
World Telecommunication & Information Society Day (WTISD)
Empowering the least developed countries through information and communication technologies
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) focuses this year on “Empowering the least developed countries through information and communication technologies.” Taking place on 17 May 2023, on the Day ITU calls on the public and private sectors to make pledges for universal connectivity and digital transformation in these countries through its Partner2Connect Digital Coalition.
Mid-way through the Decade of Action on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), those countries face daunting challenges.
The Fifth Conference on the Least Developed Countries(LDC5) in Doha, Qatar, has set out an ambitious new United Nations programme of action to deliver on sustainable development for all by 2030.
LDCs are the world’s greatest untapped resource, whose needs must be addressed to achieve the SDGs. About one third of the 2.7 billion people who remain unconnected to the Internet are in the 46 LDCs.

How connected are LDCs?
The world’s least developed countries are threatened by a deepening digital divide; a decade of halting progress on connectivity. Check out ITU dataInvestment in these young, vibrant countries can drive sustainable growth for generations.
Together, let’s make 2023 a year of progress for digital transformation in the least developed countries.
How do you drive digital transformation in LDCs?
Please share your pledges, success stories, good practices, solutions, publications, and policies designed to meet present and future challenges of LDCs.
WTISD has been celebrated annually every 17 May since 1969. It marks the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and founding of ITU in 1865. The ITU Portal features the digital collection.

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Harnessing the power of tech
The path to prosperity for the world’s least developed countries runs through digital development. Check out these stories