2025-03-10 –, Auditorium
Through the establishment of Open Source Programme Offices (OSPOs) and other collaboration mechanisms around the world, new opportunities abound for the UN to support the open source community in supercharging innovations and enabling governments to achieve the 2030 agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Open source is increasingly being viewed as a tool to accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But it is an opportunity that has yet to be fully realized. Through the establishment of Open Source Programme Offices (OSPOs) and other collaboration mechanisms around the world, new opportunities abound for open source to supercharge innovations and support governments in achieving the 2030 agenda.
This panel discussion will reflect on how the UN is working with the global open source community to enable collaborative innovation. The panel will bring together government officials, policymakers, researchers, and open source leaders to reflect on this opportunity and offer a vision for how open source can help chart a sustainable future for the world. It will offer a vision wherein the Open Source Programme Office (OSPO) serves as a vital center of competency, as well as identify ways for organizations and citizens to join in that mission.
In doing so, the discussion will showcase examples of how the UN and its agencies have supported open source adoption, contribution, and reuse, as well as spotlight the UN's vision for channeling the collective action of the open source community towards the achievement of the SDGs. In particular, it will share some of the outcomes and opportunities originating from the OSPOs for Good Symposium held at the UN in July 2024 by presenting the findings of the UN’s new conference report, as well as preview the upcoming new version of the conference and overview the other collaborative open source efforts the UN is leading.
Dr. Wolfgang Gehring is an Ambassador for Open and Inner Source and has been working on enabling and spreading the idea within Mercedes-Benz. A software engineer by trade, Wolfgang’s goal is to help enable Mercedes-Benz to fully embrace FOSS and become a true Open Source company. He has a passion for communities, leads Mercedes-Benz Tech Innovation’s Open Source Program Office, is a member of the Mercedes-Benz FOSS Center of Competence, and a Director of the Eclipse Foundation.
In his free time, Wolfgang likes to engage in conversations about soccer and is an avid traveler and scuba diver. He calls Albert Einstein’s birth city of Ulm his home in Southern Germany.
Nicholas (Nick‘) Gates is a Policy Advisor at OpenForum Europe (OFE), where he leads OFE’s work on the NGI Commons initiative and supports its research, policy, and advocacy efforts. Nick has significant experience in digital government policy and research globally, particularly around open source, public goods, public financial management, and digital service delivery. He enjoys supporting development partners, governments, and international organisations to deliver on their research, advocacy and convening agendas by using applied research to support policy development around best practices in the use of technology for public good, particularly in the public sector. In his spare time, Nick is a film enthusiast, performs improv comedy, and enjoys travelling the world as much as possible.
Jutta Horstmann is an entrepreneur, visionary leader, and advocate for digital sovereignty, sustainability, and Open Source Software (FOSS). As the CEO of ZenDiS GmbH, Jutta leads efforts to empower public institutions in Germany to achieve digital independence through innovative open-source solutions. With over 25 years of experience in the IT sector, she has successfully scaled organizations and driven transformative change, most notably during her tenure as COO and CTO at eyeo GmbH, where she oversaw the company's growth and technological innovation.
Jutta is a frequent speaker at international conferences, sharing insights on leadership, digital transformation, and the future of Open Source technologies.
Omar Mohsine is a member of the United Nations Office of Digital and Emerging Technologies . He additionally leads the open source team within the UN Office of Information and Communication Technologies and serves as the co-chair of the UN Open Source Community of Practice.
With over 15 years of experience working in various capacities across different continents, Omar has spearheaded numerous projects for the UN, focusing on public-private partnerships and innovation management. He has also designed UN open source competitions aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Omar is deeply committed to building new partnerships with technology stakeholders to support the United Nations’ mandate.
