Decidim in NYC for UN Open Source Week

Meetings with the NYC Civic Engagement Commission and GovLab

On Monday, we met with our colleagues from the Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) at New York City Hall. It was a pleasure to connect with such a dedicated team, especially during the final days of their Participatory Budgeting (PB) voting phase.

Arnau shared Barcelona’s experience with PB and how Decidim plays a central role throughout the process. Nil offered insights into the Decidim community, its governance model, recent updates, and the product roadmap for the coming months.

The conversation was genuinely inspiring. The CEC team raised thoughtful questions around shared challenges and offered valuable insights from their own experience. We walked away having learned a lot from the exchange.

Later in the afternoon, we had an insightful discussion with Stefan, director of GovLab, about the evolving challenges of digital participation and how to ensure that innovation supports inclusion and democracy.

At the United Nations for Open Source Week

We also took part in UN Open Source Week at the UN Headquarters, attending keynotes and panels that showcased how public institutions around the world are adopting and supporting open source technologies.

We learned about the work that the Sovereign Tech Agency in Germany continues to do, supporting and financing the maintenance of key open source projects. We also learned how DINUM in France is deploying an open source strategy from the public sector, developing several free software projects. One example is Docs, collaborative writing software that is presented as an alternative to Google Docs.

One of the most thought-provoking moments was the “Digital Sovereignty in Practice” breakout session organized by GovStack. Participants explored what digital sovereignty means and what governments must develop to maintain control and autonomy over their digital infrastructure.

Presenting Decidim as a Digital Public Good (DPG)

Earlier in the week, we had the opportunity to present Decidim as an example of a Digital Public Good that embodies the values of public technology, free software, and democratic governance.

Nil explained what makes Decidim unique—not just as a tool, but as a public-common infrastructure designed to scale democratic participation and governance.

Arnau showcased Decidim.Barcelona as a leading example of how cities can create and maintain digital commons from within public institutions.

Arnau outlined a clear strategy for how governments can effectively support Free Software and Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs):

• Don’t reinvent the wheel: Prioritize existing Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) solutions.

• Invest in digital sovereignty: Support governance and long-term sustainability of critical infrastructure.

• Foster democratic governance: Give communities a real voice in decision-making, backed by financial support.

• Collaborate across governments: Share resources and co-invest in common solutions that serve similar needs.

In the closing discussion, Nil addressed the ongoing challenge of sustainability. To ensure Decidim’s future, we need:

• Diversified funding: From public, philanthropic, and European sources.

• Legal innovation: Frameworks that recognize and support digital commons maintainers.

• Shared responsibility: A model where multiple governments co-fund and co-maintain shared infrastructure.