Distinguished guests, esteemed colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to welcome you to this pivotal meeting of the Industry Advisory Group on Development Issues and the Private Sector Chief Regulatory Officers. Thank you for bringing your insights, your experiences and your commitment.
I would especially like to acknowledge the strong leadership of Mr Bocar Ba, Chair of this group, and Vice Chairs Ms Lele Modise and Ms Amy Alvarez, who unfortunately could not join us today. All the same, we are in good hands.
This unique platform brings together regulators and industry leaders, along with colleagues from academic institutions and technical communities, all united by a determination to shape a digital world that is inclusive, resilient and sustainable. At a moment defined by both disruption and opportunity, the IAGDI-CRO offers the chance to turn shared ambition into tangible impact. This platform is where policy meets practice, where regulatory principles meet entrepreneurial drive, and where we collectively chart the course forward.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all who contributed to the recent Virtual Consultation, your contribution to the GSR-25 Best Practice Guidelines. Your input is vital as we explore this year's central theme, Empowering Regulators as Digital Ecosystem Builders.
The pace of our work reflects the urgency of our mission. Since January 2023, we have welcomed over 120 new Sector Members, Associates and Academia, reaching the highest level of our annual membership drive and recruitment in the past ten years. During this period we signed over 200 partnership agreements, representing over 65 million USD for projects implementation. And we have launched 77 new digital development projects, all aimed at extending meaningful connectivity, building trust and unlocking innovation where it is needed most. We broke all records.
In other words, we have built up unstoppable momentum. Our remaining challenge is to connect more people and to connect them better, with secure infrastructure, with accessible and inclusive services and with the skills to thrive in a digital age. By building on our existing momentum, we will close in on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Over the coming days, we will ask the real questions facing us as regulators and industry. How do we foster trust in the digital space? How do we build frameworks that support innovation while protecting users? And how do we ensure no one is left behind?
They are questions of policy, of practice and of purpose. I urge the regulators among us to answer them in a way that embraces their role as ecosystem builders, and the industry leaders among us to partner with them to integrate innovation into regulation at every level.
Ladies and gentlemen, preparations are well underway for the World Telecommunication Development Conference this November in Baku. I urge all of you to seize the opportunity to participate and help us deliver impact. In that spirit, let us begin this meeting with clarity of purpose, and with the resolve to keep pushing forward together.
Let's make the most of this precious space for fresh thinking, peer learning and meaningful collaboration. Industry, the private sector and academia all have a home in the Development Sector! Feel at home! Thank you!
