Sixteen nations are working together to build a digital economy that includes women, entrepreneurs and underserved communities, aiming to turn today’s divides into shared opportunity.
At a time of uncertainty and acceleration, one truth stands out: cooperation is the foundation of shared prosperity. Technology now advances faster than trust, and our ability to work together will determine whether progress is shared by many or captured by few.
The Digital Cooperation Organization was created on a simple but transformative belief: digital prosperity is a human right. Sixteen member states, representing $3.5 trillion in GDP and more than 800 million people, are working to make that belief real. Together, we are committed to ensuring every nation, business, and individual has a fair chance to thrive in the digital age.
Since our founding in 2020, we have moved from vision to evidence. Cooperation is no longer an aspiration; it is producing measurable results. Across our member states, governments, innovators and citizens are showing that when purpose aligns, digital transformation becomes a driver of inclusive growth.
We-Elevate is one example of what this looks like in practice. The program supports women-led micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises as they move from offline to online, pairing digital-skills training with access to e-commerce markets. In Rwanda, a young entrepreneur who once sold handmade textiles only in her community used her first digital storefront to reach customers in three countries. Within months, she hired two employees and began exporting for the first time. Her story is a reminder that inclusion is not a policy slogan—it is a personal shift that ripples through families, communities, and economies. Thousands of similar stories are emerging across our member states. We-Elevate has opened new trade pathways, strengthened local economies, and unlocked an estimated $3.4 billion in GDP potential. Behind each number is someone who has turned connection into confidence and innovation into income.
Another example is the Digital Economy Navigator, a tool that helps governments translate ambition into action. It measures digital maturity through more than 100 indicators based on data, policy analysis, and citizen experience. The Navigator highlights strengths and gaps, guiding investment, policy reform, and collaboration across sectors. Member states use it to benchmark progress, identify opportunities, and build digital economies that are both competitive and inclusive.
In practice, the Navigator has already shaped national strategies—from expanding rural broadband to improving digital payments and strengthening public-service delivery. It proves that progress grounded in data can be shared and sustained. When governments understand where they stand, they can act with clarity and partner with others more effectively.
Yet progress is never guaranteed. Fragmented regulations, unequal infrastructure, and widening skill gaps continue to limit the benefits of digital growth. The DCO’s current four-year agenda addresses these challenges through four pillars: digital enablers that build trust and secure data flows; digital corridors that connect markets and talent; digital business programs that empower entrepreneurs; and digital society initiatives that place inclusion at the center of development.
This agenda is not theoretical. It is built on the lessons of programs like We-Elevate and the Navigator, and on the lived experience of our members. It reflects a simple insight: digital transformation cannot succeed in isolation. Cross-border cooperation is now the operating system of modern development.
Today, the global digital economy accounts for more than 15 percent of world GDP, yet much of that value remains concentrated in a few countries. Our task is to widen the map of opportunity so that prosperity flows through every region. Through what we call “radical cooperation”—bringing together governments, industry, academia, and civil society—the DCO is helping turn digital divides into digital bridges.
This change is already visible. In Africa and the Middle East, entrepreneurs trained through We-Elevate are exporting online. Policymakers are using Navigator insights to close gender and skills gaps. Youth networks are exchanging ideas across continents. Each example shows that inclusion fuels innovation—and innovation strengthens inclusion.
Technology will continue to evolve. What must evolve just as quickly is our willingness to cooperate. The digital age is not defined by machines but by humanity’s capacity to use them wisely. Built together, technology becomes a language of shared opportunity rather than a source of inequality.
We know what is needed. The question is whether we will choose to act together. The path forward is clear: invest in people, share, knowledge and trust that collective progress is not only possible but essential. Digital cooperation is not a vision for tomorrow. It is the work of today, and it begins with all of us.
Dr. Hajar El Haddaoui is the director-general of the Digital Cooperation Organization
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