Joomla was officially recognized as a digital public good, a distinction from Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA). This recognition ranks Joomla among international open source projects that prioritise openness, transparency, data protection and social impact. Importantly, recognition was given only to Joomla as a digital solution and not to Joomla.
DPGA, with the support of United Nations, maintains an international register of digital public goods and assesses initiatives against specific standards. Its aim is to promote high-quality open source projects that contribute to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the United Nations and meet urgent development needs worldwide.
For a project to be recognised as a digital public good, it must meet the Digital Public Goods Standard, including but not limited to:
-
Open licenses (e.g. recognized open source licenses)
-
Data protection and security
-
Compliance with legal and ethical standards
-
Contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
-
Transparent governance and long-term sustainability
This recognition did not come as a simple automatic process. Joomla went through a detailed application and evaluation process, with input from many community members. The result highlighted the flexibility and capabilities of the system.
Visibility, Quality and Social Impact
Recognition as a digital public good significantly enhances its visibility and acts as a ‘quality seal’, which inspires trust and reliability. For governments, organizations and companies worldwide, Joomla is now an open, reliable and future-proof solution.
Digital Sovereignty
Digital sovereignty means independence and responsible decision-making in the digital space. It does not mean that all technologies need to be developed internally, but that organizations and states need to carefully choose the technologies and providers they use, as well as how their data is managed.
Today, about 80% of cloud services are operated by a few large U.S. companies.Amazon, Microsoft, Google). This creates technical dependencies but also security and political risks. The use of open source software, such as Joomla, offers independence, flexibility and data protection.
The UN Open Source Principles
In order to achieve digital sovereignty, it is necessary to use open and adaptable software. The UN has established principles for the sustainable use of open source to enhance cooperation, innovation and transparency. The goal is to create reliable and reusable solutions that can be applied globally, especially in less developed regions.
Digital Public Goods: Open Solutions for Global Sustainability
Digital public goods show how open source projects can contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. This can be done either with new projects being developed openly from the beginning or by strengthening existing projects, such as Joomla, through reuse and improvements.
DPGA maintains an international register of such projects, which serves as a guide for organizations and governments seeking reliable digital solutions. Joomla is now part of this list and is officially recognised as a digital public good.
