Wikimedia Foundation co-hosts second UN Open Source Week edit-a-thon

New York City (9 July 2026) - The Wikimedia Foundation, Wikimedia NYC, the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (UN-ODET), and the United Nations Office of Information and Communication Technology (UN-OICT) came together to host the second-ever UN "edit-a-thon" as part of UN Open Source Week 2026 inside the UN headquarters in New York City on 22 June 2026.

A Wikipedia edit-a-thon brings together volunteers to create and improve articles on specific topics on Wikipedia. At this event, dozens of volunteers from around the world gathered inside the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) chamber to edit Wikipedia pages about the UN and open source topics, including digital public goods, AI regulation, the Global Digital Compact, UN history, and more. The event happened alongside the UN Tech Over hack-a-thon and maintain-a-thon, annual collaborative events designed to tackle global challenges using open source technology.

With in-person support from Wikimedia NYC - an independent, Wikimedia affiliated organization - event attendees, many of whom were editing for the very first time, improved several Wikipedia articles using on-site UN archives, official reports, datasets, and credible news sources. Volunteers worked to expand access to free and open knowledge online by:

• Creating more than 60 new Wikipedia articles
• Making nearly 700 edits across 129 existing articles
• Adding 16,600 words to Wikipedia
• Adding 120 citations to reliable reference material

Tajh Taylor, the Wikimedia Foundation's Special Advisor to the Chief Product and Technology Officer, closed out the edit-a-thon by sharing:

"Wikipedia became the largest reference work on the internet because millions of people contributed small, meaningful changes, each of which added a bit of knowledge or corrected a small issue. The work of the volunteer editors and stewards today adds to that body of knowledge, paying dividends to the billions of curious people around the world in search of human knowledge."

The edit-a-thon also kicked off a full week of panels and discussion that fostered collaboration, awareness, and engagement on the benefits of open source technology and the global digital governance challenges that are ahead in the age of AI. As Omar Mohsine, Open Source Coordinator at the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies, put it:

"Global gatherings like UN Open Source Week are critical spaces for Member States and stakeholders across the UN system to come together to learn, share ideas, and build a digital future that works for all of humanity. The open internet and open source technology are at a crossroads in the age of AI, and the conversations happening at UN Open Source Week are exactly the conversations we need to be having not in 2 years, 5 years, or 10 years, but now."

The Wikimedia Foundation looks forward to continuing collaborations with Wikimedia NYC and the United Nations to continue championing the importance of digital public goods and open source technology on the global stage.

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About the Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit that operates Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. We support the people, technology, and policies that enable reliable information to be shared with the world. The Wikimedia Foundation is a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA. Visit our website to learn more about the Wikimedia Foundation and Wikipedia.

About Wikimedia New York City

Wikimedia NYC is a 501c3 nonprofit and local Wikimedia chapter formally established in 2009 that is dedicated to building a brighter, broader, and better Wikimedia movement. We help promote free access to the world's knowledge. We are committed to building a Wikipedia as democratic and diverse as the New York City subway and to partnering with libraries, museums, organizations, and educational institutions that share our vision in providing access to free knowledge. Visit our website to learn more about Wikimedia New York City.

About the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies

UN ODET advances global technology cooperation to build a more inclusive, innovative, and sustainable future. As the UN's Connector, Catalyst, and Convener, we bring together governments, the UN system, the private sector, academia, and civil society to strengthen collaboration, align expertise with Member States' priorities, and maximize the impact of emerging technologies. Our mission is to help close the digital and AI divide by supporting countries in building the capacity to shape and benefit from technological innovation. Through inclusive partnerships and coordinated action, we work to ensure that digital transformation creates opportunities for everyone. Visit our website to learn more about ODET.

About the United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology

UN OICT enables a better, safer, more sustainable future through innovative technology. OICT is responsible for defining strategic direction for ICT in the Secretariat. It provides oversight of ICT programmes, systems, applications, and decision-making. The office is committed to ensuring colleagues all over the world have the necessary ICT tools to succeed in their respective mandates. Visit our website to learn more about OICT.