Member Communiqué

Hungary hosts second regional preparatory meeting for ITU’s World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025

Budapest, 26 February 2025 –  The Regional Preparatory Meeting (RPM) for Europe was held from 25 to 26 February in Budapest, Hungary. Participants at the meeting benefitted from detailed reporting on the ongoing implementation of the Kigali Action Plan, and proposed the Regional Initiatives in the area of information and communication technology (ICT) development strategies in the Europe region to be considered by the next ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25), to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 17 to 28 November 2025.

“The Regional Preparatory Meeting is an important platform for key stakeholders in the region to get together and discuss common proposals to advance universal and meaningful connectivity in Europe,” said Dr Péter Vári, Deputy Director-General of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority of Hungary and Chair of the RPM. “The incredible advancements of technology, such as quantum technology, space technology and artificial intelligence, just to mention a few, are important factors that have been considered during our discussions; they are an integral part of everyday lives and will help us to drive our digital ambitions forward.”

“Europe is making great strides towards universal and meaningful connectivity, accounting for one of the highest digital connectivity growth globally. Furthermore, our strong and impactful projects and partnerships in the region continue to bring benefits and impact in people’s lives,” said Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director, ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau. “I have no doubt that the upcoming WTDC will be a successful one, and with the proposed Regional Initiatives, we will take a giant step towards achieving universal and meaningful connectivity and sustainable digital transformation in Europe. I would like to thank Hungary and the National Media and Infocommunications Authority for hosting these important events in the lead-up to WTDC-25.”

Below are the proposed Regional Initiatives for Europe for 2026-2029.

EUR1: Digital infrastructure development: to facilitate the attainment of universal and meaningful connectivity through resilient and synergistic infrastructure development and an enabling environment, ensuring ubiquitous coverage.

EUR2: Digital transformation for resilience: to facilitate the digitalization processes of services in different sectors (e.g. agriculture, health, government, education), including those of public administrations, in order to ensure greater resilience in responding to critical situations, including the challenges of pandemics, natural hazards or human-introduced crises.

EUR3: Digital inclusion and skills development: to facilitate equitable access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) and necessary digital skills for all groups of society, including persons with disabilities and persons with specific needs, as well as women and youth, in order to take advantage of telecommunications/ICTs.

EUR4: Trust and confidence in the use of telecommunications/ information and communication technologies: to support the deployment of resilient infrastructure and secure telecommunications/ICTs allowing all citizens, especially children, to use telecommunications/information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their daily lives with confidence. 

EUR5: Digital innovation ecosystems: to foster environments that are conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship through systemic approaches based on digital telecommunications/information and communication technologies (ICTs), aimed at closing the growing digital innovation divide in the region.

The meeting was preceded by a Regional Development Forum, on 24 February.

At the Regional Development Forum, discussions focused on the state of digital development, the implementation of the current Regional Initiatives and on forging partnerships, through the Partner2Connect Matchmaking Roundtables.

“Pleased to see that over the years the ITU Regional Development Forum has become an effective platform for partnership building and presenting stakeholders’ commitments matching the voiced national/regional needs and advancing digital development in Europe and beyond,” said Jaroslaw Ponder, Head, ITU Regional Office for Europe.

At the Regional Development Forum, held on 24 February, discussions focused on the state of digital development, the implementation of the current Regional Initiatives and on forging partnerships, through the Partner2Connect Matchmaking Roundtables.

The “State of digital development and trends in the Europe region” report, launched at the meeting, offers a comprehensive snapshot of the region’s digital landscape, highlighting remarkable progress and persisting challenges.

During the meeting, several signing ceremonies and announcements took place, underlining the importance of stakeholders’ commitment towards the implementation of the Regional Initiatives. They included:

  • A Letter of Agreement with Cyprus to support capacity development and announce a special workshop on infrastructure resilience and quality of services
  • A Letter of Agreement with Andorra to establish a High-Level Framework of Cooperation on child online protection
  • A UN-to-UN Agreement with ILO on digital literacy assessment of the adult population in Moldova
  • A joint announcement with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia to support Western Balkan countries on Early Warning Systems development
  • An announcement of Her CyberTracks 2025 and Women in GovTech Challenge 2025 editions

The RDF also featured sessions on the Network of Women in ITU-D and Generation Connect.

This Regional Preparatory Meeting was the second in a series that are taking place across the world to identify priorities for each region in preparation of WTDC-25. The next Regional Preparatory Meeting will be for the Asia and the Pacific region and will be held in Thailand from 20 to 21 March 2025. It will be preceded by a Regional Development Forum on 19 March.

WTDC-25 will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 17 to 28 November 2025.

Resources and background information


About the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), driving innovation in ICTs together with 194 Member States and a membership of over 1,000 companies, universities, and international and regional organizations. Established in 1865, it is the intergovernmental body responsible for coordinating the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, improving communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishing the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems. From broadband networks to cutting-edge wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, oceanographic and satellite-based earth monitoring as well as converging fixed-mobile phone, Internet and broadcasting technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world.