Agenda

Cosmas Zavazava took office as Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on 1 January 2023.

With more than 30 years in telecommunications, including over 20 years in ITU’s Development Sector, Dr Zavazava has promoted and implemented impactful information and communication technology projects around the world.

Prior to his election as BDT Director, he served as ITU’s Chief of Partnerships for Digital Development, overseeing development-related projects, strategic partnerships, and resource mobilization between 2019 and 2022, while launching new initiatives that have boosted the engagement of industry, private-sector, and academia members in ITU’s work.

From 2010 until 2019, he was Chief of the Projects and Knowledge Management, responsible for ITU’s project portfolio, statistics, capacity building, and emergency telecommunications activities, as well as coordinating special assistance to least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), and small island developing states (SIDS).

Previously, as ITU’s Chief of Projects and Initiatives, he oversaw development projects focused on gender, youth, and people with special needs, along with capacity building, emergency telecommunications, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and e-waste management.

Earlier, Dr Zavazava headed the Republic of Zimbabwe’s Government Telecommunications Agency and served as a senior diplomat. He also taught MBA classes at the UK’s Nottingham Trent University.

Throughout his career, he has focused on closing the digital and skills divide and accelerating digital transformation to achieve socio-economic development for all.

Dr Zavazava holds a PhD in Multilateral Trade from Business School Lausanne (Switzerland), and a Master of Laws degree in Telecommunications and Information Technology from the University of Strathclyde (UK), as well as a Master’s in International Relations from Webster University (US), and an MBA from the University of Zimbabwe. He also holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and diplomas in Telecommunications and Systems Engineering.

Senior Programme Officer with the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) dealing with policy and regulatory matters. Nancy had been involved in telecom/ICT reform for more than 20 years. As a senior regulatory expert, she coordinates and is a contributing author to regulatory publications. She is part of the team managing the Secretariat of Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development. She is also actively involved in the organization of global and regional events and in training programmes for regulators and policy-makers. Nancy regularly delivers reports, articles and presentations on sector reform at regulatory meetings around the world.

Carmen works at the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) as Senior Officer in the Regulatory and Market Environment Division (RME). She works on regulatory, economic and financial issues of telecommunication/ICT including cost and tariff. She previously worked for the Financing Strategies Unit, at the BDT, and was responsible for the programme on Tariff regulation. She has worked on several ITU publications, technical papers and discussions at national, regional and international levels in areas, such as telecommunication/ICT policy and regulatory issues, cost and tariff modelling in the ICT sector, market analysis and significant market power (SMP), broadband infrastructure development and sharing, international Internet connectivity (IIC), International Mobile Roaming (IMR). Carmen is the ITU focal point for the ITU-D Study Group 1 Question 4/1 on Economic aspects of national telecommunication/ICTs. 

Youlia Lozanova has been working at ITU for over 15 years. She has been involved in various areas of policy and regulation for the ICT sector and digital markets working with policy makers, regulators, academia and the broader regulatory community. Youlia is leading ITU’s research and analysis on collaborative regulation for the digital transformation. She is also the lead on policy and regulatory metrics, namely the ICT Regulatory Tracker and the G5 benchmark for fifth generation collaborative regulation, which allow to scope the maturity of regulatory frameworks and provide a roadmap to regulatory excellence and designing flexible, resilient and sustainable solutions for policy reform.

In her current position, she is in charge of assessing and coordinating the participation of the IFT in international activities with foreign public authorities, regulators, and international organizations responsible of telecommunications, broadcasting and economic competition issues.

In her 10 years’ professional experience, she has been involved in several Free Trade Agreement negotiations, as part of the Mexican delegation. Also, she has participated in several regional and international conferences of the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission (CITEL), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), among others. She is the Chair of the CITEL’s Working Group for the Preparation of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conferences (WGPP).  Diana Gómez holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations by the National University of Mexico (UNAM).

Mihail Ion has a bachelor's degree in International Affairs and is working for the Romanian regulator (ANCOM) as an International Affairs Expert.  He has been involved in ICT related policy matters for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Romanian telecom regulator for the past 15 years.  He is also active in several international organizations and passionate about regulation and the digital environment.  

Dr. Olubunmi Bamijoko, PhD is a Deputy Director and the Head of Strategy and Corporate Performance Monitoring in the Universal Service Provision Fund of the Nigerian Communications Commission.  The Nigerian Communications Commission is the independent National Regulatory Authority for the telecommunications industry in Nigeria. The Commission is responsible for creating an enabling environment for competition among operators in the industry as well as ensuring the provision of qualitative and efficient telecommunications services throughout the country.

Mr AlRumayh has examined and enhanced the regulatory ecosystem in Saudi Arabia towards achieving regulatory excellence by adopting world best practices recommended by leading international organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), World Bank, World Trade Organization (WTO), and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Contributed to developing CST’s long-term strategy plan along with operating plans that helped to implement Saudi Arabia ICT Sector Strategy in pursuit of digital economy and United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

I am a Regional Vice President for Africa at the Internet Society.

I have more than two decades of experience in Internet development in Africa and around the world. At the Internet Society, I worked at various positions to support Africa around Internet policy and technology. Before joining the Internet Society in 2006, I worked at Addis Ababa University as an assistant professor. I also have extensive experience as a consultant for major international organizations and in the private sector.

I received my undergraduate, Masters, and Ph.D. degrees from Université Paul Sabatier in France, all degrees in Computer Science. I also hold a Masters in Business Leadership from the University of South Africa.

I am an Ethiopian citizen living in Geneva.