Abdurahman M. Al Hassan, Chair of the TSAG,
TSAG Vice Chairs,
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU Secretary General,
Seizo Onoe, Director of TSB, …
… distinguished delegates
… ladies and gentlemen.
It is my pleasure to address you today.
The ITU-D sector is looking towards the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025 …
… which takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November …
… WTDC-25 will define our priorities for the coming cycle …
… just as last year's WTSA in New Delhi set the agenda for ITU-T.
I am grateful for this opportunity to reflect on the many synergies between the work of our respective sectors.
While TSB and the T- Sector develop standards, the BDT and D-Sector get those standards applied for global connectivity and digital development …and drive capacity building particularly in developing countries including bridging the standardization gap - in short, we bridge the last mile gap.
… This helps us ensure that the ITU goals are supported by strong technical standards on one hand, and policy and regulatory frameworks, together with capacity building on the other.
As the development sector focuses on driving broadband infrastructure development …
… providing digital skills training …
… and working towards inclusive connectivity in underserved regions,
The Standardization Sector plays a crucial complimentary role in this work …
… by ensuring these efforts are aligned with global standards for interoperability, security, and scalability …
… and making broadband deployment more efficient and sustainable.
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to touch on some areas of synergy.
In line with WTDC resolution 47, BDT is supporting Member States in setting up Testing Laboratories …
… and facilities for conformity, interoperability, and type approvals …
… all based on guidelines developed by ITU-T.
We are also drawing on the work of various ITU-T Study Groups.
We are leveraging the standards produced by Study Group 12 in supporting performance assessments of mobile network operators …
… collaborating with Study Group 17 on areas such as infrastructure resilience and 5G security …
… and with Study Group 15 on ICT access networks.
We also draw inspiration from ITU-T's expansive portfolio of AI standards in our capacity-building initiatives …
… by providing workshops and sharing best practices on AI regulations. We have a number of joint workshops at the AI4Good Summit coming up next month.
ITU-T's work on future Passive Optical Network standards has also proved invaluable …
… and we are supporting Member States in adopting these standards through a range of Toolkits …
… including the Last Mile Toolkit, Connectivity Planning Platform and Infrastructure Business Planning Toolkit.
BDT and TSB are also jointly advancing rural connectivity and infrastructure acceleration …
… on promoting local ICT equipment manufacturing …
… and on the expansion of Internet Exchange Points and peering ecosystems.
The 32nd meeting of the Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (TDAG) took place from 12 – 16 May. TDAG considered four liaison statements from TSAG including on engagement with industry, guidelines on preparation of resolutions, and two on the ITU strategic and financial plans. TDAG has already prepared responses to these liaison statements.
The coordination and great collaboration between the two sectors underscores our commitment to bridging digital gaps …and building a more connected world together.
On this note let me wish you fruitful deliberations at this TSAG. See you at WTDC-25 later this year!
