Agenda

With more than 30 years in telecommunications, including over 20 years in ITU’s Development Sector, Dr Zavazava has promoted and implemented impactful information and communication technology projects around the world.

Prior to his election as BDT Director, he served as ITU’s Chief of Partnerships for Digital Development , overseeing development-related projects, strategic partnerships, and resource mobilization between 2019 and 2022, while launching new initiatives that have boosted the engagement of industry, private-sector and academia members in ITU’s work.

Previously, as ITU’s Chief of Projects and Initiatives, he oversaw development projects focused on gender, youth, and people with special needs, along with capacity building, emergency telecommunications, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and e-waste management.

Earlier, Dr Zavazava headed the Republic of Zimbabwe’s Government Telecommunications Agency and served as a senio​r diplomat. He also taught MBA classes at the UK’s Nottingham Trent University.

Throughout his career, he has focused on closing the digital and skills divide and accelerating digital transformation to achieve socio-economic development for all.

Dr Zavazava holds a PhD in Multilateral Trade from Business School Lausanne (Switzerland), and a Master of Laws degree in Telecommunications and Information Technology from the University of Strathclyde (UK), as well as a Master’s in International Relations from Webster University (US), and an MBA from the University of Zimbabwe. He also holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and diplomas in Telecommunications and Systems Engineering.

With over two decades in ICT policy, regulatory frameworks, and digital transformation, Ahmed ElRaghy has significantly advanced inclusive connectivity and socioeconomic progress through technology. His early career focused on national ICT regulatory innovation, where he designed the first framework for submarine cable landings and led mobile market liberalization , substantially reducing consumer tariffs and advocating national priorities in key ITU forums.

He then transitioned to ITU as Senior Advisor at its Regional Office for the Arab States. In this capacity, he provided expert guidance and contributed to ITU’s development initiatives across the region, notably supporting capacity-building and cyber resilience programs like the Global Cyber Drill, which strengthened incident response frameworks for over 100 nations. He also chaired the Arab Standardization Team, harmonizing ICT policies across 22 Arab states.

Currently, ElRaghy serves as Head of the Regulatory and Market Environment Division a.i. within ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT). In this global leadership role, he is responsible for shaping regulatory environments that prioritize universal access, innovation, and resilience, driving global efforts to bridge the digital divide.

A Belgian Lawyer by training, Sofie Maddens is the Chief, of the ITU BDT Digital Knowledge Hub Department and Head of the Regulatory and Market Environment Division.  

She has managed complex private sector, government, and regional and international projects and grants for national governments and their National Regulatory Authorities, the European Commission, the World Bank, the Telecommunications Development Bureau of the ITU as well as for a wide variety of private telecommunications, consulting and financial sector clients in Asia and the Middle East, as well as in the Americas, Europe and Africa.

She has held senior management positions since 1994 in both the public and private sectors at national and international level, leading and implementing projects and programmes on ICT institutional and organizational frameworks and capacity, infrastructure development, knowledge management systems and platforms; data management and analysis, and advising on and building institutional and organizational capacity.  

She has taught and advised on privatization strategies, infrastructure development, liberalization and competition strategies, market entry and universal access strategies, use of scarce resources, consumer protection policies, as well as international trade and regulatory negotiations, bringing in her knowledge and experience of industry trends and innovative solutions for ICT/digital policy and regulation and development.  In addition, she has authored numerous strategic, political, legal, and regulatory texts as well as international trade negotiations strategies in the field of ICT/digital.

Ms. Ekaterine Imedadze has been a commissioner of the Georgian National Communications Commission (ComCom) since March 2021. Prior to taking up her position, she headed the Telecommunications Market Regulation Department at ComCom.

Ekaterine has over 15 years of professional experience in telecommunications with a global perspective. Ekaterine has held several key positions at the international telecommunications group company VEON Ltd., leading the Global Process unit responsible for the group's digital transformation. She also served as the group's internal control and risk management lead for several years. Ms Imedadze had previously served as the Head of Finance and Operations for a number of large private organisations, as well as a business consultant for leading ICT companies.

Ms. Imedadze holds an MBA from the University of Bradford School of Management and completed the Innovation Leadership programme at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Previously, she earned a master's degree in physics as well as a postgraduate diploma in artificial intelligence and fuzzy logic from Tbilisi State University, and she is currently pursuing an LL.M. in competition law and economics at the Brussels School of Competition (BSC).

Ekaterine was appointed as the Board Member of the Digital Regulation Network (DRN) at the International Telecommunication Union from 2025.

Chairperson of the Eastern Partnership Electronic Communications Regulators Network (EaPeReg) in 2023

An engineer of the “Corps des Mines,” a graduate of the École Polytechnique and the Institut d’études politiques de Paris, Xavier Merlin had been the head of the Inter-ministerial task force on simplifying businesses’ administrative procedures and legal publicity since 2019.

Xavier Merlin began his career in 1996 at the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industry’s Department of Forecasting, where he was in charge of economic studies on the internet, audiovisual media, telecommunications and competition. In 1998, he joined that ministry’s Department of External Economic Relations, and tasked with multilateral e-commerce, audiovisual media, telecommunications and postal negotiations. Appointed technical advisor to Catherine Tasca, then France’s Minister of Culture and Communication, in 2000, he became Director of European and International Affairs at the French National Centre of Cinema (CNC) in 2002. In 2008, the joined the Directorate-General for Enterprise (DGE) as the Assistant Director of Institutional relations, in the areas of information technologies and the information society. Assistant Director of Regulation and European and multilateral affairs for the DGE starting in 2009, he was appointed head of the Territorial, European and International Action Department in 2014.

Appointment with effect from 12 January 2024, upon designation by the President of the Assemblée nationale on 22 December 2023, in succession to Serge Abiteboul.

Petros Galides is the Deputy Commissioner of the Cyprus Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Postal Services and of the Digital Security Authority.

Petros currently serves as EMERG Chair (2024 and 2025) and Board Member of the Digital Regulation Network of the ITU. He had also served as ERGP Chair in 2023 and is currently ERGP Vice Chair.

He holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an MBA from the London Business School. Petros has extensive experience in postal, electronic communications, and cybersecurity regulation, as well as in the services, retail and manufacturing sectors. He has served on several company boards, performed consulting work, co-authored pioneering published papers, and held key positions in private, public, and international companies before being appointed Deputy Commissioner in 2013.

Louis-Marc SAKALA, a Computer Science and Telecommunications Engineering graduate with an Executive MBA from Paris Dauphine University, is the Director General of ARPCE Congo and a Commander in the Congolese Order of Merit. He began his career in 2007 as a Systems Engineer at the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS)-AIRBUS DEFENSE in Elancourt, France, before joining THALES COMMUNICATION France as a Systems Integration and Validation Engineer.

In 2010, he joined ARPCE Congo as Head of the Frequency Management Service, then served as Technical Advisor to the Director General, also overseeing the Operators and Service Providers Department. In 2018, he became the Director of Networks and Electronic Communications before being appointed Director General of ARPCE by presidential decree in 2020.

In 2022, he was elected Executive President of ARTAC, (the Central African African Countries Regulators Assembly); 

In 2023, he became Vice-President of Fratel, (the Global Francophones Regulators Network) for which he will serve as President in 2024.

Under his leadership, ARPCE has undertaken bold reforms and implemented ambitious projects, including:

·       Revitalizing international cooperation and action, settling all outstanding debts with international postal and telecommunications institutions, and increasing participation in international meetings.

·       Coordinating META's 2Africa project.

·       Establishing an electronic transaction monitoring center; assisting the state with the implementation of the Electronic Stamp for standardized invoicing and a Digital Hub to boost the tax base in Congo and control financial flows locally and within the CEMAC zone.

·       Completely exempting mobile phone terminals from taxes.

·       Setting up a certification laboratory for electronic equipment.

·       Implementing a sustainable Internet project and a responsible digital observatory.

·       Developing an integrated and automated frequency management system.

·       Updating the national frequency allocation plan.

Omar is a distinguished telecommunications and regulatory expert with over 18 years of experience in regulation, telecommunications, competition policy, marketing, sales, and international partnerships. His expertise spans both the telecom industry and regulatory sectors, where he has played a pivotal role in shaping policies that promote fair competition, foster investment, and enhance market efficiency.

As Deputy Governor of the Regulation and Competition Sector, Alrejraje has led comprehensive regulatory reforms that have enhanced competition, improved service quality, facilitated market entry for new telecom operators, and expanded consumer choices. His leadership has been instrumental in modernizing licensing frameworks, strengthening regulatory oversight, and driving digital transformation initiatives to support the growth of the ICT sector.

In addition to his regulatory expertise, Alrejraje has extensive experience in telecom industry operations, having worked in leading telecom companies in various strategic roles. His insights into industry challenges and market dynamics have enabled him to bridge the gap between regulators and service providers, ensuring that regulatory frameworks align with industry best practices while fostering innovation and sustainable growth. Alrejraje has also played a key role in international collaborations and policy discussions, representing the sector in global forums and advocating for policies. His contributions have helped shape a progressive and investment-friendly telecom landscape.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and is recognized for his strategic leadership, regulatory expertise, and commitment to fostering a competitive and evolving ICT ecosystem.