DCO Concludes UNGA81 Participation Advancing Digital Resilience and International Cooperation

New York, United States, 29 September 2026 — The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) concluded its participation in the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) through dialogues, partnerships and meetings, reinforcing its role as a multilateral platform for an inclusive and resilient digital economy.

A central element was the roundtable “Critical Civilian Digital Infrastructure: Safeguarding Agency, Resilience, and the Public Interest,” convened by the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies during the second UN Digital Cooperation Day. The discussion brought together governments, international organizations, private-sector and development leaders to advance the resilience, continuity and trustworthiness of digital infrastructure and services on which economies and societies depend.

DCO also co-hosted a roundtable with Oracle on preparedness and digital resilience, emphasizing redundancy, trusted cooperation and partnerships supporting service continuity during disruption.

On the sidelines of UNGA81, the Republic of Kenya signed the DCO Charter and handed it over to Ms. Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of DCO, becoming a Signatory Member and advancing accession. The signing strengthened cooperation across digital transformation, artificial intelligence, digital skills, entrepreneurship and innovation.

DCO and ESCWA signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation on digital economy development, responsible and inclusive AI, capacity building, policy

The Secretary-General participated in the AI Middle Powers Roundtable convened by the Presidents of Kenya and Finland, emphasizing participation in AI governance. She also joined a fireside chat at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy with Professor Yannis Yortsos, highlighting tech diplomacy’s role in turning technological progress into shared human progress through multilateral cooperation.

She met H.E. Dr. Khalilur Rahman, President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, exchanging views on AI governance, regulatory frameworks, digital resilience, critical digital infrastructure and incident-response capabilities. Her engagements included the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, International Chamber of Commerce, GSMA and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, alongside bilateral meetings with Member States and partners.

Ms. Deemah AlYahya also addressed the “United for Water” event, hosted by Senegal and the Global Water Organization, where she highlighted the growing connection between water security and digital resilience. She emphasized that as water systems become increasingly dependent on digital technologies, protecting the digital infrastructure that enables their operation is essential to maintaining services for communities, hospitals, schools, farms and businesses.

During UNGA81, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Ms. Deemah AlYahya to the UN High-Level Panel on Freedom of Transit for Landlocked Developing Countries (HLP-FoT). Representing the Arab region on the Panel, Ms. AlYahya joins senior representatives and experts from governments, international organizations, the private sector and academia. The appointment recognizes her experience across the digital economy, innovation, international cooperation and multilateral diplomacy, and provides an additional platform to contribute to international dialogue on cross-border cooperation, investment and sustainable development.

DCO’s delegation contributed to side events on AI readiness among youth across Africa, the Middle East and Turkey, Bahrain’s digital transformation journey, GCC–Africa relations, and diplomatic responses to AI-enabled regional challenges.

DCO’s participation at UNGA81 reflected its commitment to strengthening Member States’ voices in global digital discussions and translating shared priorities into practical cooperation and digital prosperity for all.

For media enquiries, please contact media@DCO.org