Open by default

Statement

Specifications, standards and, where possible, software and governance are open and publicly available.

Rationale

Openness lowers cost, prevents vendor lock-in and builds trust between countries. Shared infrastructure must not become a source of revenue for a single party.

Implications

• Interface specifications and implementation guides are published openly.
• Open source is preferred for shared regional components.
• Architecture decisions are documented and public (see architecture decision records).
• Shared infrastructure remains under public or collective governance.

References: EC 2017; WHO & ITU 2020; VWS 2025; Digital Impact Alliance n.d..