cocreating our Solutions with our Users through…
- Fostering inclusive participation and community building. Enabling and facilitating diverse and inclusive contributions.
- RISE (recognize, incentivize, support and empower). Empowering individuals and communities to actively participate.
Collaborating Globally and Delivering Locally by…
- Contributing back. Encouraging active participation in the Open Source ecosystem.
- Sustaining and scaling. Supporting the development of solutions that meet the evolving needs of the UN system and beyond.