THE Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO) is set to expand its membership from 16 to 24 countries, potentially representing about 980 million people, following the approval of eight new candidate countries by its Council.
The eight countries are: Albania, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Zambia.
The DCO, which describes itself as the world’s first standalone international intergovernmental organisation dedicated to advancing inclusive and sustainable growth of the digital economy, announced the development, last Friday, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The organisation also approved the Republic of Tajikistan as an Associate Member, creating opportunities for the country to deepen digital cooperation and participate in public-private partnerships and initiatives focused on digital innovation, skills and inclusion.
The proposed expansion would increase the DCO’s reach to approximately 12 percent of the global population, giving a larger group of countries a platform to participate in discussions and policymaking around emerging areas of the digital economy.
DCO Secretary-General, Deemah AlYahya, said the expansion demonstrated that the organisation’s model, launched in 2020 by five founding countries, had moved from an untested concept to an established platform for international digital cooperation.
According to her, countries are joining the organisation because decisions affecting data, artificial intelligence and cross-border digital trade are being shaped rapidly, making participation increasingly important.
She said the prospective accessions would enable member countries to develop the capacity to collectively influence digital rules rather than simply adopt rules developed elsewhere.
‘The next stage is scale,’ AlYahya said, adding that the potential expansion to 24 countries would help translate policy alignment into infrastructure, investment and common rules for the digital economy.
The proposed enlargement would also significantly broaden the DCO’s geographical footprint.
For the first time, the organisation would gain a presence in Central Asia through Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, creating a new regional axis for digital cooperation. It would also extend further into the Caucasus through Azerbaijan and into the Western Balkans through Albania.
The inclusion of Kenya and Zambia would further strengthen the organisation’s presence in Africa, while Lebanon, Palestine and Syria would expand its representation in the Middle East.
The DCO said the Council’s approval of the eight countries’ candidature marked the beginning of the formal accession process rather than immediate full membership.
Membership will become effective after each candidate completes its respective national internal accession procedures and deposits its instrument of accession in accordance with the organisation’s founding documents.
The expansion comes as the DCO continues implementing its four-year strategic agenda for 2025-2028, which covers digital policy development, digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence governance, digital skills, startup ecosystems, cross-border data flows and digital economy measurement.
The organisation said it would continue working with governments, businesses, international organisations, academia and civil society to convert digital ambitions into measurable economic and social outcomes.
Established in 2020, the DCO currently comprises 16 member states, representing nearly $3.5 trillion in combined gross domestic product and a market of more than 800 million people.
More than 70 percent of the population represented by the organisation is below the age of 35, highlighting the potential importance of digital skills, entrepreneurship, innovation and technology-driven employment within its agenda.
The DCO works to promote digital inclusion, facilitate cross-border data flows, empower women and young people, and support entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises.
It also coordinates digital policies across borders and holds observer status with the United Nations General Assembly and other international bodies.
The accession of the eight candidate countries, once completed, would mark the most significant expansion of the DCO since its establishment and strengthen its position as a platform for countries seeking greater influence over the emerging rules and infrastructure of the global digital economy.