Highlights November 2023
27 - 1 December
Digital inclusion: Global
Generation Connect led a session "ITU Generation Connect: Youth for Green Digital Action" at UN Climate Change's 18th Conference of Youth (COY18). Generation Connect Africa Youth Envoys and Generation Connect Arab States Youth Envoys spoke about the importance of green digital solutions and the interdisciplinary and youth-inclusive action they hope to see from decision-makers at COP28.
Digital inclusion: Global
The Generation Connect CIS Youth Envoy participated in the WISE Summit in Doha, Qatar under the theme "Creative Fluency: Human Flourishing in the Age of AI." He spoke on a panel about AI and human creativity.
Digital inclusion: Asia and Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific delivered an intervention at the 19th Meeting of the Learning and Education 2030+ Networking Group organized by UNESCO. During the meeting, ITU introduced the progress made by the Asia Pacific Technical Working Group meetings on Digital Transformation in Education and Learning co-chaired by UNICEF and ITU, and highlighted the achievements of Child Online Protection, Girls in ICT Day and school connectivity.
Digital services and applications: Asia and Pacific
As part of the EU STREIT ITU project in Papua New Guinea, ITU and FAO conducted trainings:
- on "e-commerce, online marketing and financial literacy" for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in cocoa, vanilla and fisheries in Don Bosco School in Vanimo
- “Digital Skills and Financial Literacy Services” for farmers at newly established Brandi schools resource center
The training enhanced the capacity development of farmers from local value chain industries (cocoa, vanilla and fisheries), micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), as well as schoolteachers. All participants improved Internet skills and knowledge among business groups, cooperatives and producers; enabling them to effectively market their vanilla and cocoa crops online as well as to purchase inputs and services and increase online visibility of their businesses and access to potential buyers, leading to expanded market opportunities and competitive prices for producers.
Policy and regulation: Asia and Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, together with the Digital Access Programme (DAP), FCDO, and the Association of Progressive Communication (APC) in collaboration with the Indonesian Accessibility and Telecommunication Agency (BAKTI) and the Ministry of Communication and Informatics commenced a training on Universal Service Obligation (USO) Efficiency Toolkits, held in Jakarta, Indonesia. This training is part of the ITU/FCDO project to promote effective regulation, grant investment and innovative models for school connectivity in underserved communities and for broader inclusion.
Policy and regulation: Asia and Pacific
The ITU Area Office & Innovation Centre in India participated in stakeholder consultations with the Government of Maharashtra in Mumbai from 27-29 November, led by Mr. Praveen Pardeshi, CEO of Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA) and Village State Transformation Foundation. The discussions centred around providing digital connectivity, skills, and digital services in remote villages across Maharashtra through ITU’s Smart Villages initiative. The consultations also took place with the Maharashtra State Innovation Society to develop co-creation programmes for start-ups & scale-ups, and work on targeted initiatives to encourage women entrepreneurship.
20 - 24 November
Capacity development: Asia and Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific participated in the “Capacity Building Workshop on Strengthening National Capacities for Spreading Digitalization at Local Levels” organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) and the United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV) in Bangkok. The workshop focused on strengthening national capacities for local digitization, advancing SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), and enhancing government officials’ knowledge of utilizing ICT and emerging technologies for inclusive online services. ITU shared valuable insights and expertise to empower nations and advance local digitalization efforts.
Cybersecurity: Asia and Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific participated in the “2nd Annual ICT Forum on Child Online Protection” organized by the Ministry of Education of Brunei. The forum brought key stakeholders and experts together to address the pressing issue of child online protection. ITU delivered an intervention during the session titled “A1 - Lessons for ASEAN from Global Trends in Legislative Reform for Child Online Protection,” reflecting on how global lessons on legislative reform influenced the process and content of the proposed presidential regulation. ITU also highlighted its significant contribution to the Child Online Protection legislative reform in Indonesia, and the progress made in Bhutan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Cambodia, and Thailand.
Digital inclusion: Americas
The 10th Anniversary of Accessible Americas: ICTs for ALL was held in Varadero, Cuba. The President of Cuba joined the event, as well as several Ministers and Vice-Ministers. Several relevant topics were discussed during this celebratory edition such as digital transformation and accessibility in digital ecosystems, among several others.
Digital inclusion: Global
The ITU Generation Connect Young Leadership Programme in partnership with Huawei was launched at the Huawei Corporate Sustainable Development (CSD) flagship event in Dongguan China. This 3-year project will provide young leaders from every region with the opportunity to access mentorship and funding to support their community-driven digital inclusion initiatives.
Digital services and applications: Asia and Pacific
The ITU Area Office for South Asia & Innovation Centre participated in the 7th CNX 2023 organised by Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) in Guwahati.
Digital services and applications: Asia and Pacific
Two trainings on “Digital Skills and Financial Literacy Services” were conducted for 60 farmers from the East and West Sepik Provinces, Aitape and Brandi schools as part of the EU STREIT ITU project in Papua New Guinea. The trainings were delivered jointly by ITU and the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in ITU's newly established two resource centers. The training enhanced the capacity development of farmers from local value chain industries (cocoa, vanilla and fisheries), micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), as well as schoolteachers. They gained skills in the use of relevant Microsoft Office applications to improve agriculture productivity, Internet skills, and marketing of their produce in a cost-effective, efficient and sustainable manner.
[This activity is the result of a BDT project. You can find more details of the project here]
Digital services and applications: Asia and Pacific
ITU and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) partnered with the Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) to support the 2023 Digital Government Delivery Workshop. The workshop built capacity and shared best practices on GovStack in general and the Digital ID building block in particular with Digital Transformation Officers and key stakeholders from the country. PNG is adopting ‘stack-based’ approach to digital government delivery. The workshop was a part of ITU assistance to PNG with support from DITRDCA and GiZ projects.
13 - 17 November
Digital inclusion: Asia and Pacific
The Digital Skills Introductory Workshop was conducted in Gokina Village, the first Smart Village in Asia and the Pacific. It was organized by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication Pakistan (MoITT Pakistan) in collaboration with the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture (ICCIA), and TeleTaleem, with support from the International Telecommunication Union. The workshop was part of the Girls in ICT Pakistan, and aimed to enhance digital literacy within the community. Participants received training in essential technological tools, internet and web browsing proficiency, online safety, and the application of digital skills for professional development. This activity represents a significant step in empowering the local community in Pakistan, especially women and girls, by equipping them with the necessary skills to navigate the evolving technological landscape.
Digital inclusion: Global
In collaboration with the AI for Good team, Generation Connect co-delivered a youth workshop on AI and Prompt Engineering at the MISK Global Forum [MGF] in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This builds on Generation Connect’s participation at last year’s MGF as well as the ongoing collaboration with AI for Good.
Digital services and applications: Asia and Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific actively participated in the “Telecoms World Asia 2023” event in Bangkok, Thailand. ITU moderated the session titled “Bridging the Digital Divide through Telecom Infrastructure”, and had interactive engagement with attendees at a dedicated ITU booth at the conference venue.
Policy and regulation: Asia and Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific co-led the discussion on Pillar 3 of the Early Warning for All initiative during the Early Warning for All National Consultation Workshop in Bangladesh. It was an opportunity to identify priorities for technical support, as well as gaps and opportunities to scale up the implementation of national early warning systems to improve their coverage, delivery, and effectiveness.
6 - 10 November
Cybersecurity: Asia and Pacific
ITU provided technical cybersecurity trainings to the Maldives, as part of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology (MECCT) and National Centre for Information Technology (NCIT)’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month under the Cybersafe Maldives initiative. The first day addressed cyber hygiene and online safety aspects, with a focus on higher education stakeholders and students. The event also incorporated tabletop exercises and scenario-based exercises for Critical Information Infrastructure providers and stakeholders within the Maldives. The discussions over the course of the three days highlighted the need for a national cybersecurity strategy in the Maldives, as well as further cybersecurity capacity building.
Digital inclusion: Africa
Two Generation Connect Youth Envoys from Egypt moderated an intergenerational panel on empowering African youth in trade exchange by leveraging technology and boosting market connectivity at the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Youth Day Commemoration in Cairo, Egypt.
Digital innovation ecosystems: Global
A power session titled 'Futures thinking' took place at the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi. The session, organized in collaboration with the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, introduced participants to various frameworks and tools designed to encourage strategic foresight, with a focus on leveraging digital innovation to advance progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The workshop was part of ITU's side event, 'Innovation and Entrepreneurship for SDGs', which also featured two insightful panel discussions on 'Developing open innovation ecosystems and the role of policy in achieving the SDGs' and 'Fostering Small and Medium Businesses in the new digital era to achieve the SDGs', respectively.
Digital services and applications: Asia and Pacific
A training on “Digital Skills and Financial Literacy Services” was conducted for 30 farmers from the East Sepik Province as part of the EU STREIT ITU project in Papua New Guinea. The training was delivered jointly by ITU and the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in ITU's newly established resource center.
The training enhanced capacity development of farmers from local value chain industries (cocoa, vanilla and fisheries), micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), as well as schoolteachers. They gained skills on the use of relevant Microsoft Office applications to improve agriculture productivity, Internet skills, and marketing of their produce in a cost-effective, efficient and sustainable manner.
[This activity is the result of a BDT project. You can find more details of the project here]
Network and digital infrastructure: Asia and Pacific
A virtual capacity building session was conducted on ‘National ICT/telecom Infrastructure Sharing’ for Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) and licensed telcos in Sri-Lanka, as part of the ongoing technical assistance to enhance digital network infrastructure resilience and affordability of ICT services. The session covered various topics, including the interconnection between active and passive infrastructure, the alignment of sharing practices with project objectives, a summary of data analysis from licensed telecommunications companies, best practices for technical deployment and national regulatory strategies, potential risks in implementation, the advantages of infrastructure sharing for introducing new technologies, improving rural connectivity, and facilitating emergency telecommunications. The activity is supported through the Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA) project.
Policy and regulation: Asia and Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific conducted a knowledge-sharing workshop as direct country assistance to the Islamic Republic of Iran, focusing on the Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) wholesale regulations concerning regulations on Significant Market Power (SMP), Passive Infrastructure Access, and regulation of Subsidised Infrastructure. This workshop bolstered the capacity of the staff at the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) of Iran to develop FTTH wholesale regulations, facilitating the development of the country’s optical fiber infrastructure for FTTH services. The assistance is part of an ongoing partnership with Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC).
Policy and regulation: Asia and Pacific
The ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific participated in the “Coordinated Transformation for Digital and Green Development Forum” during the World Internet Conference (WIC) in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province, China.
During the Forum, ITU delivered a pre-recorded message that focused on the progress and achievements of e-waste, highlighting the need for sustainable tech-related practices to preserve the environment.
ITU also delivered impactful opening remarks, emphasizing the crucial role of enhancing internet infrastructure connectivity in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through increased access to technology and information.
Six Generation Connect youth, who were selected for the inaugural cohort of the World Internet Conference (WIC) Global Youth Leadership Programme, also spoke at the Youth and Digital Future Forum of the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit in China.
New Members: Americas
Radical Alternativas de Avanzada Altradicalavan joined ITU-D as Associate in Study Group 1. Radical Alternativas provides cyber technology services to build cyber resilience proactively and agilely. The company specializes in Data Centre and Infrastructure services, Security Centre for IT and OT networks, Cybersecurity in SCADA networks as well as Cyber defense. The work is based on an incident response team (CERT Radical), a 24/7 Security Operation Center (SOC), Cybersecurity Research Laboratory and Ethical Hacking. Radical has more than 18 years in the Ecuadorian market offering innovative technology solutions.
30 October - 3 November
Digital inclusion: Asia and Pacific
The Ministry of Communications and Informatics Republic of Indonesia (MCI Indonesia), in collaboration with ITU co-hosted the Girls in ICT Day Indonesia 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia. An interactive panel discussion featured ICT leaders and experts, providing valuable perspectives on industry challenges and opportunities in Indonesia. Representatives from MCI Indonesia, BAKTI, UN Women, Siberkreasi, and a student from Institute Teknologi Bandung (ITB) shared their experiences and insights on the topic “Digital Skills and Literacy for Life!” They also encouraged girls and young women to explore careers in ICT and significantly empowered girls and women in Indonesia through this initiative. The event was further enriched with Q&A sessions with the panellists, and engaging quizzes.
Digital inclusion: Global
The latest episode of the Generation Connect podcast was launched, focusing on the theme ‘Leadership in Action: Young Changemakers Making a Difference'. Listen to the episode here: https://www.itu.int/generationconnect/generation-connect-podcast/
Emergency telecommunications: Africa
A new National Emergency Telecommunication Plan (NETP) model, developed for the 16 members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, was launched and validated during an online workshop. This SADC Model NETP aims to strengthen telecom/ICTs for disaster management of each country through a multi-stakeholder and collaborative approach, so that all relevant actors in the country can appropriately support efforts to mitigate disaster risk as well as prepare, respond and recover from future emergencies. This document also presents a general description of the main elements and a number of action items or activities that should be carried out by each country in order to obtain an effective and efficient integrated emergency telecommunications system established in a tailored NETP.
[This activity is the result of a BDT project. You can find more details of the project here]
Environment: Africa
A consultation workshop and several bilaterals took place in Zambia as part of the consultation process on the preparation of national regulation on the management of e-waste under the principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR). Participants discussed the various aspects of how e-waste could be regulated in Zambia, with a focus on the role of the Government. The objectives were as follows:
- To introduce participants to the basics and key elements of e-waste and circular economy.
- To explore the existing regulatory-institutional landscape of e-waste management.
- To align key definitions, terms and the regulation of e-waste management.
- To agree on a roadmap for the collective implementation of an EPR system for e-waste.
- To generate momentum around the e-waste issue, such as through media reporting.
[This activity is the result of a BDT project. You can find more details of the project here]
New Members: Europe
Intersec joins ITU-D as a new Sector Member: Founded in 2004, Intersec works on mobile operation data analysis for multiple use cases. The Intersec key products
include mass messaging, phone-usage-data analysis for telco companies to generate additional insights, ready-to-use apps based on location-based services and smart cities as well as public security announcements based on location data. The company is active in 50 countries.