Azerbaijan to Become Part of a Digital Space Representing Nearly One Billion People
Azerbaijan is among eight countries whose candidatures have been approved for accession to the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO).
The organization told 1news.az that the DCO Council had approved the candidatures of Azerbaijan, Albania, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Zambia. If the expansion is completed, the number of DCO Member States will increase from 16 to 24, while the combined population represented by the organization will approach 980 million people.
For Azerbaijan, potential membership in the DCO would mean joining an international platform where approaches to key issues shaping the modern digital economy are being developed, including artificial intelligence governance, cross-border data flows, digital infrastructure and e-commerce.
The DCO’s expansion also carries significant geographical importance for Azerbaijan. The organization has specifically noted that the current phase of expansion will, for the first time, extend its footprint into the Caucasus and Central Asia.
The DCO describes these regions as being home to some of the fastest-evolving digital economies in the Eurasian space.
DCO Secretary-General Deemah AlYahya said countries are seeking to join the organization for practical reasons, as the future rules of the digital economy in areas such as data, artificial intelligence and cross-border trade are being shaped now.
According to her, participation in such international mechanisms allows countries not merely to follow rules that have already been established, but to take part in shaping them, thereby strengthening their digital sovereignty.
At the same time, the approval of Azerbaijan’s candidature does not yet mean that the country has automatically become a full member of the DCO. The Council’s decision marks the beginning of the formal accession process. Azerbaijan’s membership will take effect once the necessary domestic procedures have been completed and the relevant instrument of accession has been deposited in accordance with the DCO’s founding documents.
Once the process is completed, Azerbaijan will be able to participate in DCO programs covering digital policy development, digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence governance, digital skills, startup ecosystems, cross-border data flows and digital economy measurement.
The Digital Cooperation Organization was established in 2020. Today, it brings together 16 Member States representing a combined GDP of approximately $3.5 trillion and a market of more than 800 million people.
