Youth at the heart of digital transformation

By Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU

At the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), we have made a simple but powerful choice: To place youth at the centre of digital development and transformation, not as mere beneficiaries but as active co-architects.

This is one of the reasons that we welcomed hundreds of bright young leaders from around the world for ITU’s Global Youth Celebration 2025, held on 16 November, the eve of the opening of the World Telecommunication Development Conference.

The celebration in Baku, the Republic of Azerbaijan, built on our successful ITU Global Youth Summit in Varadero, Cuba, and highlights our continued efforts to develop digital skills, foster future leadership, and create opportunities for young people.

ITU Global Youth Celebration 2025

Hosted by the Government of Azerbaijan, and generously supported by Intersputnik and ZTE, the celebration honoured the next generation of digital changemakers and empowered young people to become co-architects of the global digital future.

I was deeply inspired by the energy, creativity, and determination of young people from around the world who are already shaping digital transformation for the good of everyone.

During the event’s Intergenerational Dialogue, we heard perspectives from around the world. By combining the experience and insights of digital policymakers and industry leaders with the creativity and fresh ideas of young visionaries, the session sparked meaningful exchanges to inspire action and help shape inclusive, forward-looking strategies to advance global digital development.

Complementing these exchanges, an immersive and exciting hands-on programme for the day provided a front-row experience of the future of digital technologies. From meeting astronauts and visiting satellite launch sites to exploring the latest digital communication systems, the celebration offered its youthful participants a unique blend of discovery, inspiration and purpose.

Insights on aviation and space communications

Three parallel tracks took place throughout the afternoon.

At the National Aviation Academy, our young participants engaged with leaders in the aviation sector on an interactive panel, sharing their respective visions of how emerging technologies are shaping the digital age. They then explored Boeing and Airbus flight simulators, as well as a drones and aviation model laboratory.

On a visit to Azercosmos, our participants learned how orbital antennas and telecommunication links enable contact with the International Space Station (ISS).

And an interactive session at STEAM Azerbaijan with astronauts who had visited the ISS gave young delegates insights into how telecommunications support space exploration – straight from the people who went there.

When we reconvened at the end of the day, the energy in the room was electric. The discussions were powerful and inspired, as youth shared highlights from the afternoon site visits.

Keeping youth on the agenda

Young people are essential to every aspect of ITU’s work. As we work together to shape the digital future, I believe that nothing about youth should be decided without youth.

Let’s go forward, therefore, with a clear, shared commitment to ensure meaningful connectivity for all young people. Let’s invest in digital skills to enable youth to drive the digital future. And let’s keep a permanent place for youth at the decision-making table.

Header image credit: ITU