Highlights – January 2026

22 December 2025—9 January 2026

Cybersecurity: Arab States

From 16–18 December 2025, the ITU Regional Office for the Arab States delivered a three-day in-person ISO/IEC 27005 Risk Manager training in Djibouti, to strengthen national information security risk management capabilities. The workshop provided a focused introduction to the principles and processes of ISO/IEC 27005, tailored to Djibouti’s national context and the needs of key stakeholders from government, critical infrastructure operators and the ICT sector. Participants built a foundational understanding of risk-based approaches, including defining risk context and criteria, and conducting basic risk identification and evaluation.

Digital services and applications: Arab States

On 17–18 December 2025, the ITU Regional Office for the Arab States, in partnership with Jordan’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, held an in-person co-creation workshop in Amman to advance Phase II of Jordan’s National Strategy for Immersive Technologies. Held under the theme “Jordan’s Immersive Future: From Sector Insights to National Strategy”, the workshop brought together leaders from government, industry, academia and civil society. Participants set a strategic direction for immersive technologies and assessed readiness, opportunities, and challenges across education, healthcare, tourism, and gaming and esports. They also explored policy, governance and investment requirements, and strengthened shared ownership of the national strategy. The workshop concluded with an agreement on next steps to refine the draft strategy and prepare for the 2026 public consultation and adoption process

    Digital services and applications: Asia and the Pacific

    A high-level discussion on strengthening inter-agency coordination through GovStack—organized by the Standing Committee on State Building of the State Great Khural, the Subcommittee on Innovation and Electronic Policy Development, the International Telecommunication Union, and Mongolia’s Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Communications—set a clear direction for Mongolia’s adoption of GovStack. The event highlighted Mongolia’s progress in digital service delivery while emphasizing the need to address regulatory and legacy system constraints, noting the strategic use of artificial intelligence to improve legislation and reduce barriers.

    In addition, a series of one-on-one consultations with ministries, government agencies, and UN entities explored opportunities for deeper collaboration on broader digital government transformation. These consultations focused on developing digital public infrastructure to enable secure, interoperable, and efficient data exchange across government systems.

    Emergency telecommunications: Arab States

    On 17–18 December 2025, the ITU Regional Office for the Arab States, in partnership with the League of Arab States and other UN agencies, convened the first Arab Regional Forum on Early Warning Systems in Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt, under the theme “Together for Better Coordination and Effective Response.” The forum brought together regional and national stakeholders to improve coordination and strengthen the effectiveness of early warning systems across the Arab region.

    Discussions focused on governance, sustainable financing, and community engagement, as well as ITU’s support for adopting the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) and sharing national experiences and case studies. The forum also highlighted innovation and community preparedness, showcasing how tools such as CAP, cell broadcasting, artificial intelligence, and local communication networks can accelerate emergency response. Participants emphasized the importance of simulations, training exercises, and information technology in improving preparedness and response at both local and national levels.

    Emergency telecommunications: Asia and the Pacific

    The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific conducted a session on developing a National Emergency Telecommunication Plan (NETP) for the Ministry of Transportation, Communications and IT, Republic of the Marshall Islands. The session covered the NETP framework, implementation, and integration with the National Emergency Telecommunications Cluster and early warning systems. This session launched a series of engagements scheduled for completion by March 2025.

    Environment: Asia and the Pacific

    A capacity-building workshop on e-waste and the circular economy was held on 18 December 2025 at the National University of Mongolia. Held under the Creating a Circular Economy for Electricals and Electronics in Mongolia project, the session focused on engaging academia and research institutions. The workshop strengthened the understanding of e-waste management challenges in Mongolia and introduced key concepts related to circular economy approaches for electrical and electronic equipment.