{"id":554,"date":"2026-07-03T11:39:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T11:39:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/itu-d\/sites\/bdt-highlights\/?page_id=554"},"modified":"2026-07-03T11:42:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T11:42:59","slug":"highlights-june-2026","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/itu-d\/sites\/bdt-highlights\/highlights-june-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Highlights – June 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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RDF<\/strong><\/strong>:<\/strong> Americas<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The annual ITU Regional Development Forum for the Americas, held on 16 and 17 June 2026 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, welcomed around 150 participants representing 20 Member States, Regional Organizations, UN specialized agencies, Sector Members, Academia and other stakeholders to discuss priority development issues for the region including the implementation of the new Regional Initiatives adopted at the World Telecommunication Development Conference in 2025 (WTDC-25).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Africa-BB-Maps<\/strong>: Asia and the Pacific<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Under the Africa-BB-Maps project, the Africa-Europe Study Visit and Policy Training Workshop, held in Vilnius, Lithuania from 9\u201311 June, brought together regulators from Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Malawi under the Communications Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa (CRASA) cohort to strengthen policy and regulatory capacities for broadband mapping systems. The programme included three hands-on policy simulations on national broadband data reporting and QA\/QC frameworks, cross-border interoperability and metadata harmonisation, and regulatory enforcement, appeals, and institutional credibility. These practical exercises were complemented by a study visit to the Lithuanian Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT), providing direct insight into European regulatory practices and institutional frameworks. The activity strengthened Africa-Europe knowledge exchange under the EU Global Gateway initiative and advanced regional harmonisation approaches for digital connectivity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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[This activity is the result of a BDT project. You can find more details of the project here<\/a>]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Digital services and applications<\/strong>: Africa<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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From 16 to 18 June 2026, a series of workshops and focus group meetings on digital accessibility were held in Maputo bringing together around 90 government officials, ICT professionals, organizations of persons with disabilities, and development partners to strengthen capacities and advance a more inclusive digital agenda in Mozambique. Organized under the \u201cLaying the Foundation for VaMoz Digital!\u201d project, the activities built on the 2025 assessment of digital accessibility and ICT in the country, addressing identified gaps through digital accessibility-related training with a specific focus on public procurement, data for evidence-based policymaking, web accessibility and universal design, and practical accessibility testing. The exchanges validated priorities for digital accessibility in public policy and gathered technical inputs to inform a potential future Mozambican national standard. The outcomes of the discussions will inform national efforts to strengthen digital accessibility frameworks and promote the delivery of more inclusive digital services for all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Digital services and applications<\/strong>: Africa<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The Angola ICT Forum (ANGOTIC) 2026, held from 11\u201313 June in Luanda, Angola, brought together government leaders, regulators, industry executives, development partners and technology innovators to advance Africa\u2019s digital transformation agenda, with strong emphasis on connectivity, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital inclusion and digital public services. BDT played a prominent role by contributing to the Ministerial Plenary on \u201cDigital Transformation: The Impact on Economic and Social Development\u201d and the high-level session on \u201cThe Future is Now \u2013 Angola Telecom and the State\u2019s Digital Acceleration Agenda\u201d, highlighting the importance of inclusive digital transformation, meaningful connectivity, digital skills development and regional cooperation as enablers of sustainable socio-economic growth in Africa.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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BDT further strengthened its leadership on emerging technologies by convening the AI for Good Plenary: \u201cTrust in the Age of AI \u2013 Multimedia Authenticity, AI Standards and Machine Learning\u201d. The session promoted responsible and trustworthy AI, international standards, digital trust and governance frameworks to support Africa\u2019s AI ecosystem.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Emergency telecommunications<\/strong>: Americas<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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From 9\u201311 June, BDT and the World Bank convened a regional validation workshop in Grenada to advance the Cell Broadcast Emergency Warning System Project for five Caribbean countries: Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Funded by the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) Initiative, the project will support the deployment of a regional cell broadcast system over the next four years. In a region highly exposed to climate and disaster risks, and where 85% of the population owns a mobile phone, cell broadcast technology can transform existing digital networks into lifelines by helping ensure that life-saving alerts reach people quickly, effectively, and at scale when hazards threaten lives and livelihoods.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Emergency telecommunications<\/strong>: Global<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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On 23 June, BDT has officially released “A guide to developing a national emergency roaming framework” in an online launch event. Outlining practical steps that regulatory authorities and mobile network operators (MNOs) may follow when establishing a national emergency roaming framework, the guide complements countries\u2019 ongoing efforts to develop and implement National Emergency Telecommunication Plans, which provide the strategic framework for maintaining resilient and reliable communications throughout all phases of disaster risk management. The guide can also be used directly by MNOs to establish bilateral agreements for emergency roaming.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Emergency telecommunications<\/strong>: Americas<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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On 22 June, BDT presented updates on the Cell Broadcast Early Warning System project during the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) Ministerial Caucus Meeting. The Ministerial Caucus Meeting is a platform for CTU Ministers to come together to share experiences and insights, to discuss upcoming important events, and to strengthen relationships among countries in the Region. As an implementing partner along with the World Bank, BDT provided progress on the project implementation in the five Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) recipient countries: Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Through the project, funded by the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) Initiative, BDT and the World Bank will support the deployment of a regional cell broadcast system over the next four years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Other<\/strong>: Africa<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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BDT participated in the African Development Impact Forum (ADIF) 2026, held from 11-12 June 2026 at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Forum brought together policymakers, leaders, development partners, implementation actors, and private sector stakeholders to promote innovative, inclusive, and sustainable solutions aimed at accelerating job creation and expanding economic opportunities across Africa. BDT\u2019s participation contributed to highlighting the critical role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in advancing employment, innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable economic development across Africa. The engagement also provided an opportunity to strengthen partnerships, facilitate knowledge exchange with key stakeholders, and identify potential areas for collaboration to translate Forum commitments into concrete actions and measurable impact on the ground.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Other<\/strong>: Africa<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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From 11-12 June, the training workshop with an Introduction to AI brought together over 100 young women aged 18-25 at the local NGO Female Economic Empowerment in Mozambique (MUVA) in Maputo, Mozambique. Opened by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Transformation and implemented by BDT in partnership with EY, with support of the \u2018Laying the foundation for VaMoz Digital!\u2019 project, the participants built their foundational competencies in AI, digital ethics, cybersecurity, and technology-driven entrepreneurship. The workshop demonstrated how global expertise can be effectively adapted to local contexts, combining BDT\u2019s capacity development approach and ITU Academy pathways with private sector insights and community-based outreach. By directly supporting national priorities on women\u2019s economic empowerment, digital inclusion, and a human-centred digital transformation, the pilot provides a practical model that can be scaled across Mozambique to build a future-ready workforce and strengthen the country\u2019s digital innovation ecosystem.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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RDF: Americas The annual ITU Regional Development Forum for the Americas, held on 16 and 17 June 2026 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, welcomed around 150 participants representing 20 Member States, Regional Organizations, UN specialized agencies, Sector Members, Academia and other stakeholders to discuss priority development issues for the region including the implementation of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":13,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-554","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/itu-d\/sites\/bdt-highlights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/554","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/itu-d\/sites\/bdt-highlights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/itu-d\/sites\/bdt-highlights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/itu-d\/sites\/bdt-highlights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/itu-d\/sites\/bdt-highlights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=554"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/itu-d\/sites\/bdt-highlights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/554\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/itu-d\/sites\/bdt-highlights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/itu-d\/sites\/bdt-highlights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}