GSLDC Convenes Global Leaders at United Nations Headquarters to Advance Open Source, AI, and Human-Centered Data for Digitally Friendly Cities

New York, NY — June 23, 2026

The Global SDGs and Leadership Development Center (GSLDC) hosted a high-level side event at the 2026 UN Open Source Week, titled “Building Digitally Friendly Cities: Open Source, AI and Human-Centered Data,” at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The session was co-organized with the Global Digital Economy City Alliance (DEC40), with supporting partnership from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The event brought together senior UN officials, leadership from major international technical organizations, global technology leaders, and young innovators to explore how open source technologies and artificial intelligence can empower inclusive urban development — placing people at the center of digital transformation.

Program Highlights

The session opened with introductory remarks from Eng Han Tan, Co-Director of GSLDC, followed by opening remarks from Grace Gao Ling, Executive Director of GSLDC, on how knowledge partners can contribute to the development of the global digital city.

Keynote addresses were delivered by:

• Riefqah Jappie, Senior Liaison Officer, ITU — “Open Source, AI and Sustainable Cities: A UN Perspective”
• Professor Jack Dongarra, 2021 ACM Turing Award Laureate — “High-Performance Computing and Open Source: Building the Digital Backbone of AI-Ready Cities” (video remarks)

A central panel discussion, “Open Source AI & Human-Centered Data — From Global Collaboration to Local Impact,” was moderated by Serge Stinckwich, Senior Research Fellow at UNU Paris, and featured:

• Lishuai Li, Associate Vice-President, City University of Hong Kong
• Joseph Andersen, Head of Global Technology Policy, Alibaba
• Yonghua Lin, Vice President and Chief Engineer, Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence
• Riefqah Jappie, Senior Liaison Officer, ITU

The panel examined digital resilience, AI risk management, and emerging governance challenges, with particular attention to how open source can underpin transparent, interoperable, and locally owned digital infrastructure — and how youth-led innovation ecosystems can be empowered in this process.

The event closed with remarks from Mehdi Snene, Senior Advisor to the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Technology and Senior Advisor on AI and Digital Transformation at UN-ODET, on implementing the Global Digital Compact through open source, AI, and the future of urban governance.

Call for Partners

Alongside the session, GSLDC issued a call for partners around two city-to-city digital cooperation initiatives:

• The Global Digital Economy Lighthouse Program, presented in collaboration with ITU, ITC, DEC40, and GSLDC, inviting nominations of outstanding digital innovation cases from UN agencies, city governments, ministries, city networks, NGOs, and development institutions.
• The Global Digital City Partnership Program, launched at MWC Shanghai 2026 in collaboration with GSLDC, GSMA, and the World Internet Conference, building leadership capacity for AI, connectivity, smart cities, and digital transformation.

About GSLDC

The Global SDGs and Leadership Development Center (GSLDC) partners with UN agencies including ITU, ITC, UNIDO, UNDRR, and UNITAR to advance leadership development and digital transformation aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

Media Contact: info@ungyldc.org