The most recent Promoting and Measuring Universal and Meaningful Connectivity regional capacity-building workshop for producers and users of ICT statistics took place in late June 2025 in Koror, Palau.

Over three days, the workshop brought together policymakers responsible for national digital strategies and statisticians from ministries, national statistics offices, regulators, and telecom operators.

Participants from Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Palau—the newest Member State to join the ITU—learned how universal and meaningful connectivity (UMC)  principles can be woven into national digital strategies and how robust data can drive evidence-based policymaking across Pacific Island nations. They also shared experiences and challenges from their respective countries.

The workshop was organized by the Telecommunication Development Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in collaboration with the Bureau of Communications of Palau, and with financial support from the European Union and the Joint SDG Fund.

“Small Island Developing States in the Pacific face distinct challenges due to geographic isolation, small populations and vulnerability to climate change. Reliable connectivity is crucial for economic development, disaster resilience and access to essential services in these countries,” said Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at ITU. “Achieving universal and meaningful connectivity is imperative. My sincere thanks to Palau, as the newest ITU Member State, for hosting this impactful event.”

Through panel discussions and group exercises, participants were trained on indicators to measure digital development and shared best practices tailored to the distinct needs of the Pacific Small Island Developing States.

“I was quite impressed with the UMC workshop, especially the detailed presentations and the depth of knowledge shared about the stories behind the numbers. It also became clear to me that broader collaboration is essential to gain the support of key stakeholders. Most importantly, the narratives behind the data truly resonated with me,” said Mr Warren Suti, Principal Project Engineer at the National Information and Communication Technology Authority of Papua New Guinea.

The project will extend its reach through three workshops in Africa: a session for Portuguese-speaking countries in November 2025 and gatherings for French-speaking and English-speaking countries in 2026. Together, these capacity-building efforts continue to accelerate progress toward a digitally inclusive world where meaningful connectivity benefits all.

This is an ITU Development #DigitalImpactUnlocked story

About the project

Also read