Connecting the world and beyond

Regional Initiatives for the period 2026-2029

​​The ITU Telecommunications Development Conference (WTDC​) held in Baku from 17-28 November, 2025, approved a new set of Regional Initiatives for the period 2026-2029. The Regional Initiatives outlined in the Baku Action Plan address specific needs for each major region of the world to advance and accelerate digital transformation.​​​​​​​​​​


AMS1: Facilitating resilient infrastructure to enable deployment of universal and meaningful connectivity

Objective: To facilitate delivery of reliable, affordable, universal and meaningful connectivity and digital services in the Americas region through deployment of modern, resilient, secure and sustainable telecommunication/information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure.

Expected results:

1)                               Assistance in the design, financing and implementation of national, regional and subregional plans for universal and resilient broadband infrastructure and networks for developing countries, including support for community networks and small operators, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations, indigenous communities, countries and regions impacted by natural disasters and unserved or underserved areas (urban/rural/maritime), taking into account innovative connectivity solutions that can be deployed and managed locally, including access to spectrum and high-speed networks.

2)                               Assistance for the development, financing and implementation of sustainable digital technologies and the identification of critical telecommunication infrastructure and enabling facilities for disaster management, including national plans or strategies for emergency telecommunications, and effective and timely early warning systems, disaster support and recovery of telecommunications/ICTs in all developing countries in the region, with a special focus on the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states.

3)                               Support for the development and effective use of sustainable telecommunications/ICTs that meet existing international greenhouse gas reduction and carbon footprint measurement targets, mitigate climate change and improve environmental sustainability.

4)                               Assistance in the design of effective spectrum management strategies and deployment of infrastructure to remote, rural, underserved and unserved areas using emerging technologies, among others, with the aim of facilitating affordable and resilient access to telecommunication backbone infrastructures.

 

5)                               Assistance in mapping national and international broadband infrastructure and related facilities and services, and demand information to identify network investment needs, coverage, quality, affordability and adoption gaps, in order to support policy-making, promote the development of Internet exchange points, interconnection and data centres and optimize the use of financing mechanisms.

 

AMS2: Digital inclusion, digital skills/competencies

Objective: To assist Member States to promote inclusive, affordable and equitable adoption of effective, safe and secure digital services and solutions to drive sustainable social and economic development.

Expected results:

1)                               Support for the development of human capacity through the identification and implementation of national, regional and subregional capacity-building programmes

and platforms to enhance overall digital literacy and develop digital skills/competencies to close gaps in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) services, facilitating universal access to digital tools and devices with a focus on low-income, underserved and vulnerable communities, persons with specific needs, gender balance and youth in order to contribute to the development of sustainable telecommunications/ICT and foster digital transformation in sectors with limited economic capacity, small and medium enterprises, indigenous communities, rural activities and other inclusive objectives.

2)                               Assistance for Member States in conducting digital skills assessments and in integrating digital skills and emerging technologies into their educational curricula at all levels, in order to align them with the demands of the digital economy and enable upskilling in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, data analytics, e-commerce and others, in order to meet the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities of digital transformation.

3)                               Facilitation of sharing of resources, best practices, technical experiences and knowledge at the national, subregional and regional levels, in collaboration with stakeholders and especially aimed at associations and organized communities, with a focus on community networks and small operators, in order to optimize the use of resources and enable greater participation in regional planning processes and access to concessionary financing and expertise for developing countries.

4)                               Promotion of the management of digital infrastructure to enable the production of digital public goods, including for indigenous communities.

 

AMS3: Support for innovative digital ecosystems and the adoption and use of emerging technologies

Objective: To promote digital capacity development, digital government systems, local e-services and innovation ecosystems necessary for sustainable and inclusive digital transformation, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Expected results

1)                               Facilitating the foundation of digital public infrastructure and governance systems to support digital transformation and digital inclusion, including digital ID/e-identity/data exchange and digital payment systems.

2)                               Facilitating initiatives to promote and support e-entrepreneurship and e-commerce and foster adoption of emerging technologies by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in order to increase productivity in developing countries.

3)                               Increased training and international cooperation to facilitate and enhance innovation in telecommunications/information and communication technologies, in order to promote the ethical use, development and deployment of emerging technologies, for the establishment of regional innovation hubs in support of sustainable digital transformation and smart cities, with a special focus on developing countries.

4)                               Support for development of regional cloud infrastructure and open national data management systems to support business continuity, data sovereignty and access to open sector-specific data, and also to open-source tools and resources to promote innovation.

5)                               Leveraging of active stakeholder participation, strategic alliances, ITU inter-Sectoral coordination and international cooperation in order to effectively drive innovation in the development of public policies, regulatory frameworks, and also digital transformation projects and processes, through initiatives that promote the adoption and creative use of emerging technologies for productivity, inclusion, social well-being, including telemedicine and e-education, and protection of human rights.

6)                               Assistance in promoting local innovation ecosystems and public-private partnerships for sustainable connectivity projects, and in promoting local content in education and culture to improve Internet usability in rural and remote areas.

 

AMS4: Promoting cyber resilience and capacity building in cybersecurity and cyber resilience

Objective: To promote an enabling environment for a safe and secure connectivity.

Expected results:

1)                               Increasing and strengthening of trust, safety and security in the use of digital technologies, including capacity building and support for:

a)                   Development of national cybersecurity strategies, legislative templates/guidelines, and national and regional mechanisms, taking into account institutional frameworks and harmonized relevant international standards and conventions; and

b)                  Technical assistance, training and support for telecommunications/ICT users, including support for community networks and small operators, to implement national cybersecurity strategies, encouraging active, reliable and secure participation in the digital environment.

2)                               Strengthening of cyber resilience in all developing countries of the region.

3)                               Assistance to developing countries in the region, including support for community networks and small operators, in accessing and using available ITU resources on cybersecurity and cyber resilience, and also those of organizations cooperating with ITU.

Promote human-capacity development, particularly for the engagement and participation of women and youth in cybersecurity and cyber resilience, careers and related courses.

 

AMS5: Governance and enabling regulatory frameworks for sustainable digital transformation

Objective: To assist Member States in developing evidence-based telecommunication/information and communication technology (ICT) policy, legal and regulatory frameworks and regional cooperation mechanisms to promote and support effective governance and inclusive digital development across various sectors of the economy.

Expected results:

1)                               Support for the development of capacities, competencies, enabling policies and convergent regulatory frameworks for digital ecosystem governance that incentivize technological innovation; facilitate adoption and responsible use of emerging technologies; facilitate a level playing field for traditional and new market players; foster a global, open, resilient, secure and inclusive cyber environment; facilitate investment and innovation to promote new sectors in the digital economy; and contribute to expanding and improving connectivity in unserved or underserved areas (rural/urban/maritime), including, where applicable, support to community networks and small operators.

2)                               Strengthening capacity for the development of standardized data collection and analysis tools, processes, methodologies and data governance frameworks to inform ICT policy-making and development strategies in such a way that data collection processes take into account the rights of indigenous communities and their cultural assets and traditional knowledge.

3)                               Strengthening the participation of developing countries in the region in ITU processes with the aim of increasing capacity, expertise and access to finance.

4)                               Assistance in removing barriers to deployment and in creating specific regulations that facilitate infrastructure deployment in rural, remote and unserved areas, promoting a more accessible environment for community networks and small operators.

Support for the establishment of national e-waste legislation/policies/regulation and extended producer responsibility frameworks for e-waste, including appropriate mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation.