The Open Data Institute (ODI) has joined the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA) as its latest member.
The DPGA is a United Nations-endorsed multi-stakeholder initiative that promotes the discovery, development and use of digital public goods, such as open software, open data, open AI models, open standards and open content, to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The alliance includes governments, multilaterals and international non-profit and for-profit organisations, working together to improve the wellbeing of people and the planet.
The ODI was co-founded in 2012 by the inventor of the Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee and artificial intelligence expert Sir Nigel Shadbolt to show the value of data and to advocate for its innovative use to affect positive change across the globe. The ODI is committed to building an open, trustworthy data ecosystem that can help tackle society’s biggest challenges, and digital public goods embody this principle on a global scale, giving people and communities access to the same high-quality digital foundations, regardless of their resources. As a new member of the DPGA, the ODI will:
- Review its portfolio of tools, frameworks, and standards - including the Open Data Maturity Model, Framework for AI-ready Data, and Data Ethics Canvas - to identify candidates for nomination to the Digital Public Goods (DPG) Registry.
- As co-steward of the DPG4AI collection, we will help develop criteria for identifying digital public goods for responsible AI development, and develop an accompanying AI Readiness Toolkit to help governments, international organisations, and civil society assess their preparedness for responsible AI.
- Engage DPG organisations to explore where Solid - an open standard stewarded by the ODI giving individuals greater control over their data - could strengthen interoperability, data portability, privacy, and user agency across existing DPGs.
The ODI joining the Digital Public Goods Alliance is a natural step toward a future built on open, trustworthy foundations that empower everyone, not the few. That is the web I envisaged.
Co-founder of the ODI and inventor of the World Wide Web
Open data is essential to advancing digital public goods, especially at a moment when public interest AI development depends on access to open, trustworthy, and interoperable data. The Open Data Institute brings longstanding expertise in open standards, data governance, and responsible AI, making them a valuable addition to the Digital Public Goods Alliance. Their membership comes at a critical moment, as the DPG ecosystem works to ensure that the data foundations shaping AI are aligned with the public interest.
CEO of the DPGA Secretariat
Joining the Digital Public Goods Alliance marks an exciting step for the ODI and for our mission to make data work for everyone. The DPGA brings together a diverse coalition of organisations committed to using digital tools and open standards to tackle the world's most pressing challenges, and we're proud to be part of it. We work globally with governments, businesses and civil society and know firsthand how critical open, trustworthy data infrastructure is to driving sustainable development. Through this membership, we'll bring more than a decade’s worth of expertise in data governance, open standards, and responsible AI, helping to build an ecosystem that truly serves the people who need it most.
CEO of the ODI
In joining the DPGA, the ODI will sit alongside organisations such as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), GitHub and the Inter-American Development Bank, as well as government agencies from Brazil, France and Nigeria, to name just a few.
For more information about the DPGA, visit www.digitalpublicgoods.net
