{"id":1691,"date":"2025-12-19T15:33:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T15:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/?page_id=1691"},"modified":"2025-12-19T17:04:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T17:04:13","slug":"partner2connect-annual-meeting-15-december-2025","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/partner2connect-annual-meeting-15-december-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Partner2Connect Annual Meeting 15 December 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"    <section>\n    <div class=\"text-section\">\n        <div class=\"ituContainer grid\">\n                                        <div class=\"text-section-left\" data-span=\"8\">\n                        <h2 class=\"h3\">\n        <strong>Full speed ahead: United to reach USD 100 billion in commitments<\/strong><br><br>    <\/h2>\n                        <p>\n        The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/initiatives\/digital-unga2025\/wsis20-edition\/\"><strong>Digital@UNGA<\/strong>\u00a0WSIS+20 Edition event<\/a>, took place on 15 December 2025 at the UN HQ in New York, highlighted public-private cooperation to connect some of the world\u2019s hardest-to-reach communities, with the\u00a0<strong>Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Coalition\u2019s Annual Meeting for 2025<\/strong>\u00a0taking place as part of the programme.<br><br>During the event,\u00a0<strong>new P2C commitments were announced<\/strong>, reflecting growing multistakeholder engagement to accelerate global progress on connectivity. P2C pledges are categorized under the\u00a0<strong>WSIS Action Lines<\/strong>, a set of 11 priority areas guiding UN efforts to harness rapidly evolving digital technologies for human development. To date,\u00a0<strong>over USD 80 billion<\/strong>\u00a0has been mobilized, supporting the collective goal of reaching\u00a0<strong>USD 100 billion in commitments by 2026<\/strong>.<br><br>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/en\/mediacentre\/Pages\/PR-2025-12-16-Digital-UNGA-WSIS-Edition.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a> to check the official press release.<br>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1146682878?fl=pl&amp;fe=vl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a> to watch the full recording of the session.<br>    <\/p>\n            <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"text-section-right data-span-override\" data-span=\"4\">\n                    <div class=\"ituContainer\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Partner2Connect: A global movement driving meaningful connectivity and digital transformation\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sJWqFE1h2pI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Partner2Connect Video<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>            <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n\n\n<div class=\"ituContainer\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"ituContainer\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"ituContainer\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"ituContainer\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"ituContainer\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Presentation1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1705\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Presentation1.png 960w, https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Presentation1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Presentation1-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"ituContainer\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"ituContainer\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1706\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2.png 960w, https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n    <section>\n    <div class=\"text-section\">\n        <div class=\"ituContainer grid\">\n                                        <div class=\"text-section-left\" data-span=\"8\">\n                        <h2 class=\"h3\">\n        <strong><strong>P2C Champions Driving Impact at Scale<\/strong><\/strong><br><br>    <\/h2>\n                        <p>\n        Opening Act II,\u00a0<strong>ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin<\/strong>\u00a0emphasised that Partner2Connect provides a practical framework to turn the WSIS vision into concrete action, matching digital transformation needs with real resources, partnerships, and investments. She highlighted P2C\u2019s rapid growth into a global movement and underscored the urgency of accelerating delivery, with 2.2 billion people still offline and the 2030 window narrowing fast.<br><br>In a rapid-fire exchange with\u00a0<strong>P2C Champions<\/strong>, speakers showcased how large-scale investments, skills development, and partnerships are already delivering results.<br><br><strong>Christopher Hemmerlein<\/strong>, Senior Manager, Public Policy at\u00a0<strong>Amazon<\/strong>, highlighted the company\u2019s dual focus on connectivity and digital skills. Amazon\u2019s pledge to train\u00a0<strong>over 29 million people worldwide<\/strong>\u00a0reflects its belief that digital infrastructure and human capacity must advance together to unlock real opportunities.<br><br><strong>Zhiping Chen<\/strong>, Vice President of\u00a0<strong>ZTE<\/strong>, outlined the company\u2019s sustained investment of\u00a0<strong>USD 400 million annually<\/strong>\u00a0in digital infrastructure. <br><br><strong>Melike Yetken-Krilla<\/strong>, Head of International Organisations at\u00a0<strong>Google<\/strong>, highlighted the company\u2019s investments in global connectivity infrastructure, including subsea cables that have already brought\u00a0<strong>over 100 million first-time users online<\/strong>. <br><br><strong>Christopher Sharrock<\/strong>, Vice President, UN Affairs and International Organisations at\u00a0<strong>Microsoft<\/strong>,  highlighted the company\u2019s\u00a0<strong>USD 4 billion \u201cElevate\u201d initiative<\/strong>\u00a0to expand access and skills for 20 million people, as well as the\u00a0<strong>Airband programme<\/strong>, which has already exceeded its connectivity targets in Africa. <br><br><strong>Emilio Pineda<\/strong>, Manager, Institutions for Development Sector at the\u00a0<strong>Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)<\/strong>, showcased IDB\u2019s\u00a0<strong>USD 1 billion P2C commitment<\/strong>\u00a0supporting digital infrastructure, regulatory modernisation, and ecosystem development across Latin America and the Caribbean. <br><br>A key highlight of Act II was the announcement by\u00a0<strong>Flavia Alves<\/strong>, Director and Head of International Institutions at\u00a0<strong>Meta<\/strong>, who confirmed Meta\u2019s decision to join\u00a0<strong>Partner2Connect as a new P2C Champion<\/strong>. She announced major long-term investments in\u00a0<strong>submarine cable infrastructure across all regions<\/strong>, including Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East. <br>    <\/p>\n            <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n\n\n    <section>\n    <div class=\"text-section\">\n        <div class=\"ituContainer grid\">\n                                        <div class=\"text-section-left\" data-span=\"8\">\n                        <h2 class=\"h3\">\n        <strong><strong><strong>P2C delivering on the WSIS promise: Aligning Pledges with the WSIS Action Lines<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>    <\/h2>\n                        <p>\n        <br><br>This P2C Annual Meeting powerfully demonstrated how\u00a0<strong>Partner2Connect is delivering on the WSIS promise<\/strong>, moving beyond pledges to real investments, partnerships, and measurable impact. Through its growing community of Champions and pledgers, P2C is accelerating progress toward universal meaningful connectivity and ensuring that digital transformation delivers tangible benefits for people, communities, and economies worldwide.<br><br>    <\/p>\n            <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n\n\n<div class=\"ituContainer\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/aa.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1708\" style=\"width:793px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/aa.png 960w, https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/aa-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/aa-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1691","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1691"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1691\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/partner2connect\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}