The Summit is organized by the International Telecommunication Union and is hosted by the Government of the Republic of Panama. Connect Americas is part of ITU's Connect the World series, an ambitious initiative aimed at connecting the unconnected by the year 2015.

The overall objective of the Connect Americas is to mobilize the human, financial and technical resources required to close Information and Communication Technology gaps in the region. The Summit offers a venue for leaders from the public and private sectors as well as international and regional financing and development agencies to network face-to-face and forge new partnerships. It is preceded by a preparatory process during which ICT development projects and project holders are identified, as well as partners and donors willing to contribute to the implementation of the selected projects, with a view to enhance the deployment of ICT networks, applications and services within the region.

The Summit features discussion panels and roundtables focusing on the challenges posed to emerging and transition economies in harnessing the full potential of ICTs. Bold decisions and commitments will be announced on multi-stakeholder partnerships to meet these challenges.