The Open Source Initiative (OSI), responsible for verifying licenses for compliance with Open Source criteria, has officially endorsed the principles of Open Source introduced by the United Nations (UN) to promote employment and widespread adoption of open source code within UN units and beyond. These principles were developed by the Open Source United community, established by the UN Executive Council as part of the Digital Technologies network, and serve as the foundation for the use, development, and distribution of open source code across the organization.
The proposed principles include:
- Open by default: A standard approach for projects to be open.
- Contribution to the common cause: Encouraging active participation in an open-source ecosystem.
- Security emphasis (Secure by Design): Prioritizing security in all project development.
- Inclusiveness and diversity: Creating a community accessible to a variety of groups.
- Design for re-use: Developing projects with compatibility across platforms and ecosystems in mind.
- Providing documentation: Releasing comprehensive documentation for end users, integrators, and developers.
- Raise (recognize, encourage, maintain, and empower): Extending rights and capabilities to individuals and communities to promote active involvement.
- Support and scalability: Backing the development of solutions that can adapt to changing needs.
/Reports, release notes, official announcements.