RIYADH- UNS /SPA: The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) Council has approved the nominations of eight countries for full membership, a move that will expand the organization’s membership from 16 to 24 countries upon completion of the required accession procedures.
The new members are Albania, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Zambia. Their accession will be completed following the signing, adoption and ratification of the DCO Charter in accordance with the constitutional procedures of each country.
The organization said the expanded membership will represent a combined population of approximately 980 million people, enabling nearly 12 percent of the world’s population to participate through the DCO in efforts to shape the rules and development of the global digital economy.
The DCO will also welcome Tajikistan as an associate member, creating new opportunities for digital cooperation, public-private partnerships and joint initiatives in digital innovation, skills development and inclusion, in line with Tajikistan’s National Development Strategy 2030.
DCO Secretary-General Professor Dima bint Yahya Al-Yahya described the expansion as a significant milestone for the organization, noting that the DCO was established in 2020 by five founding countries to promote international cooperation in the digital economy beyond traditional international frameworks and blocs.
She said the organization’s growth demonstrated the viability of its model and would enable a broader group of countries to participate in shaping emerging global rules governing data, artificial intelligence and cross-border digital trade.
Al-Yahya emphasized that membership provides countries with a practical mechanism to strengthen cooperation, build shared capabilities and contribute to the formulation of international digital-economy rules.
She said the expansion represented the practical meaning of digital sovereignty, allowing countries to work collectively to influence the digital policies and standards that will shape their societies and economies.
The Secretary-General said the next phase would focus on expanding the impact of the organization’s work, with its policies, platforms and partnerships supported by 24 member states. The objective, she added, is to translate consensus into stronger digital infrastructure, investment and regulatory frameworks capable of contributing to a shared digital future.
The latest expansion will also significantly broaden the DCO’s geographical reach. For the first time, the organization’s membership will extend into Central Asia, establishing a new regional hub for digital cooperation along a strategically important Eurasian corridor.
The expansion will simultaneously establish the DCO’s presence in the Caucasus and Western Balkans, regions that include several of Eurasia’s rapidly developing digital economies.
The DCO said the enlarged membership reflects growing international confidence in its vision and strengthens its position as a leading platform for international digital cooperation.
The organization is implementing its 2025–2028 four-year strategic agenda, with key areas including digital policy development, public digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence governance, digital skills, startup ecosystems, cross-border data flows and measurement of the digital economy.
Through these initiatives, the DCO aims to help member and partner countries translate their digital ambitions into measurable economic and social outcomes by strengthening cooperation among governments, the private sector, international organizations, academia and civil society.
The accession of the new countries is expected to further strengthen the DCO’s role in advancing inclusive and sustainable digital transformation and in fostering international cooperation on the rapidly evolving global digital economy.
