Highlights January 2025
16 December 2024 -17 January 2025
Digital inclusion: Asia and the Pacific
On 9 January 2025, ITU and UNICEF co-organized the 15th Asia & Pacific Digital Transformation in Learning and Education Technical Working Group meeting, focusing on advancing school connectivity. Attended by UNICEF, ITU, UNESCO, and UNICEF, participants shared progress on the Giga school connectivity initiative, highlighting work in Bhutan and Sri Lanka. The group also outlined plans for 2025, such as AI for Connectivity Hackathons and the Giga Connectivity Forum. ITU shared updates on its upcoming Regional Development Forum, Regional Preparatory Meeting, the 29th Interagency Working Group on ICT, and the Digital Transformation Centres initiative. The meeting reinforced the members’ collective commitment to improving digital learning and connectivity across the region.
Policy and regulation: Asia and the Pacific
On 20 December 2024, the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific participated in a seminar on innovative education and global collaboration organized by Juntendo University of Japan and the National University of Singapore. ITU introduced its mission, key initiatives, and its pivotal role in driving digital transformation for sustainable development. The event served as a platform for fostering academic and institutional collaboration and emphasized the importance of ICT in advancing global education and international partnerships. Discussions explored opportunities for strengthening ITU’s engagement with academia, including Juntendo University's potential membership in ITU-led initiatives.
Statistics: Asia and the Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and the ICT Data and Analytics Division organized a subregional workshop for Asia on promoting and measuring universal and meaningful connectivity. The workshop held 16-18 December 2024, in Bangkok, Thailand, promoted universal connectivity through policy integration, enhanced statistics, and data-driven recommendations. The event was organized in collaboration with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission of Thailand with financial support from the European Commission. By bringing together stakeholders from national statistical offices and ICT/telecom ministries and regulators, the event built capacity for meaningful connectivity, improved data-driven decision-making and strategy design, and addressed statistical measurement challenges.