Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation,
Excellencies, distinguished colleagues and friends,
it is my great pleasure to join you this morning, and to reaffirm the strong and longstanding cooperation between ITU and the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation.
There is a clear consensus now that achieving universal and meaningful connectivity requires stronger partnerships, more coordinated action, and greater solidarity among all stakeholders.
Through the Baku Declaration adopted at last year’s World Telecommunication Development Conference, and the associated Baku Action Plan for 2026–2029, our membership has reaffirmed a shared commitment to ensuring that digital transformation serves people everywhere, particularly those still left behind and working hard to catch-up.
Today, around 2.2 billion people remain offline. At the same time, countries are navigating increasingly complex challenges related to infrastructure resilience, cybersecurity, AI governance, digital skills, affordability, and meaningful access. No single organization can address these issues alone.
This is why cooperation between ITU and the CTO remains so important. Over the years, our organizations have worked together in areas such as cybersecurity capacity building, policy development, digital inclusion, and delivering support to developing countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states. These efforts have helped strengthen national capabilities and amplify the voices of Commonwealth countries within the global digital ecosystem.
At the same time, the rapid emergence of transformative technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and smart infrastructure present both unprecedented opportunities and new regulatory complexities. To harness the full potential of these innovations, we must build digital ecosystems that are not only universally accessible, but also economically viable and environmentally sustainable. Fostering a pro-investment climate and developing robust digital public infrastructure is now a strategic priority for countries worldwide. By working together to promote ethical technology deployment and share innovative financing models, we can ensure these advancements drive inclusive economic growth. In this respect, ITU’s role as a neutral platform for collaborative innovation remains fundamental.
Furthermore, we must recognize that the Commonwealth is home to a vibrant, rapidly growing youth population. Empowering this young generation with advanced digital skills, promoting tech entrepreneurship, and ensuring a safe online environment are absolute imperatives. By prioritizing youth-led innovation, we can transform today's digital challenges into tomorrow's digital dividend, creating resilient economies driven by local talent.
Looking ahead, I see significant opportunities to deepen our cooperation in implementing the WTDC outcomes, including through regional initiatives, capacity development and digital infrastructure resilience, as well as emergency telecommunications, and working towards trusted and inclusive digital transformation.
All these efforts are enabled by strong, forward-looking, and collaborative digital regulation. ITU supports regulatory frameworks that can evolve alongside technological change.
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
In this context, there is a critical role for the Digital Regulation Network, which I launched three years ago. The DRN provides a collaborative platform for Regional Regulatory Associations and national regulators, enabling them to share experiences, tools, and good practices, to engage in structured peer learning, and to jointly address emerging challenges. The DRN offers a natural space to harmonize regional and global digital policy discussions.
I therefore strongly encourage CTO to actively participate in the DRN framework and contribute to the process of continuous learning agility and innovation.
Once again, I re-affirm our support for the commonwealth countries and that, the ITU Development Bureau remains fully committed to working closely with the CTO and all partners, to translate global commitments into tangible impact at the national, regional and global levels.
Together, we are stronger!
Thank you very much.
