What is a WTDC?
Held every four years, the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) is a high-level platform for Member States to develop priorities, strategies and action plans to guide the work of ITU-D over a four-year period. WTDC is a direct service to members providing them the pre-eminent, high-level forum for discussion, information sharing and consensus building on technical and policy issues relating to telecommunication/information and communication technology (ICT) development.
Before each WTDC, BDT organizes, within the financial limitations, one regional preparatory meeting (RPM) per region for each of the six regions of ITU-D namely, Africa, Americas, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Europe. Regional preparatory meetings are direct services to members and are organized to achieve greater regional coordination and engage members early on in the WTDC preparatory process.
Each RPM is preceded by a one-day Regional Development Forum. Regional development forums provide a mechanism for high-level dialogue between BDT and decision-makers of ITU Member States and Sector Members. They serve as a platform for assessing strategic orientations that may have an impact on BDT's regional work plan between WTDCs.
Aims and goals
ITU, through its Telecommunication Development Bureau, organizes a World Telecommunication Development Conference in the period between two Plenipotentiary Conferences. World telecommunication development conferences give the membership the opportunity to debate the latest trends in telecommunication/ICT development and to establish the priorities of ITU-D for the interval between two WTDCs. They also provide the opportunity to compare the initiatives developed at the regional level during the preparatory process of a WTDC and to integrate them into worldwide development efforts and plans.
History
In 1982, the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, decided to establish an “Independent Commission for World-wide Telecommunications Development" to recommend ways of stimulating the expansion of telecommunications across the world. The Commission began its work in 1983 under the chairmanship of Sir Donald Maitland. In December 1984, it published its findings in a report entitled “The Missing Link" – also known as the "Maitland Report" after the Commission's Chairman. The report, submitted to the Secretary-General of ITU in January 1985, showed how access to telecommunication correlates with economic growth – but also drew international attention to the huge imbalance in such access between developed and developing countries.
“The Missing Link" report prompted ITU to convene, in May 1985, the “First World Telecommunications Development Conference" in Arusha, Tanzania. The purpose of this conference was to bring together members of ITU, preferably at the ministerial level, to study and exchange views on the many aspects of the report that had national government policy implications, to find practical ways of implementing the relevant recommendations, and to discuss a range of issues relevant to the development of telecommunications, particularly in the developing regions of the world. After intensive debate, the conference endorsed the conclusions and recommendations embodied in “The Missing Link" report and unanimously adopted the “Arusha Declaration on World Telecommunications Development."
To review the progress made in telecommunication development since the publication of “The Missing Link" report, the next World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-94), was convened in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 21 to 29 March 1994.
WTDC-94 set the goals and objectives and defined and established a common vision and strategies for achieving balanced telecommunication development by and beyond the end of the 20th century; created ITU-D study groups 1 and 2 and developed an action plan – the Buenos Aires Action Plan (BAAP) – to translate the goals and objectives agreed upon into a concrete work programme that was implemented over four years (1994-1998).
Subsequent WTDCs were held as follows:
- WTDC-98, Valletta, Malta, 23 March -1 April 1998.
- WTDC-02, Istanbul, Turkey, 18-27 March 2002.
- WTDC-06, Doha, Qatar, 7-15 March 2006.
- WTDC-10, Hyderabad, India, 24 May-4 June 2010.
- WTDC-14, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 30 March-10 April 2014.
- WTDC-17, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 9-20 October 2017.
- WTDC-22, Kigali, Rwanda, 6-16 June 2022
Milestones from WTDC-22
The eighth World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-22) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), held from 6 to 16 June 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda, was a landmark event aimed at bringing affordable, meaningful connectivity to the estimated 2.9 billion people around the world who still lack an Internet connection.
Convened under the theme: Connecting the unconnected to achieve sustainable development, WTDC-22 was attended by 2 152 participants (1 304 in-person and 848 joining online). Participants were from 150 Member States (with 127 countries on site and 23 joining remotely), 96 Sector Members of the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D), 37 Academia, observers under Resolution 99 of the Plenipotentiary Conference and the United Nations and its specialized agencies. Participants included heads of State, government ministers, prominent leaders from the digital sector and top officials from non-governmental bodies.
WTDC-22 featured a series of pioneering initiatives: the first-ever ITU Generation Connect Global Youth Summit on 2-4 June 2022, the Partner2Connect Digital Development Roundtable, held as an integral part of the conference on 7-9 June 2022, and the Network of Women.
ITU Generation Connect Global Youth Summit
The first-ever Generation Connect Global Youth Summit took place at the Kigali Intare Conference Arena from 2 to 4 June 2022, bringing together young people aged between 15 and 29 from around the world to discuss a wide-ranging technology-for-development agenda ahead of WTDC-22.
This three-day summit was organized by ITU with the host country Rwanda and attracted more than 1 500 delegates from over 115 countries, with over 5 000 online participants. Delegates were young leaders, entrepreneurs, social change-makers, engineers, policy specialists and students, together with today's regional and global business leaders, decision-makers and community advocates.
The Generation Connect Global Youth Summit was a direct outcome of the Participate pillar of the ITU Youth Strategy. Key topics at the Youth Summit included the global digital divide, youth access to online education and digital skills, the digital gender gap, online safety, e-waste management, the future of work, digital entrepreneurship, and the role of technology in climate change.
The Youth Summit ended with the adoption of a Call to Action entitled ''My digital future''. The Call to Action builds on a two-year consultation process that started in 2020 with regional discussions and the resulting six regional youth declarations, global webinars with the Generation Connect community and a four-week online global consultation open to all youth.
Partner2Connect Digital Development Roundtable
The first-ever ITU Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Development Roundtable was held on 7-9 June 2022 as an integral part of WTDC-22. At the time of writing (13 June 2022), 374 pledges had been announced, representing an estimated value of USD 24.5 billion. The drive for universal and meaningful connectivity represented in these pledges is expected to benefit billions of people around the world, especially in developing countries.
The digital divide continues to be a challenge, particularly for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. In response to this challenge, in September 2021 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, ITU launched the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition, a multi-stakeholder alliance to foster meaningful connectivity and digital transformation globally. Launched in close cooperation with the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology, and in line with the United Nations Secretary-General's Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, Partner2Connect provides a leadership platform to mobilize and announce new resources, partnerships and commitments around four focus areas:
- ACCESS: Connecting people everywhere
- ADOPTION: Empowering communities
- VALUE CREATION: Building digital ecosystems
- ACCELERATION: Incentivizing investment
The Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Development Roundtable in Kigali provided an opportunity for Member States, the private sector, academia, civil society, international organizations and other entities to announce their P2C Digital Coalition pledges and advance together digital transformation for all.
The event attracted over 1 000 participants on site in Kigali, who were joined by more than 350 participants connecting remotely. It featured 10 high-level panels, five spotlight sessions and plenty of networking opportunities for a vibrant and inspiring experience.
The P2C interactive dashboard, which was also launched at the Roundtable in Kigali, enables users to search for specific pledges and contributors, as well as view overall tracking analytics.
WTDC-22 unanimously endorsed Resolution 88 (Kigali, 2022), a new resolution called ''The ITU Partner2Connect Digital Coalition", thus formalizing this coalition initiative, which is aimed at fostering meaningful connectivity and digital transformation world-wide, with a focus on, but not limited to, the hardest-to-connect communities in LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS.
Kigali Declaration
The
Kigali Declaration highlights the main conclusions and priorities
established by the conference and reinforces the political support for the ITU
development mission and strategic goals.
In it delegates committed to accelerating the expansion and use of
efficient and up-to-date digital infrastructures, services and applications for
building and further developing the digital economy, including mobilization of
financial resources for providing universal, secure and affordable broadband
connectivity to the unconnected as soon as possible.
ITU-D contribution to the strategic plan for ITU for 2020-2023
ITU normally holds one major conference per year. And WTDC is normally held one year before the Plenipotentiary Conference. This planning allows WTDC to adopt ITUD's contribution to the draft ITU strategic plan prepared through the Council Working Group on the strategic and financial plans; and approved by the Council four months before the Plenipotentiary Conference.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic had a severe impact on the preparatory process, resulting in ITU, exceptionally, holding three major conferences in 2022. Owing to the extraordinary circumstances created by COVID-19, WTDC-22 was unable to meet until after the Council had already approved and submitted the draft strategic plan for the Union for 2024-2027 to the Plenipotentiary Conference (Bucharest, 2022).
During WTDC-22, the Working Group of the Plenary (WG-PL) had the mandate to prepare the input of ITU-D to the strategic plan for the Union. But WG-PL did not receive any input from Member States on the ITU-D contribution to the strategic plan. It did, however, note the contribution from the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) on the European vision for ITU-D.
In its closing hours, WTDC-22 adopted the Kigali Action Plan. WTDC-22 recommended that the Plenipotentiary Conference (Bucharest, 2022) should consider the Kigali Action Plan as the ITU-D contribution to the strategic plan and the overall ITU strategic framework, when finalizing the draft strategic plan for the Union for 2024-2027.
Kigali Action Plan
The Kigali Action Plan follows an RBM framework based on the ITU-D priorities identified as key work areas that will support the achievement of the ITU strategic plan for 2024-2027.
3.1 ITU-D priorities
Affordable connectivity
The focus of this priority is on the use of modern, available, secure, accessible and affordable connectivity through deployment of telecommunication/ICT infrastructure and services for bridging the digital divides. This priority seeks to foster the development of infrastructure and services by utilizing existing as well as new and emerging telecommunication/ICT services and technologies and new business models. In this process, assistance is provided to Member States to enhance and strengthen confidence and security in the use of telecommunications/ICTs, which is of vital importance.
Digital transformation
The focus of this priority is on (1) the development and use of telecommunications/ICTs, as well as applications and services, to close the digital divide and empower people and societies for sustainable development; (2) support to the ITU-D membership in fostering digital transformation through ICT entrepreneurship and increased ICT innovation in the ICT ecosystem, while encouraging the empowerment of grassroots stakeholders and creating new opportunities for them in the telecommunication/ICT sector. This is of critical importance as societies adapt to changes, including in the aftermath of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and with the future prospect of other global disasters. In this process, there is a need to recognize the needs of women, youth, persons with disabilities and persons with specific needs. The priority will identify new approaches that engage Member States and other stakeholders in digital transformation, including start-ups, SMEs, entrepreneurships, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and the public and private sectors to support integration of ICT innovation and national development agendas while identifying needs and delivering initiatives at a national level.
Enabling policy and regulatory environment
The focus of this priority is on fostering an enabling policy and regulatory environment conducive to sustainable telecommunication/ICT development that encourages investment in infrastructure and ICTs and increased adoption of telecommunications/ICTs. This priority comprises key enablers that underpin ITU's work to deliver on the connectivity and digital transformation priorities.
Resource mobilization and international cooperation
The focus of this priority is on mobilizing and attracting resources and fostering international cooperation on telecommunication/ICT development issues. This priority is also cross-cutting, providing resources and fostering international cooperation to deliver relevant global outcomes. In this process, the needs of developing countries, including least developed countries (LDCs), small island developing states (SIDS), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and countries with economies in transition, as well as underserved and vulnerable populations, should be prioritized and given due attention.
Inclusive and secure telecommunications/ICTs for sustainable development
The focus of this priority is on providing support for Member States to achieve secure telecommunications/ICTs for digital development for all. The following topics can be considered as the supporting components of this priority: fostering digital literacy and raising awareness of cybersecurity issues and best practice; strengthening the security of users online and promoting consumer protection; assisting Member States to develop national cybersecurity strategies and computer incident response teams
(CIRTs); promoting digital skills development and digital training programmes, including training for public authorities; investment in secure infrastructure, particularly in underserved areas.
3.2 Products and services
To achieve the outcomes under the thematic priorities, ITU deploys a range of products and services for its members, United Nations agencies and other stakeholders. A range of products and services are offered, not limited to those listed below. Products and services can further be developed for each outcome and KPI in order to ensure the priority has the corresponding action framework. The action plan, together with the respective KPIs, will enable proper monitoring and evaluation of the priorities. According to the ITU strategic plan for 2024-2027, each Sector and the General Secretariat will provide more detailed information on how they will deploy these products and services in their respective operational plans.
3.3 Enablers
ITU‑D will deliver the action plan through the enablers defined in the Kigali Action Plan, the definitions of which are included for reference in this section. Enablers are ITU's ways of working that allow it to deliver on its goals and priorities more effectively and efficiently. They reflect the Union's values of efficiency, transparency and accountability, openness, universality and neutrality, and being people-centred, service-oriented and results-based, and leverage its key strengths and address its weaknesses so that it can support its membership.
3.4 Linkages
The action plan is organized along the ITU-D priorities and provides information on, and linkages between, the corresponding product and service offerings, enablers, key outputs, expected results and KPIs. As graphically shown in Figure 2, these are supporting components for:
- SDGs
- ITU strategic plan and goals/targets
- WSIS action lines
- WTDC resolutions and Recommendations and resolutions of the Plenipotentiary Conference
- regional initiatives
- study Questions
Regional initiatives
During the six regional preparatory meetings in 2022, the regions articulated their specific priorities in a set of regional initiatives, which can be found in the Kigali Action Plan (see also below). These regional initiatives (twenty-eight in total) are intended to address specific telecommunication/ICT priority areas, through partnerships and resource mobilization to implement projects. Under each regional initiative, projects are developed and implemented to meet the region's needs.
Africa regional initiatives
AFR1: Supporting digital transformation to usher in a rapid transition to a digital economy while accelerating innovation in Africa.
AFR2: Implementation and expansion of broadband infrastructures, connectivity and emerging technologies.
AFR3: Building trust, safety and security in the use of telecommunications/information and communication technologies and protection of personal data.
AFR4: Fostering emerging technologies and innovation ecosystems.
Americas regional initiatives
AMS1: Deployment of modern, resilient, secure and sustainable telecommunication/information and communication technology infrastructure.
AMS2: Enhancement and expansion of digital-literacy, digital-skills and digital-inclusion programmes, especially among vulnerable populations.
AMS3: Effective support for digital transformation and innovation ecosystems through scalable, funded and sustainable connectivity projects.
AMS4: Development of enabling policy and regulatory environments to connect the unconnected through accessible and affordable telecommunications/information and communication technologies that support achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and progress towards the digital economy.
Arab States regional initiatives
ARB1: Sustainable digital economy through digital transformation.
ARB2: Enhancing confidence, security and privacy in the use of telecommunications/information and communication technologies in the era of new and emerging digital technologies.
ARB3: Developing digital infrastructure for smart sustainable cities and communitiesDeveloping digital infrastructure for smart sustainable cities and communities.
ARB4: Building capacities and encouraging digital innovation, entrepreneurship and future foresight.
ARB5: Developing means of digital regulation.
Asia-Pacific regional initiatives
ASP1: Addressing special needs of least developed countries, small island developing states, including Pacific island countries, and landlocked developing countries.
ASP2: Harnessing information and communication technologies to support the digital economy and inclusive digital societies.
ASP3: Fostering development of infrastructure to enhance digital connectivity and connecting the unconnected.
ASP4: Enabling policy and regulatory environments to accelerate digital transformation.
ASP5: Contributing to a secure and resilient information and communication technology environment.
CIS regional initiatives
CIS1: Developing infrastructure to promote innovation and partnerships in the introduction of new technologies – the Internet of Things, including the industrial Internet, smart cities and communities, 5G/IMT-2020 and next-generation NET-2030 communication networks, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, digital health, digital skills and environmental protection.
CIS2: Cybersecurity and personal data protection.
CIS3: Creating an enabling legal and regulatory environment to accelerate digital transformation.
CIS4: Digital skills and information and communication technology accessibility for the public, in particular for persons with disabilities.
CIS5: Development of smart cities and communities.
Europe regional initiatives
EUR1: Digital infrastructure development.
EUR2: Digital transformation for resilience.
EUR3: Digital inclusion and skills development.
EUR4: Trust and confidence in the use of telecommunications/ information and communication technologies.
EUR5: Digital innovation ecosystems.
New and revised resolutions
WTDC-22 developed and approved four new resolutions, as follows:
- Resolution 87 (Kigali, 2022): Connecting every school to the Internet and every young person to information and communication technology services aims to ensure that every school is connected to the Internet through the joint ITU-UNICEF Giga initiative.
- Resolution 88 (Kigali, 2022): The ITU Partner2Connect Digital Coalition formalizes the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition as the primary platform to foster new partnerships around meaningful connectivity and digital transformation globally, focusing on, but not limited to, the hardest-to-connect communities.
- Resolution 89 (Kigali, 2022): Digital transformation for sustainable development aims to drive efforts to advance digital transformation for sustainable development, recognizing the enormous potential that ICTs have to create positive, meaningful and lasting change. The Directors of the Radiocommunication Bureau, the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau and the Telecommunication Development Bureau are invited to collaborate actively to fulfil the needs addressed by this resolution in areas of mutual interest related to digital-transformation technologies, within the framework of the ''One ITU'' approach and enhancing coordination among the three Sectors.
- Resolution 90 (Kigali, 2022): Fostering telecommunication/ICT-centric entrepreneurship and digital innovation ecosystems for sustainable digital development seeks to create a thriving environment for entrepreneurship and digital innovation ecosystems to help accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
WTDC-22 modified over 40 resolutions covering a range of topics and abrogated four resolutions deemed to have achieved their objectives.
Learn more from the WTDC-22 Final Report.
Who participates in WTDC?
The World Telecommunication Development Conference is open to:
1. ITU Member States (CV 296 [1]).
2. ITU-D Sector Members:
- Recognized operating agencies (CV 296 bis and CV 229).
- Scientific and industrial organizations (CV 296 bis and CV 229).
- Financial or development institutions (CV 296 bis and CV 229).
- Other entities dealing with telecommunication matters (CV 296 bis and CV 230).
- Regional and other international telecommunication, standardization, financial or development organizations (CV 296 bis and CV 231).
3. Observers from:
- Palestine (Resolution 99 (Rev. Busan, 2014).
- The United Nations (CV297 bis and CV 269A).
- Regional telecommunication organizations referred to in Article 43 of the ITU Constitution (CV 297 bis and CV269B).
- Intergovernmental organizations operating satellite systems (CV 297 bis and CV 269C).
- The specialized agencies of the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency (CV 297 bis and CV 269D).
- Any other regional organization or other international organization dealing with matters of interest to the conference (CV 298C).
How WTDC works
The committees and groups
To conduct its work, each WTDC sets up committees and one or more groups to address organization, work programme, budget control and editorial matters, and to consider other specific matters if required. It establishes a steering committee, presided over by the chairman of the conference, and composed of the vice-chairmen of the conference and the chairmen and vice-chairmen of the committees and any group(s) created by the conference.
Each WTDC also establishes a budget control committee and an editorial committee, the tasks and responsibilities of which are set out in the General Rules of conferences, assemblies and meetings of the Union. In addition to the steering, budget control and editorial committees, the following two committees are set up: the Committee on Working Methods of ITU‑D and the Committee on Objectives.
The plenary meeting of a WTDC may set up other committees or groups that meet to address specific matters, if required.
Access to documentation
All documents for WTDC are available to those eligible to participate in the conference.
The documents can be accessed either publicly or using an ITU user account with TIES access. Holders of an ITU user account may request TIES access here, by logging into their account and selecting the option from the menu.
In line with the ITU information/document access policy approved by Council 2016, information/documents can also be made publicly accessible, unless the submitter of the document advises the ITU secretariat otherwise. This policy entered into force on a provisional basis on 1 January 2017, and was then approved by the Plenipotentiary Conference, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in October-November 2018.
The policy is available at this link and underlines ITU's commitment to improving public access to information, while also protecting certain types of information where disclosure might cause potential harm to a legitimate private or public interest.
Submitting contributions
Any ITU Member State or ITU-D member who can participate in WTDC can submit contributions by electronic means. Appropriate links are made available on WTDC website.
[1] CV refers to the provision of the Convention of the International Telecommunication Union.
