Highlights February 2025
24 – 27 February
RPM/RDF: Europe
The Regional Preparatory Meeting (RPM) for Europe was held from 25 to 26 February 2025 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). The meeting was preceded by a Regional Development Forum (RDF), on 24 February, during which, several signing ceremonies and announcements took place, underlining the importance of stakeholders’ commitment towards the implementation of the Regional Initiatives.
Digital services and applications: Asia and the Pacific
The opening ceremony of the Maprik Smart Village Workshop and Training was held in Maprik, East Sepik, Papua New Guinea, was a collaborative effort between the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and the Government of Papua New Guinea, supported by the European Union Rural Entrepreneurship, Investment, and Trade (EU STREIT). The event showcased a visit to the Maprik Secondary Computer Lab/Resource Centre and School Clinic. The Office delivered a presentation that addressed key lessons learned, best practices applicable to Maprik, and elaborated on its collaboration with EU STREIT. Funding mechanisms, technical support, and capacity-building initiatives, laying a robust foundation for future enhancements and sustainable growth in the region, were also explored.
Digital services and applications: Asia and the Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific organized digital skills workshops and engagement sessions in Tonoas, Federated States of Micronesia, as part of the Smart Islands initiative under the Joint SDG Fund programme. The workshops, held in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the Department of Health Training and Awareness, and the Australian Embassy, trained community members, including students, on basic digital literacy, career development, health, as well as scholarship programmes and community funding.
Network and digital infrastructure: Asia and the Pacific
A national Training on Broadband Infrastructure Planning, Mapping and Analysis was conducted in Malaysia. The meeting was hosted by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) academy and supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) of the Republic of Korea. Using a hands-on approach with open-source tools, participants from various government departments, regulatory bodies and industry were equipped with skills on collection, analysis and visualization of ICT infrastructure data, and how to plan and optimize broadband networks. Following the training, participants will be able to identify connectivity gaps, plan infrastructure projects, and make data-driven decisions to extend broadband access to under-connected areas.
Digital services and applications: Asia and the Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and the Ministry of Transportation, Communications, and IT of the Marshall Islands together with UN Resident Coordinator, organized the launch of the Digital Hub in Jabwor, Jaluit Atoll, in the Marshall Islands. This Digital Hub is part of the Smart Islands initiative being implemented by the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, UNOPS and FAO.
Environment: Asia and the Pacific
Continued technical and strategic consultations on Indonesia’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for electronics took place in Jakarta. Supported by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (UK FCDO), this technical assistance aimed to facilitate the electronics sector’s transition, aligning with the country’s circular economy development plans. During the consultations, the proposed EPR roadmap was presented to key government stakeholders. The discussions focused on testing potential recommendations and solutions, with participants providing valuable feedback on specific EPR system modalities. Moreover, the consultations also explored the framework for a study assessing the costs associated with post-consumer electronics management. Additionally, synergies were strengthened with other international cooperation organizations engaged in e-waste management efforts in Indonesia.
17 – 21 February
Cybersecurity: Asia and the Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific organized a training session on ’Strengthening Critical Information Infrastructure Resilience through National Computer Incident Response Team Services’ together with the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) Philippines and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), for attendees from different government agencies. As part of the workshop, the Office delivered a structured presentation focused on the Global Cybersecurity Index recommendations and scenario-based exercises. A tabletop exercises on National Cybersecurity Strategy implementation and Cyber Crisis Management was also delivered.
Digital services and applications: Asia and the Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, Communications & Transport of Kiribati, held a stakeholder consultation meeting in Tarawa, to discuss the national digital transformation strategy. Stakeholders from the government, industry and academia attended the meeting, which was organized under the Joint SDG Fund Programme.
[This activity is the result of a BDT project. You can find more details of the project here]
Digital services and applications: Asia and the Pacific
A national training on Broadband Infrastructure Planning, Mapping and Analysis was conducted for Indonesia. Using a hands-on approach with open-source tools, participants from various government departments were equipped with skills on collection, analysis and visualization of ICT infrastructure data, and how to plan and optimize broadband networks. After the training, participants will be able to identify connectivity gaps, plan infrastructure projects, and make data-driven decisions to extend broadband access to un/under-connected areas.
Other: Africa
The ITU Regional Office for Africa organized a virtual stakeholder consultation as part of the Laying the foundation for VaMoz Digital! project’s innovation ecosystem stream of work. The discussion shared information on the Digital Innovation Profile and innovation ecosystem to advance national digital transformation ambitions in Mozambique. National stakeholders, including academia and innovation hubs, contributed to establishing a vibrant platform to prepare for an upcoming National Digital Innovation Profile Technical Workshop.
[This activity is the result of a BDT project. You can find more details of the project here]
27 January – 7 February
WTDC 2025: Arab States
The Regional Preparatory Meeting (RPM) for the Arab States was held on 4-5 February in Amman, Jordan. Participants at the meeting assessed the ongoing implementation of the Kigali Action Plan and identified priority areas for information and communication technology (ICT) development strategies in the Arab region to be adopted at the next ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025 (WTDC-25), to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan from 17 to 28 November 2025. The meeting was preceded by the Regional Development Forum (RDF).
Digital services and applications: Asia and the Pacific
The launch of a Digital Hub was held in Hunga Island, Vava’u, Tonga, in collaboration with the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change, and Communications. The Digital Hub will provide Internet access and equipment to facilitate access to educational materials, online educational platforms, sales and marketing resources, and to attend meetings and trainings, and for trading purposes. The initiative will improve livelihoods and resilience through economic diversification and digital transformation, aligning with the implementation of the UN Joint Programme, advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Capacity development: Asia and the Pacific and Arab States
Together with Ernst and Young (EY), a workshop to enhance digital skills for girls and women on the latest trends in technology for Artificial Intelligence was held at the ITU Area Office and Innovation Centre in Delhi, targeted girls and young women from non-STEM backgrounds, aged 18-25 years old. The workshop offered, participants a unique opportunity to explore AI and gain critical skills for the digital future.
An Introductory AI Workshop for young women was also held in Amman, Jordan, for young women aged 18-25 years old, to gain valuable AI skills, foster creativity, problem-solving and leadership, and innovate for the future.
The workshops are part of the ‘AI Skills Accelerator for Girls’, a two-year programme launched by BDT and EY, aimed to address the challenge of ensuring girls’ and women’s access to the latest and emerging trends in technology.
Capacity development: Asia and the Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific conducted a stakeholder consultation on a draft National Emergency Telecommunication Plan (NETP) for Tuvalu. As a Pacific Small Island Developing State (SIDS), the nation faces challenges from sea level rise and high tides and regularly suffers from drought.
Cybersecurity: Asia and the Pacific
As part of the implementation of the Joint Programme on “Accelerating SDG achievement through digital transformation to strengthen community resilience in Micronesia”, a national Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT) readiness assessment was conducted in Palau. This assessment is the first technical assistance to Palau following its accession to ITU in September 2024. President H.E. Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. highlighted the cybersecurity threats Palau faces in his opening remarks. In line with the BDT4Impact vision, this assessment will provide actionable recommendations to Palau to create a national CIRT, in line with ITU’s CIRT framework.
Cybersecurity: Asia and the Pacific
As part of a partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) of Bhutan, the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific conducted a Cybersecurity Capacity Building program for Bhutan which was held in Bangkok, Thailand. This three-day activity featured tabletop exercises, discussions, and site visits in Bangkok, to enable peer learning in the spirit of South-South and Triangular Cooperation. Discussions focused on mainstreaming cybersecurity awareness across all government agencies and how to foster interagency collaboration, including by learning from the experience of Thailand. Site visits were conducted to the National Cyber Security Agency of Thailand and Mahidol University, to learn about the cybersecurity enabling environment and cybersecurity academia programs respectively.
Digital inclusion: Asia and the Pacific
On 23 January 2025, the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, in collaboration with Huawei, successfully hosted the 2nd Regional Catch-Up for the Generation Connect Young Leadership Programme (GCYLP). The session provided GCYLP fellows with a platform to engage with ITU and Huawei representatives, share updates on their innovative projects, and explore areas for collaboration and networking to strengthen their initiatives. This impactful session highlighted the ongoing partnership between ITU and Huawei in empowering youth and fostering leadership in digital development, reinforcing the critical role of youth-led solutions and regional collaboration in advancing digital transformation across the Asia-Pacific region.
Digital inclusion: Asia and the Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, in collaboration with Huawei, successfully hosted the 2nd Regional Catch-Up for the Generation Connect Young Leadership Programme (GCYLP). The session provided GCYLP fellows with a platform to engage with BDT and Huawei representatives, share updates on their innovative projects, and explore areas for collaboration and networking to strengthen their initiatives. This impactful session highlighted the ongoing partnership between BDT and Huawei in empowering youth and fostering leadership in digital development, reinforcing the critical role of youth-led solutions and regional collaboration in advancing digital transformation across the Asia and the Pacific region.
Digital inclusion: Asia and the Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific organized and served as the anchor agency for Issue-Based Coalition on Digital Transformation (IBC-DX) Seminar #4, with the topic “A whole of government approach to digital government – a case of GovStack”. The Office highlighted the whole-of-government approach and elaborated on the GovStack framework, including partnership opportunities for further implementation at the country level.
Digital services and applications: Asia and the Pacific
A stakeholders consultation meeting was held in Honiara, Solomon Islands, to finalise the draft National Digital Transformation Policy of Solomon Islands. Organized by the Ministry of Communication and Aviation of Solomon Islands and BDT, with support from the Joint SDG Fund and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the discussions aimed to refine the national digital policy, addressing the country’s digital development challenges. This meeting marks a significant step toward enhancing the quality of life of the nation’s citizens through sustainable and inclusive digital advancements in Solomon Islands.
Emergency telecommunications: Americas
BDT and GSMA co-organized the ‘The Opportunity of Life-saving Early Warnings Systems for the Caribbean’ panel session during CANTO Connect in Curaçao. As Pillar 3 lead on warning dissemination and communication, BDT shared how Early Warnings for All can save lives in the Caribbean, where over 96% of the population is covered by mobile networks, and 84% own a mobile phone. CANTO Connect was organized by the Caribbean Association of National Telecommunications Organizations (CANTO), the non-profit association composed of operators, organizations, companies and individuals in the ICT sector who shape the ICT industry in the Caribbean Region and the Americas.