A Historic Moment for Multilateral Cooperation
The Tech Diplomacy Institute is honored to announce the launch of The Samarkand Declaration on Tech Diplomacy on November 1, 2025, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. This landmark event coincides with a historic milestone: UNESCO’s General Assembly convening outside of Paris for the first time in 40 years.
A Multilateral Framework for the Digital Age
As emerging technologies reshape global governance, economics, and society, the international community requires a multilateral framework for tech diplomacy that bridges nations, institutions, and stakeholders. The Samarkand Declaration represents a defining commitment to fostering cooperation and establishing principles that will guide technology governance in an increasingly interconnected world.
Event Details*
Date: Saturday, November 1, 2025
Time: 17:00 – 21:00
Venue: Mövenpick Samarkand Hotel
53 Shokhrukh Str, Samarkand 140100, Uzbekistan
*Attendance by invitation only.
Programme
17:00 — Welcome Coffee & Registration
17:30 — Opening Session
17:45 — High-Level Ministerial Roundtable: “Tech Diplomacy & Multilateral Cooperation”
18:45 — Presentation of the Samarkand Declaration
19:00 — Signing Ceremony
19:30 — Dinner
Why Samarkand?
Samarkand has served as a crossroads of civilizations for millennia, where ideas, innovations, and cultures converged along the historic Silk Road. Today, as we navigate the complexities of digital transformation and global technology governance, Samarkand once again becomes a meeting point—this time for forging the diplomatic pathways that will shape our technological future.
The city’s rich legacy of intercultural dialogue and knowledge exchange provides the perfect backdrop for launching a declaration that seeks to bridge divides and foster meaningful cooperation in an era of rapid technological change.
Key Commitments
Signatories to the Declaration commit to:
- Appointing Tech Ambassadors or equivalent senior diplomatic representatives for technology and innovation diplomacy at the highest levels of foreign policy
- Participating in the annual Global Tech Diplomacy Forum
- Building national capacity in tech diplomacy and fostering multi-stakeholder engagement, and
- Upholding digital rights, bridging digital divides, and harnessing technology for sustainable development.
High-Level Ministerial Participation
The launch event will convene ministers, diplomats, technology leaders, international organization representatives, and civil society stakeholders for substantive dialogue on the future of tech diplomacy. The High-Level Ministerial Roundtable will explore how multilateral cooperation can address the governance challenges posed by artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital sovereignty, and the digital divide.
For more information or participation inquiries, please contact:
Anna Ambrozevich, Regional Attaché, Central Asia
anna[at]tech-diplomacy.com