Every time someone picks up a telephone and dials a number, answers a call on a mobile, sends a fax or receives an e-mail, takes a plane or a ship, listens to the radio or watches a favourite television programme, they benefit from the universal telecommunication frameworks put in place by ITU.

Founded in Paris in 1865, it became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1947. Nominated by leading international consultant Booz Allen Hamilton as one of the world’s top 10 most enduring institutions, ITU is now the most inclusive telecommunications organization in the world.

For more than 140 years, ITU has defined and adopted the globally agreed technical standards that have allowed industry to interconnect people and equipment seamlessly around the world. It has also successfully regulated worldwide use of the radio-frequency spectrum, ensuring all international wireless communications remain interference-free to assure the relay of vital information and economic data to all parts of the globe.

ITU's biggest achievement is undoubtedly the pivotal role it has played in the creation of the international telecommunications network — the largest man-made artefact ever created. Today, thanks to the advent of the Internet, mobile wireless telephony and more, this network keeps us in touch, brings us world news, provides access to a huge global store of information, and underpins the global economy.

Driving telecommunications advancement in developing countries, ITU's brokers partnerships between government and private industry to help bring about rapid improvements in telecommunication infrastructure in the world's developing economies.

The ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) advises governments on a huge range of topics that contribute to closing the digital divide and improving access to the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICTs).

ITU-D supports governments in reforming their ICT sector to create a stable and transparent framework to attract investment and promote universal access. It also offers practical workshops, best practice guidelines and tools to help developing countries automate cost-oriented rate-setting and tariff-rebalancing.

In the area of human resource management, ITU specialists help train telecommunication engineers, high-level managers and policy-makers to keep step with technology, policy and regulatory changes.

A wide range of e-policies and strategies are also offered to foster e-government, e-health, e-education, e-agriculture and e-commerce in developing countries.

In addition, ITU regularly publishes a wide range of reports which are recognized and respected throughout the industry. These reports provide regular snapshots of the state of telecommunications development around the world, as well as analysis of major industry trends. They also monitor and analyze world and regional trends in telecommunication reform and offer vital information for governments restructuring their telecommunications sector.

ITU is also home to the regulatory community through its highly successful annual Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR) who meet to exchange views and experiences and build consensus on the best ways to address the challenges of convergence and to achieve the shared goal of affordable access.