Software Heritage 2026 Symposium and Summit
Preserving and leveraging source code as a Digital Public Good for a sustainable future
To mark the 10th anniversary of Software Heritage, UNESCO and Software Heritage will co-host the 2026 Symposium on January 28, 2026. This event will recognize software source code as a universal component of the knowledge commons and organize collective action for its long-term preservation and inclusive reuse.
Software Heritage has built a neutral, heritage-grade archive of global source code and advanced persistent, verifiable identifiers that anchor provenance, integrity, and citation. UNESCO complements this with a mandate to articulate shared principles, mobilize partnerships and build capacities for openness, connecting the Open Solutions portfolio with the UNESCO 2021 Recommendation on Open Science, 2019 Recommendation on Open Educational Resources, and the 2015 Recommendation concerning the Preservation of, and Access Documentary Heritage including in Digital Form as well as the UNESCO ROAM-X indicators that operationalize rights, openness, accessibility and multistakeholder participation.
The 2026 edition will serve as a moment to take stock of progress achieved over the past decade and to translate the lessons learned into an agenda for 2026–2030. It will bring together partners from across research, education, culture, the private sector, and public administration to consolidate a shared vision in which software preservation, citation, and reuse are integral to knowledge creation and dissemination. By fostering equitable participation, promoting multilingual access, and strengthening capacities, the Symposium will advance public access to information in line with SDG 16.10 and contribute to the implementation of the Global Digital Compact through more inclusive, open, and interoperable digital ecosystems
Through a joint effort pairing technical excellence with policy leadership, UNESCO and Software Heritage will sustain a code commons for key global needs, including reproducible science, lifelong learning, documentary heritage access, and trustworthy, transparent artificial intelligence.
