The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation on digital economy development and responsible and inclusive artificial intelligence.
The agreement was signed by Rania Al-Mashat, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCWA, and Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the DCO. The signing follows a meeting between the two organisations’ principals on 23 June, moving their strategic discussions towards a formal framework for cooperation and implementation.
The partnership comes as countries across the Arab region accelerate digital transformation, invest in advanced technologies and develop the capabilities required to build competitive, inclusive and resilient digital economies. The two organisations aim to help countries scale successful initiatives, increase regional impact and strengthen the region’s contribution to global digital and AI discussions.
The collaboration combines ESCWA’s regional policy expertise, analytical capabilities, intergovernmental mechanisms and Arab Digital Agenda with the DCO’s digital economy mandate, policy intelligence, diagnostic tools, implementation platforms and network of public, private and financing partners.
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The cooperation will initially focus on two key areas. The first will support digital economy development, including policy implementation, institutional capacity-building and investment readiness. The second will address responsible and inclusive AI readiness through diagnostics, policy support, capacity-building and peer learning.
“A signature is a beginning, not an achievement. This memorandum does not stand alone. It comes with a joint action plan setting out where we will work together over the coming years, and our intention is to agree a concrete calendar of activities for 2027 before the end of this year. That is the test of whether a partnership is real: not what it declares, but what it schedules,” she added. “Work begins where our strengths genuinely meet.”
– Rania Al-Mashat, Under-Secretary-General, UN, Executive Secretary, ESCWA
The partnership is also intended to strengthen the region’s participation in international discussions on digital and AI governance by providing governments with greater access to evidence, policy support, capacity-building and practical experience.
“ESCWA’s member countries are building some of the most ambitious digital economies in the world, and their talent and innovation deserve a stronger voice in how the rules for data and AI are written. By pairing ESCWA’s regional depth with DCO’s tools for turning strategy into delivery, we will support governments in moving faster on investment, skills and responsible AI. As Lebanon, Palestine and Syria join the DCO, we will bring these countries’ perspectives to the Global Digital Compact review and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance with evidence, experience and results to share.”– Ms. Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General, DCO
The cooperation comes as global discussions around digital and AI governance continue to develop, including the high-level review of the Global Digital Compact during the 82nd session of the United Nations General Assembly and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance scheduled to take place in New York in May 2027.
The scope of the partnership is also expected to expand alongside DCO’s growing membership. The organisation’s expansion to include Lebanon, the State of Palestine and the Syrian Arab Republic, in addition to its eight existing Arab Member States, is creating further opportunities for regional cooperation and implementation.
Through the MoU, DCO and ESCWA will seek to connect regional digital strategies with practical country-level implementation, supporting governments in areas including digital investment, skills development, institutional capacity, responsible AI and technology policy.
