Highlights – August 2026
Capacity development: Asia and the Pacific
On 14 August 2026, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific launched the ITU Academy online training on “Designing Interoperable Digital Government Services in South-East Asia” scheduled from 14 to 31 August 2026, bringing together more than 40 government officials and practitioners from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Thailand, and Timor-Leste. Organized in partnership with The Open Group, the programme strengthens regional capacities in digital government, interoperability, enterprise architecture, Whole-of-Government approaches, and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) through the GovStack framework. Building on ITU’s support to over 1,500 government officials and practitioners across Asia-Pacific and its contribution to the ASEAN Digital Government Technical Interoperability Framework, the training forms part of the ASEAN-ITU Digital Work Plan 2026. It also contributes to the implementation of WTDC-25 outcomes and the Asia-Pacific Regional Initiatives 2026-2029, supporting inclusive, citizen-centric, and sustainable digital transformation across the region.
Cybersecurity: Asia and the Pacific
From 30 to 31 July 2026, ITU organized the 2026 Subregional CyberDrill for Pacific in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The event was hosted and co-organized with the Pacific Cyber Security Operational Network (PaCSON), in conjunction with the PaCSON 2026 Annual General meeting (AGM). More than 50 participants from Pacific Island member states took part in training sessions and scenario-based exercises led by ITU, the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), and the National Cyber Security Centre New Zealand.
Digital inclusion: Asia and the Pacific
On 27 July and 4 August 2026, ITU participated in two activities in Thailand focused on advancing the digital skills and participation of girls and young women.
On 27 July, ITU participated in the Girls in ICT event under the theme “AI for development: Girls shaping the digital future”, organized by the Digital Council of Thailand (DCT), in partnership with ITU at True Digital Park, Bangkok. The hybrid event covered topics including AI and innovation, inclusive digital leadership, future digital career opportunities, AI content creation, vibe coding, and safe and smart AI use.
On 4 August, the Girls in ICT Day 2026 Training “Enhancing Digital Skills for Primary and Lower-Secondary Female Youth” was organized at Bang Luang Temple in Pathum Thani Province by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) of Thailand together with ITU and local partners. The training included hands-on sessions on AI, future digital careers, creative content creation, online safety and anti-scam awareness. Across both activities, ITU highlighted the importance of supporting girls and young women to develop the digital and AI-related skills needed to participate meaningfully in an increasingly digital world.
Emergency telecommunications: Asia and the Pacific
To ensure swift disaster response to ASEAN countries, as well as the wider Asia-Pacific when needed, BDT has prepositioned emergency telecommunications equipment in Jakarta, Indonesia. On 5 August, BDT handed over life-saving satellite equipment to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre), where they will be kept for rapid deployment to countries needing them following a disaster. BDT’s partnership with the AHA Centre reflects a shared commitment to equip countries with the tools and resources, and regional cooperation needed to keep people connected and first responders coordinated when every second matters.
Emergency telecommunications: Asia and the Pacific
As lead agency for the Early Warnings for All initiative’s Pillar 3, on warning dissemination and communication, BDT, through the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, delivered sessions on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) during Fiji’s National CAP Workshop and National Dialogue on Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems on 29-30 July. The workshop was organized by the country’s National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and supported by the Green Climate Fund.
The sessions highlighted how CAP enables life-saving alerts to be disseminated simultaneously across multiple communication channels. Stakeholders identified the governance, policy, technical, and institutional requirements needed to operationalize CAP. They also discussed the development of a national CAP adoption roadmap — helping ensure that life-saving alerts reach everyone, everywhere, in time to act.
Network and digital infrastructure: Asia and the Pacific
On 29 July 2026, the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific contributed as an invited expert at the Converged Telecommunications Policy Regulation (CTPR) Masterclass 2026 in Kuching, Malaysia. Through two technical sessions and expert insights on spectrum governance and regulatory readiness for 6G, the activity helped strengthen regulators’ capacity to adopt evidence-based and internationally aligned spectrum management approaches. These sessions also supported readiness to develop harmonized policies that promote efficient spectrum use, digital inclusion, resilient connectivity, and sustainable socio-economic development.
Other: Asia and the Pacific
On 22 July 2026, the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific delivered a presentation during a study tour facilitated by two ITU Academia members, Asian Institute of Technology and Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. The presentation provided an overview of the Regional Office’s work in the Asia and the Pacific region and highlighted opportunities for further engagement with academia.
Other: Asia and the Pacific
From 4 to 6 August 2026, ITU participated in the 19th APT Policy and Regulation Forum for Pacific (PRFP-19) in Funafuti, Tuvalu, which brought together policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, and development partners to discuss priorities for inclusive, resilient, and sustainable digital transformation across the region. Discussions focused on digital government, resilient connectivity, infrastructure investment, submarine cable protection, emergency communications, innovation and entrepreneurship, and emerging satellite technologies. The ITU Regional Office for Asia-Pacific facilitated the session on Digital Government: Smart Island Initiatives and Whole-of-Government Approaches, highlighting resilient interoperable digital public services, and citizen-centric service delivery. Participants exchanged experiences and practical approaches to accelerating digital transformation while ensuring that the benefits of digital technologies reach remote and underserved communities. ITU also consulted Pacific Member States on the feasibility study to enhance its regional presence in the Pacific.
Capacity development: Africa
The Africa-BB-Maps Intermediate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Data Management capacity development training brought together participants from Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Communications Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa (CRASA) from 24 to 28 August in Lilongwe, Malawi. The training built on the foundational programme delivered in Botswana in May 2026, with this stage focused on deepening intermediate-level competencies in enterprise GIS architecture, multiuser geodatabases, data governance, role-based access control, advanced data editing, topology and database management for broadband mapping. Through practical, hands-on exercises, participants strengthened their technical capacity to manage, maintain and operationalise enterprise GIS environments supporting national broadband mapping systems, while exchanging implementation experiences and lessons learned from their respective countries. The training further strengthened the emerging regional community of practice, promoting continued collaboration, peer learning and technical knowledge exchange to support the successful implementation and long-term sustainability of national broadband mapping systems across the region.
Digital inclusion: Asia and the Pacific
On 19 August, the Final Session of Girls in ICT Day Thailand 2026 was organized at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. Co-organized by ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), the Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), and hosted by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO) in Thailand, the Final Session was held to conclude the programme activities and celebrate the achievements of Girls in ICT Day Thailand 2026. Participants included students from schools and universities, as well as representatives from ITU and the partner agencies, including NBTC, MDES, UNRCO Thailand, and the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), who delivered remarks during the opening segment. During the Final Session, participants shared their experiences and lessons learned from taking part in the Girls in ICT Day Thailand 2026 programme activities and exchanged thoughts and insights related to empowering girls and young women in ICT. Participants were also actively engaged through group discussions and interactive activities and invited to share ideas and suggestions to contribute towards preparing for next year’s Girls in ICT Day Thailand.
Digital inclusion: Americas
On 12-13 August, the ITU Regional Office for the Americas, in partnership with Uruguay’s Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining – DINATEL, organized the second edition of the regional event “Priorities for Youth in the Digital World”, bringing together 98 participants representing 43 entities from 8 countries across the Americas. Structured around three thematic tracks, including Digital Skills and Education, Youth and Internet Governance, and Digital Jobs and Young Talent, the programme supported the implementation of the Regional Initiatives for the Americas. The event benefited from extensive support from the partners, along with several local public and private sector entities and international foundations supporting young women in STEM and coding. Meaningful youth participation was a central feature of the event, with young people from urban as well as rural and indigenous communities across South America, Central America and the Caribbean actively contributing to discussions and knowledge-sharing activities.
Digital innovation ecosystem: Africa
Under the “Laying the foundation for VaMoz Digital!” project in Mozambique, BDT, in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Digital Transformation, conducted a series of stakeholder consultations and two Strategic Foresight Workshops on Digital Agriculture and Digital Education on 19 and 20 August, under the project’s innovation workstream. The workshops brought together 50 stakeholders to discuss key trends and drivers, map sectoral value chains, and identify challenges and opportunities for digital transformation of the agriculture and education sectors. Through participatory discussions and co-creation, stakeholders explored desirable future scenarios and identified the actions and decisions needed today to achieve more inclusive, innovative, resilient and digitally enabled sectors. The insights generated will inform education and agricultural sectoral foresight reports and action-oriented strategic roadmaps, helping stakeholders anticipate emerging opportunities and shape desired digital futures aligned with Mozambique’s national ambitions.
Emergency telecommunications: Africa
The Malawi Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Roadmap Writeshop, held in Salima from 17 to 21 August, marked an important milestone in translating Malawi’s EW4All commitments into a concrete, coordinated and actionable national implementation framework. The five-day writeshop brought together national institutions, EW4All global pillar leads and technical partners to develop the country’s EW4All Implementation Roadmap for 2026–2030, including detailed pillar actions, implementation timelines, resource requirements and a monitoring and evaluation framework. BDT played a leading role in guiding the development of the Pillar 3 roadmap, working closely with the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority and the Ministry of ICT as the designated national pillar leads. Particular attention was given to defining priority interventions, measurable indicators, implementation arrangements and the associated M&E framework. Beyond Pillar 3, BDT contributed actively to cross-pillar discussions and reviews, helping to strengthen linkages between risk knowledge, forecasting, warning dissemination and preparedness, while identifying cross-cutting priorities necessary for an integrated, people-centred and end-to-end early warning system. This collaborative approach was central to the writeshop methodology, which included pillar breakout sessions, cross-pillar harmonisation and joint development of governance and M&E arrangements. The resulting draft roadmap provides a strong basis for coordinated national action and investment towards ensuring that timely and actionable early warnings reach vulnerable communities across Malawi. Next steps will include circulation of the draft roadmap for further review and validation, ahead of its official launch and subsequent national adoption.
Emergency telecommunications: Africa
National authorities and partners convened in Lomé, Togo, for the EW4All National Consultative Workshop for Togo on 18-20 August. The workshop marked the start of the initiative’s implementation in the country. Organized together with the Secrétariat Général de la Présidence du Togo, the Agence nationale de la Météorologie and the Agence nationale de la protection civile, the workshop provided a space for stakeholders to collaborate and highlight the strong political commitment to strengthen Togo’s early warning systems, as well as to discuss the next steps to establish a national coordination mechanism and an EW4All National Roadmap 2025-2027. The participants agreed on the process for identifying policy, technical, financial, and operational gaps at national and subnational levels across all four EW4All pillars and also committed to mapping national actors to lead each pillar. They also reassessed institutional core capacities through the gap analysis tool and consolidated national presentations on early warning capabilities, helping to bring the country closer to protecting everyone, everywhere with timely and life-saving alerts.
Emergency telecommunications: Africa
The EW4All National Consultative Workshop and the unveiling of the EW4All National Roadmap for Zimbabwe were held on 20 August in Mutare, Manicaland Province. The events, which marked the start of the initiative’s implementation in the country, brought together key global, regional and national stakeholders who are committed to reinforcing disaster resilience across Zimbabwe. Jointly organized with the country’s Meteorological Services Department, the workshop highlighted priorities across the four EW4All pillars. It provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss strategies for bridging national policy with local action, enhancing community readiness and mobilizing multi-stakeholder engagement and resources to make early warnings a reality for all.
Emergency telecommunications: Africa
Senegal’s National Emergency Telecommunication Plan has been handed over by BDT to the country’s Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications et des Postes (Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications and Post). Developed in close collaboration with the Government and partners involved in disaster management in the country, the Plan strengthens the use of telecommunications and other technologies through better national coordination and preparedness — helping ensure life-saving communications are available when they are needed most, before, during and after disasters.
Environment: Global
The Greening Digital Companies 2026: Monitoring Emissions and Climate Commitments report, jointly developed by BDT and the World Benchmarking Alliance, was launched on 2 September at the World Telecommunication/Information and Communication Technology Policy Forum (WTPF) 2026.
The report’s fifth edition shows encouraging progress on climate commitments and reporting across 200 digital companies worldwide, but implementation and actual emissions reductions are not keeping pace. For the first time in the series, the report examines climate transition planning, reinforcing that commitments require credible plans, accountability and measurable results.
Emergency telecommunications: Arab States
From 23 to 27 August, the Multi-Stakeholder Workshop on National Emergency Telecommunication Plan (NETP) Adoption, Cell Broadcast Early Warning Systems, and Training-of-Trainers on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) for Sudan was held in Khartoum. Organized in collaboration with the country’s Telecommunications and Post Regulatory Authority and the Ministry of Telecommunications and Digital Transformation, the workshop provided an opportunity for stakeholders to adopt the NETP and explore the potential of Cell Broadcast Early Warning Systems in saving lives. The Training-of-Trainers session on CAP, delivered under the EW4All initiative, strengthened national capacity to issue fast, reliable, life-saving alerts. These are important building blocks for a more resilient and connected Sudan, ensuring that people can receive life-saving warnings when needed most.