UN Digital Cooperation Day 2026
Shaping A Global AI Future Through Science, Policy, and Capacity
Why Now?
Organized by the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET) during the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Digital Cooperation Day will bring together government representatives, private sector, civil society, academia, and industry leaders.
The event will showcase country-led deliverables, highlighting how digital cooperation is being translated into action on the ground. Centered on AI from the ground up, the event will explore the building blocks of national digital transformation. Discussions will focus on practical country experiences, lessons learned, and opportunities to accelerate impact through collaboration and partnership.
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09:00 – 09:45Digital Cooperation Day Opening Remarks
The day will open with a short interactive icebreaker, followed by special guest speakers introducing the three pillars of Digital Cooperation Day: Science, Policy, and Capacity. A special guest will then bring these perspectives together and set the stage for the day’s discussions.
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09:45 – 11:00Introducing the AI Strategy Blueprint: Turning National Ambition into Action
Artificial intelligence is spreading faster than any general-purpose technology in human history. Yet the countries with the most to gain are today the least prepared. The Blueprint for National AI Strategies, developed by the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies, exists to support reducing that gap. It is a guided, interactive platform and methodology that accompanies a government from mandate to an adopted, costed and achievable national AI strategy.
This session marks the launch of the Blueprint and its first country application, in Lesotho, where the entry question is access to compute and infrastructure under real energy and water constraints.
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11:30 – 12:30AI and the Future of Work: Skills, Education and Capacity Building for an Inclusive AI EconomyIn collaboration with the Slovak Republic and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The transition to an AI-enabled economy is reshaping labour markets faster than institutions can adapt. Without a deliberate skilling, reskilling, and educational agenda, the gains from AI risk concentrating among those already equipped to capture them, widening rather than closing existing divides.
This session positions human capital development, including skills development and workforce readiness, as central components of AI capacity building, recognising that countries' ability to harness the benefits of AI depends not only on technological adoption but also on the preparedness of their people, institutions, and workforce. It explores how sustained investments in human capital can translate high-level commitments on AI governance into practical, inclusive outcomes.
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13:30 – 14:30Blockchain and the Tokenized Future: Sovereign Choices and Safeguards for Next-Gen DPIHosted in Collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations and the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority
As tokenisation moves beyond digital currencies into assets such as land, securities and commodities, new questions are emerging around its potential role in public infrastructure and development. This session will explore real-world applications, country readiness and the safeguards needed to ensure tokenisation serves the public interest, while considering whether it could represent a next layer of digital public infrastructure.
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15:00 – 16:00Panel of Panels: Building a Global AI Evidence Base
This session brings together four international AI evidence-building initiatives to compare findings on AI opportunities, risks and impacts, identify gaps, and explore how scientific evidence can better inform AI governance. The discussion will also feature perspectives from the Global South Network for Trustworthy AI, bringing a wider range of regional experiences into the global AI evidence base.
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16:00 – 16:30Digital Cooperation Day Closing
The day will conclude with a special closing moment, bringing participants together to reflect on key themes from the day and look ahead to the future of digital cooperation through special guest speakers.
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08:00 – 09:00Countries in the Driver’s Seat: Delivering on the DPI Commitments
With the adoption of the Global Digital Compact, Member States committed to strengthening digital cooperation and advancing inclusive digital development. This breakfast discussion will explore how international cooperation on DPI can support the implementation and review of these commitments. We encourage you to arrive early, as seating is limited and cannot be guaranteed.
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11:00 – 12:00What is Open Source AI? Applications, Strategies and Global Cooperation
This session outlines why open source AI and open-weight models have become strategic issues for AI governance, digital sovereignty, competition, capacity-building and access.
Participants will discuss the distinction between open source AI, open-weight models, open licenses, open data, and open compute, specifying the significance of these distinctions for policy and public administration. Developers, infrastructure providers, and open source ecosystem leaders will share what open release enables, requires, and the required support to fill those gaps.
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13:00 – 14:00Technology at the Frontlines of Disaster ResilienceIn collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
Disasters are increasing in frequency, intensity and economic impact, driven by climate change, rapid urbanization and the growing interdependence of critical systems. As risks become more complex and interconnected, the international community faces an urgent need to strengthen its ability to anticipate, understand and reduce disaster risk. Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the landscape of disaster risk reduction, and unlocking this potential demands international cooperation, shared standards, capacity development, and practical mechanisms to ensure that trustworthy and effective solutions reach those who need them most.
The United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (UN-ODET) and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) are launching a strategic partnership to advance the responsible and inclusive application of artificial intelligence across the disaster risk reduction cycle. This session will serve as the public launch of this collaboration and provide an opportunity for Member States to help shape its future direction.
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14:30 – 15:00AI Everywhere: Scaling Impact Through AI DiffusionHosted in collaboration with the EkStep Foundation
AI capability is advancing rapidly, but institutional adoption is struggling to keep pace. This panel will explore AI diffusion: how practical deployment knowledge, capabilities and lessons can travel across countries, sectors and institutions, helping more communities translate AI advances into real-world impact. The discussion will also draw on perspectives from 100 Pathways, a global coalition focused on capturing and sharing lessons from AI deployment.
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15:00 – 16:00The Global Digital Compact in Practice -- Open MicStorytelling and Magazine launch
Two years after the adoption of the Global Digital Compact, this programme will launch The Global Digital Compact in Practice, a magazine featuring stories from the UN Digital Cooperation Portal of people and initiatives translating global commitments into action. Invited firestarters will share experiences from the ground across key areas of digital cooperation, before the floor opens for participants to share their own initiatives, lessons and ideas.
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08:00 – 09:00Critical Civilian Infrastructure: Safeguarding Agency, Resilience and the Public InterestHosted by the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO).
Invite Only
Closed-door, invite-only breakfast.
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10:30 – 11:30Start with the Data: Interoperable Foundations for Verifiable AI GovernanceIn collaboration with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Invite Only
As AI governance develops across jurisdictions, interoperability will be critical to ensuring different approaches can work together. This discussion will explore how data governance, technical standards and shared frameworks can strengthen AI governance interoperability, including how provenance, licensing and other conditions can remain transparent and verifiable as data and AI systems move across borders.
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11:30 – 12:30Delivering a Global Fund for AI Capacity Development
Invite Only
With over a trillion dollars of private investment flowing into AI infrastructure in 2026, widening AI capacity divides risk people in developing countries being increasingly left behind. Building on calls from Member States and stakeholders, the UN Secretary-General is submitting recommendations to the General Assembly to advance steps toward a Global Fund for AI Capacity Development, and regular reporting on the state of AI capacity across countries.
This closed-door, invite-only session consults participants on the updated financing landscape for AI capacity building, strategic positioning, governance, and sustainability of the proposed Global Fund for AI Capacity Development.
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12:30 – 13:30Des constats à l'action urgente pour une intelligence artificielle au service de la diversité linguistique et CulturelleHosted by the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF).
Invite Only
Closed-door, invitation-only lunch discussion, with proceedings in French.
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13:30 – 14:30Local Action for Digital InclusionIn collaboration with UN-Habitat.
Invite Only
Cities are on the front lines of turning global digital commitments into practical action. This roundtable will bring together mayors, local governments and partners to explore how the Mayors for Digital Cooperation and Cities Digital Inclusion Toolkit can help identify local digital divides, connect cities with expertise and financing, and advance inclusive digital transformation.
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15:00 – 16:30Co-Designing a Network of Interoperable Cross-Border AI Governance SandboxesIn collaboration with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
Invite Only
By bringing together companies, regulators, standards bodies, research organizations, civil society and international organizations, the session aims to advance shared protocols and co-design cross-border pilots, positioning interoperable AI governance sandboxes as a pathway for international experimentation, anticipatory governance and learning.
The discussion will identify the core building blocks for interoperability, including international standards, common vocabularies, semantic alignment and interoperable ontologies, and translate them into practical next steps for international coordination and experimentation.
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16:30 – 17:30Digital Cooperation Day Closing Reception
Reception.
Note: by attending Digital Cooperation Day, you consent to photography and video recording, which may be used for documentation and communication purposes.