Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Opening remarks
| Dr Cosmas Zavazava took office as Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on 1 January 2023.
With more than 30 years in telecommunications, including over 20 years in ITU's Development Sector, Dr Zavazava has promoted and implemented impactful information and communication technology projects around the world.
Prior to his election as BDT Director, he served as ITU's Chief of Partnerships for Digital Development , overseeing development-related projects, strategic partnerships, and resource mobilization between 2019 and 2022, while launching new initiatives that have boosted the engagement of industry, private-sector and academia members in ITU's work.
Previously, as ITU's Chief of Projects and Initiatives, he oversaw development projects focused on gender, youth, and people with special needs, along with capacity building, emergency telecommunications, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and e-waste management.
Earlier, Dr Zavazava headed the Republic of Zimbabwe's Government Telecommunications Agency and served as a senior diplomat. He also taught MBA classes at the UK's Nottingham Trent University.
Throughout his career, he has focused on closing the digital and skills divide and accelerating digital transformation to achieve socio-economic development for all.
Dr Zavazava holds a PhD in Multilateral Trade from Business School Lausanne (Switzerland), and a Master of Laws degree in Telecommunications and Information Technology from the University of Strathclyde (UK), as well as a Master's in International Relations from Webster University (US), and an MBA from the University of Zimbabwe. He also holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration and diplomas in Telecommunications and Systems Engineering.
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Ms. Kimberly Brown, Head of Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation, GSMA
Opening remarks
| Ms. Kimberly Brown leads the Emerging Tech and Humanitarian Innovation programmes at the GSMA, where she works with mobile operators, policymakers, and partners to apply digital technologies and AI to development and humanitarian challenges in low- and middle-income countries. Her work spans inclusive AI adoption, digital humanitarian assistance, and innovative partnerships across the mobile ecosystem. Prior to joining GSMA, she held senior roles in humanitarian organisations, focusing on advocacy and multilateral engagement. Kimberly holds a BA in Psychology, an MA in International Development Studies and Political Science, and an Executive MBA from London Business School.
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Mr. Joseff Mayberry, Senior Policy & Advocacy Manager, Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation
Panelist
| Mr. Joseff Mayberry is Senior Policy & Advocacy Manager in the Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation (M4H) team at the GSMA. He leads M4H’s policy, regulatory and advocacy work to support governments, international organisations and operators in creating an enabling digital environment and overcoming policy barriers to digital inclusion.
He joined the GSMA in 2026 from Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator. Joseff held a range of policy roles at Ofcom, including as International Affairs Manager, where he led peer-support and knowledge-sharing with other regulators. Most recent he was responsible for strategy, planning and civil society engagement during the implementation of the UK’s Online Safety Act.
Joseff holds a MSc in Social Policy from the London School of Economics, where he focused on digital inclusion in health policy and ICT for Development.
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Ms. Maite Comas Barnés, Advisor, ITU-T Study Group 2 - Operational aspects of telecommunications and ICTs, International Telecommunication Union
Panelist
| Ms. Maite Comas Barnés joined ITU and the world of international telecommunications and ICTs over thirty years ago, after training as a linguist in the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, in Spain, and experimenting for a few years with the banking sector, in a Spanish Bank in the City of London. Maite has worked in the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) in event organization, as part of the secretariat of the ITU-D Study Groups, and in ITU-D governance, as part of the secretariat for the Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (TDAG) and the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) in 2014, 2017 and 2022, including the regional preparations collaborating with the Regional Telecommunication Organizations. She has also been part of the Secretariat of the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) in 2015, 2019 and 2023 and of the Plenipotentiary Conference in 2014, 2018 and 2022. Taking advantage of previous involvement with ITU-T Study Group 2, she joined as Advisor in 2024 and now provides the secretariat for this Study Group which deals with the Operational aspects of telecommunications and ICTs, including all aspects of Numbering, Naming, Addressing and Identification (NNAI) and network operation and management and which is the lead study group on telecommunications/ICTs for disaster relief/early warning, network resilience and recovery and on emergency services provision, definition and deployment.
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Ms. Phyza Jameel, Acting Deputy Cluster Coordinator, the Logistics and Telecommunications Cluster and Programme Lead for Emergency Preparedness and Response, WFP
Panelist
| Ms. Phyza Jameel is a senior humanitarian and communications professional with over two decades of experience with the United Nations, primarily within the World Food Programme she currently serves as the Acting Deputy Cluster Coordinator for the Logistics and Telecommunications Cluster and Programme Lead for Emergency Preparedness and Response at the UN WFP. Over the course of her 22-year tenure with the UN, she has managed complex emergency operations and field portfolios across crisis-affected regions, including Iraq, Ukraine, the Central African Republic, Rohingya Crises, Palestine, and Sudan. Prior to her humanitarian career, she worked in development sector, especially in the area of communication for development for the Communication and Information Sector at UNESCO.
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Dr. Hideo Imanaka, Managing Expert, Standardization Promotion Office, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)
Panelist
| Dr. Hideo Imanaka received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Mie University in 2001. He joined the Telecommunication Network Laboratories of NTT in 1987. Since 2004, he has been engaged in international standardization activities in ITU‑T and the APT Standardization Program (ASTAP) at NTT Service Integration Laboratories. From 2010 to 2015, he was responsible for standardization strategy planning for the entire NTT Group at Research and Development Planning Department of NTT.
After joining NTT Advanced Technology Corporation (NTT‑AT) in 2015, he worked as a consultant specializing in international standardization.
He has held several leadership roles in international standardization bodies, including:
– Rapporteur of Question 1 of ITU‑T SG13 (2006–2010) for Next‑Generation Network and IPTV standardization;
– Chair of the Internet of Things (IoT) Expert Group of ASTAP (2012–2016) for IoT and smart grid standardization;
– Vice‑Chair of the ITU‑T Focus Group on IMT‑2020 (2015) for pre‑standardization of 5G mobile networks;
– Vice‑Chair of the ITU Focus Group on Metaverse (FG‑MV) (2023-2024), and chair of WG5 in FG-MV for interoperability.
He is currently serving as:
– Rapporteur of Question 8 of ITU‑T SG21 (2016-) for the standardization of Immersive Live Experience;
– Co‑Rapporteur of Question 3 of ITU‑D SG1 (2014-) for international deployment of emergency telecommunications and disaster relief solutions;
– Vice‑Chair of ITU‑D SG2 (2022-), Digital Transformation;
– Co‑Chair of Working Party 4 (2022-) of ITU‑T SG21;
– Chair of Expert Group of Disaster Risk Management and Rescue Systems (EG-DRMRS) (2023-) of ASTAP.
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Ms Maritza Delgado, Programme Officer, Climate Change and Emergency Telecommunications Division (BDT), International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Moderator
| Ms Maritza Delgado is a Program Officer in the Climate Change and Emergency Telecommunications Division of the International Telecommunication Union’s Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT). In this role, she supports countries in leveraging digital technologies for disaster risk reduction and management. Her work involves the development of National Emergency Telecommunication Plans, as well as the promotion of enabling environments through regulatory, policy, and legal frameworks. She also contributes to key projects, guidelines, and reports that integrate digital innovation into national disaster preparedness and response strategies.
Maritza leads the ITU Response Programme, which provides support to countries in the immediate aftermath of disasters. She holds a university degree in Electronic Engineering and Telecommunications and brings over 20 years of experience in the field of disaster management.
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