The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) has announced that the Republic of Lebanon has signed the DCO Charter to become a Signatory Member. The move marks a key step towards completing the country’s accession as a Member State and opens a new phase of cooperation to support Lebanon’s digital economy priorities.
H.E. Dr Kamal Shehadi, Lebanon’s Minister of Displaced and Minister of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence, signed the charter and formally handed it over to Ms Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the DCO, during a ceremony held at the organization’s headquarters.
Alongside the signing, Lebanon and the DCO announced the launch of the Lebanon Digital Prosperity Plan (DPP). The initiative aims to translate national digital priorities into practical measures and measurable outcomes, while strengthening cooperation with DCO Member States and partners across digital policy, infrastructure, connectivity, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, skills, entrepreneurship, innovation and investment.
H.E. Dr Kamal Shehadi said: “Signing the DCO Charter represents a strategic step in Lebanon’s journey towards building a more competitive digital economy that is increasingly connected to regional and global opportunities. Through our cooperation with the DCO and the Digital Prosperity Plan, we aim to accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies and artificial intelligence, develop national capabilities, support start-ups and entrepreneurs, and attract strategic investment that can empower Lebanese talent to drive growth, innovation and new opportunities for the economy and society.”
Ms Deemah AlYahya said: “I am glad to welcome the Republic of Lebanon as a signatory to the DCO Charter. Accession runs in both directions. Every country that enters the Organization changes it as much as it is changed by it. Lebanon arrives with a technology sector that never stopped working through the hardest conditions, universities still producing researchers, and a Lebanese diaspora present in major global markets. Membership sets those capabilities in a wider frame: a bloc approaching 24 Member States, with the markets, policy frameworks and investors that come with it.
“But the signature is the easy part. The Digital Prosperity Plan is the test. It says precisely what we will do together on artificial intelligence, digital policy, skills and investment, and it was written so that its results can be measured, not announced. With every country that joins, the point becomes clearer: digital prosperity is work that nations share and through which they write their own future.”
The DPP provides a partnership framework for advancing Lebanon’s digital transformation priorities. Developed jointly by Lebanon and the DCO, the plan translates national priorities into coordinated action across digital policy, infrastructure, connectivity, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, skills, entrepreneurship, innovation and investment. It also aligns Lebanon’s digital transformation goals with DCO expertise and international partnerships to support measurable outcomes.
Lebanon’s digital economy provides a strong foundation for this cooperation, supported by a highly connected population and an established technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem. Internet penetration stood at approximately 91 per cent in 2024, and Lebanon is home to around 550 ICT companies alongside a strong base of technical, entrepreneurial and creative talent.
The move follows the DCO Council’s approval of the candidatures of eight new countries to join the organization as Member States. Upon completion of accession procedures, this expansion would increase DCO membership from 16 to 24 countries, representing approximately 980 million people.
