Sustainable development

Telecommunication infrastructure

Information and communication infrastructure development is one of ITU’s priority areas. The organisation seeks to assist member states, sector members, associates, and academia in the implementation and development of broadband networks, wired (e.g. cable) and wireless technologies, international mobile telecommunications (IMT), satellite communications, IoT, and smart grids, including next-generation networks, as well as in the provision of telecommunications networks in rural areas.

The ITU International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) have as an overall aim the facilitation of global interconnection and interoperability of telecommunications facilities. Through the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R), ITU is involved in the global management of the radio frequency spectrum and satellite orbits, used for telecommunications services, in line with the Radio Regulations.

International standards developed by the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) enable the interconnection and interoperability of ICT networks, devices, and services worldwide. It has 10 technical standardisation committees called study groups (SGs), with mandates covering a wide range of digital technologies:

• SG2 – Operational Aspects
• SG3 – Economic and Policy Issues
• SG5 – Environment, EMF, Climate Action and Circular Economy
• SG11 – Protocols, Testing and Combating Counterfeiting
• SG12 – Performance, QoS and QoE
• SG13 – Future Networks and Emerging Network Technologies​
• SG15 – Transport, Access and Home
• SG17 – Security
• SG20 – IoT, Digital Twins and Smart Cities
• SG21 – Multimedia Technologies for Multimedia, Content Delivery and Cable TV

The work on standards is complemented by short-term exploration/incubation ITU-T Focus Groups (FGs) whose deliverables guide the ITU-T SGs in new areas of standardisation work. Some current and recent groups include:

• ITU-T Focus Group on Costing Models for Affordable Data Services (FG-CD)
• ITU-T ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence Native for Telecommunication Networks (FG AINN) 
• ITU Focus Group on Metaverse (FG-MV)
• ITU-T Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) for Digital Agriculture (FG-AI4A)
• ITU-T Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence for Health(FG-AI4H)
• ITU-T Focus Group on Environmental Efficiency forArtificial Intelligence and other Emerging Technologies(FG-AI4EE)
• ITU-T Focus Group on Vehicular Multimedia (FG-VM)
• ITU-T Focus Group on AI for Autonomous and Assisted Driving (FG-AI4AD)
• ITU-T Focus Group on AI for Natural Disaster Management (FG-AI4NDM)
• ITU-T Focus Group on Autonomous Networks (FG-AN)
• ITU-T Focus Group on Testbeds Federations for IMT-2020 and Beyond (FG-TBFxG)

Collaboration among various standards bodies is a high priority for ITU-T. Many platforms have been established to support coordination and collaboration on a range of topics, for example:

• Collaboration on Intelligent Transport Systems Communication Standards (CITS)
• Global Standards Collaboration (GSC)
• World Standards Cooperation (WSC)
• Digital Currency Global Initiative
• Financial Inclusion Global Initiative (FIGI) Symposium
• United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) initiative
• Global Initiative on AI for Health (GI-AI4H)
• Global Initiative on Resilience to Natural Hazards through AI Solutions
• Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds and AI

The Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) establishes an enabling environment and provides evidence-based policy-making through ICT indicators and regulatory and economic metrics, which facilitates benchmarking and the identification of trends in ICT legal and regulatory frameworks. As part of global activities, the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) has published a series of collaborative digital regulation country reviews. All country reviews follow a standard methodology and put forward a set of actionable recommendations on developing a better understanding of the role and impact of collaboration and collaborative governance, as well as the use of new tools for regulating ICT and digital markets.

The Digital Regulation Platform aims to improve the human and institutional capacity of the ITU membership. In 2024, articles were published on data governance, transformative technologies (AI) challenges and principles of regulation, and one is being finalised focusing on a guide for incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) into policymaking and regulation for compliance. Two modules are being reviewed and articles updated: spectrum management and access for all, under the ITU-EU project in Central Africa, supported by the EU Delegation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In 2023, ITU-D launched the Digital Regulation Network DRN, a peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing platform for regulators. The aim of the Network is to accelerate sustainable digital transformation through common approaches to collaborative digital policy, regulation and governance across economic sectors and across borders.

ITU-D sends regulatory and tariff surveys to membership, with data being received and analysed for integration into the ICT Regulatory Tracker and ITU Data Hub and publication in early 2025. Visualisation tools on the G5 Accelerator platform allow for a customised analysis and deep dive into the data on 54 indicators by region or country.

The above activities result in increased awareness and access to regulatory and economic data and analysis to support evidence-based decision-making.

ITU is committed to enhancing both human and institutional capacity within its membership, prioritising the delivery of high-quality training programmes. In this context, training courses were conducted through the ITU Academy and the ITU Academy Training Centres (ATCs), with the aim of making a meaningful impact on ITU membership. From May 2024 to December 2024, the ITU Academy registered 9,500 additional users, bringing the total number of learners to over 58,400, from all member states, with more than 70 per cent coming from developing countries. During this period, over 79 courses were delivered via the platform to over 13,000 registered course participants, of which more than 5,400 had completed their courses by December 2024. Over 1,000 participants also completed course evaluation surveys, and 95 per cent reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their experience. 

During the second year of implementation, in the same period (May – December 2024) ATCs delivered 67 courses, attracting over 2,600 registrations, with more than 1,100 course completions by December 2024. In 2024, BDT organised several training sessions on how to conduct engaging online training, aimed at the instructors of the 14 ATCs. The goal of the initiative was to impact the quality of the training courses by improving facilitation, virtual delivery skills, and allowing for exchanges of best practices among the participating institutions.

The Global Symposium for Regulators 2024 (GSR-24) is a knowledge exchange platform that features topical thematic sessions bringing together regulators, policymakers and digital stakeholders from around the world and providing a global platform for knowledge exchange. GSR also features the Regional Regulatory Associations (RA) and Digital Regulation Network (DRN) meetings, Heads of Regulators’ Executive Roundtable, the Industry Advisory Group on Development Issues (IAGDI-CRO), and the Network of Women (NoW) in the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector.  

As part of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Forum High-Level Event 2024, ITU-D leads the interactive session of Action Line C6 (Enabling environment).

Such knowledge exchange platforms result in strengthened partnerships, engagement, and collaboration of regulators, regulatory associations, the private sector, and policymakers from across different sectors, enriching conversations and showcasing collaboration across sectors to accelerate digital transformation. 

The impact statement of the Telecommunication Development Bureau’s (BDT) thematic priority on network and digital infrastructure is ‘Reliable connectivity to everyone’.

ITU-D SG1 also focuses on various aspects related to telecommunications infrastructure, in particular, Question 1/1 on ‘Strategies and policies for the deployment of broadband in developing countries’; Question 2/1 on ‘Strategies, policies, regulations, and methods of migration and adoption of digital broadcasting and implementation of new services’; Question 4/1 on ‘Economic aspects of national telecommunications/ICTs’; Question 5/1 on ‘Telecommunications/ICTs for rural and remote areas’; Question 6/1 on ‘Consumer information, protection and rights’; and Question 5/2 on ‘Adoption of telecommunications/ICTs and improving digital skills’.

IMT-2020

ITU plays a key role in managing the radio spectrum and developing international standards for 5G networks, devices, and services, within the framework of the so-called IMT-2020 activities. ITU-R SGs together with the mobile broadband industry and a wide range of stakeholders, established the 5G standards.

The activities include the organisation of intergovernmental and multistakeholder dialogues, and the development and implementation of standards and regulations to ensure that 5G networks are secure, interoperable, and operate without interference.

ITU-T is playing a similar convening role for the technologies and architectures of non-radio elements of 5G systems. For example, ITU standards address 5G transport, with the passive optical network (PON), Carrier Ethernet, and the optical transport network (OTN), among the technologies standardised by ITU-T expected to support 5G systems. ITU standards for 5G  networking address topics including network virtualisation, network orchestration and management, and fixed-mobile and satellite convergence. ITU standards also address ML for 5G and future networks, the environmental requirements of 5G, security and trust in 5G, and the assessment of 5G quality of service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE).

Satellite

ITU-R manages the coordination, notification, and recording of frequency assignments for space systems, including their associated earth stations. Its main role is to process and publish data and examine frequency assignment notices submitted by administrations of the ITU member states towards their eventual recording in the Master International Frequency Register (MIFR).

ITU-R also develops and manages space-related assignment or allotment plans and provides mechanisms for the development of new satellite services by determining how to optimise the use of available and suitable orbital resources.

Currently, the rapid pace of satellite innovation is driving an increase in the deployment of non-geostationary satellite systems (non-GSO). With the availability of launch vehicles capable of supporting multiple satellite launches, mega-constellations consisting of hundreds to thousands of spacecraft are becoming a popular solution for global telecommunications.

To this end, during the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19), ITU established regulatory procedures for the deployment of non-GSO systems, including mega-constellations in low Earth orbit. At the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference, ITU agreed on orbital tolerances for the operations of such non-GSO systems. 

Additionally, ITU held its first Space Sustainability Forum in Geneva in September 2024. Recognising the rapid growth of commercial space ventures, ITU gathered governments, space agencies, and private stakeholders to address the economic, environmental, and operational dimensions of space sustainability.

In 2025, ITU launched the ‘Space Connect’ series, examining low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, focusing on the rapid growth in satellite deployments (rising from roughly 1,000 active satellites in 2014 to nearly 10,000 by 2024) and the market shift toward broadband applications. The episodes investigate different constellation architectures, evolving market dynamics, new players, and the overall impact on radio spectrum usage.

Regarding climate change, satellite data today is an indispensable input for weather prediction models and forecast systems used to produce safety warnings and other information in support of public and private decision-making.

Emergency telecommunications

Emergency telecommunications are an integral part of the ITU mandate. To mitigate the impact of disasters, the timely dissemination of authoritative information before, during, and after disasters is critical.

Emergency telecommunications play a critical role in disaster risk reduction and management. ICTs are essential for monitoring the underlying hazards and delivering vital information to all stakeholders, including those most vulnerable, as well as in the immediate aftermath of disasters to ensure the timely flow of vital information needed to coordinate response efforts and save lives. ITU supports its member states in the four phases of disaster management:

• Design and Implementation of National Emergency Telecommunications Plans (NETPs).
• Development of tabletop simulation exercises.
• Design and Implementation of Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS), Including the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP),
• Development of Guidelines and Other Reports on the Use of ICTs for Disaster Management.

ITU activities in the field of radiocommunications make an invaluable contribution to disaster management. They facilitate prediction, detection, and alerting through the coordinated and effective use of the radio-frequency spectrum and the establishment of radio standards and guidelines concerning the usage of radiocommunication systems in disaster mitigation and relief operations.

ITU-T SG2 plays a role as the lead study group on telecommunications for disaster relief/early warning, network resilience, and recovery. Other study groups are working on emergency telecommunications within their mandates. Examples are shown in the following paragraphs.

ITU standards offer common formats for the exchange of all-hazard information over public networks. They ensure that networks prioritise emergency communications. They have a long history of protecting ICT infrastructure from lightning and other environmental factors. In response to the increasing severity of extreme weather events, recent years have seen ITU standardisation experts turning their attention to ‘disaster relief, network resilience, and recovery’. This work goes well beyond traditional protection against environmental factors, focusing on technical mechanisms to prepare for disasters and respond effectively when disaster strikes.

ITU standards now offer guidance on network architectures able to contend with sudden losses of substantial volumes of network resources. They describe the network functionality required to make optimal use of the network resources, still operational after a disaster. They offer techniques for the rapid repair of damaged ICT infrastructure, such as means to connect the surviving fibres of severed fibre-optic cables. They provide for ‘movable and deployable ICT resource units’ in various sizes, such as emergency containers, vehicles, or hand-held kits housing network resources and a power source – to provide temporary replacements for destroyed ICT infrastructure.

ITU is also supporting an ambitious project to equip submarine communications cables with climate- and hazard-monitoring sensors to create a global real-time ocean observation network. This network would be capable of providing earthquake and tsunami warnings, as well as data on ocean climate change and circulation. This project to equip cable repeaters with climate and hazard-monitoring sensors – creating Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications (SMART) cables – is led by the ITU/WMO/UNESCO-IOC Joint Task Force (JTF) on SMART Cable Systems, a multidisciplinary body established in 2012. Currently, several projects are ongoing to realise SMART cables.

ITU-T G.9730.2 Recommendation was approved by ITU-T SG15 in August 2024, as the first ITU-T standard on SMART cables. In addition, the work on ‘Impact assessment framework for evaluating how ICT-based subsea infrastructure could support climate, environmental and biodiversity monitoring in the oceans’ (L.SMART) is ongoing within ITU-T SG5. 

In ITU-D, a lot of effort is directed at mainstreaming disaster management in telecommunications/ICT projects and activities as part of disaster preparedness. This includes infrastructure development and the establishment of enabling policy, legal, and regulatory frameworks. ITU also deploys temporary telecommunications/ICT solutions to assist countries affected by disasters. After providing assistance for disaster relief and response, ITU undertakes assessment missions to affected countries aimed at determining the magnitude of damage to the network through the use of geographical information systems. On the basis of its findings, ITU and the host country embark on resuscitating the infrastructure while ensuring that disaster-resilient features are integrated to reduce network vulnerability in the event of disasters striking in the future.

ITU is also part of the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC), a global network of organisations that work together to provide shared communications services in humanitarian emergencies.

ITU-D SQ Question 3/1 ‘Utilising telecommunications/ICTs for disaster risk reduction and management’ was agreed at the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2022 (WTDC-22) and will operate for the 2022–2025 study period. This Question continues the work of Question 5/2 of the 2018–2021 period.

The ITU/WMO/UNEP Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence for Natural Disaster Management (FG-AI4NDM), established by ITU-T SG2 worked between March 2021 and March 2024 to develop best practices for leveraging AI in data collection and handling, improving modelling across spatiotemporal scales, and providing effective communication. Building on the activities of the FG-AI4NDM, the Global Initiative on Resilience to Natural Hazards through AI Solutions was created. This Global Initiative is a collaborative effort between ITU, WMO, UNEP, UPU and UNFCCC.

Work includes the following:

• Disruptive Technologies and Their Use in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, a 2019 report.
• The Global Forum on Emergency Telecommunications(GET-19), which took place 6–8 March 2019, Balaclava, Mauritius.
• National Emergency Telecommunication Plans.
• Emergency Telecommunication Simulation Exercises.
• ITU-DSG Question 5/2: Utilizing Telecommunications/ICTs for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management(2018 – 2021) with video and annual deliverables.
• The Guide to Develop a Telecommunications/ ICT Contingency Plan for a Pandemic Response 2020, Focused on Telecommunications/ICT Service Delivery and Business Continuity in the Context of a Pandemic.
• ITU published Women, ICT and Emergency Telecommunications – Opportunities and Constraints in 2020. It explores the digital gender divide blocking women from becoming equal stakeholders in society, putting entire communities at greater risk during emergencies.
• With the ETC, ITU developed the Disaster Connectivity Map (DCM), with information critical for first responders on network outages and connectivity gaps following disasters.
• ITU joined the Crisis Connectivity Charter(CCC) in 2019, joining the satellite industry and the humanitarian community in making satellite communication more available.
• ITU established an ITU Emergency Telecommunications Roster. ITU staff are trained on deployment of ITU telecommunications equipment and on supporting the ETC on the ground.
• ITU, with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), launched a Call to Action on Emergency Alerting in 2021, inviting all partners to support countries in implementing CAP. The organisations are supporting the WMO to establish a CAP HelpDesk.

Strengthening the Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems, ITU partnered with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), WMO, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO), and the World Broadcasting Unions in 2020 to develop Media Saves Lives to reinforce broadcasters’ role in the early warning chain.

Artificial intelligence

ITU works on the development and use of AI to ensure a sustainable future for everyone. To that end, it convenes intergovernmental and multistakeholder dialogues, develops international standards and frameworks, and helps in capacity building for the use of AI.

AI and machine learning (ML) are gaining a larger share of the ITU standardisation work programme in fields such as network orchestration and management, multimedia coding, service quality assessment, operational aspects of service provision and telecom management, cable networks, digital health, environmental efficiency, and autonomous driving.

AI for Good is the United Nations’ leading platform on Artificial Intelligence for sustainable development. Focused on identifying trustworthy AI applications, building skills and standards, and advancing AI governance for sustainable development, the platform is organised by ITU in partnership with over 40 UN sister agencies and co-convened with the Government of Switzerland.  

This AI governance dialogue will facilitate exchanges between key stakeholders on effective approaches to AI governance. The high-level plenary session will explore the changing landscape of AI governance, with a focus on innovative policy implementation across regions. Discussions will address risk management strategies and the emerging role of AI agents, particularly their implications for the future of work, investment, and cross-sector collaboration.

The AI Skills Coalition, spearheaded by AI for Good under the AI for Good Impact Initiative, will serve as the UN-led global, open, trusted, and inclusive platform for AI education and capacity building. 

Various ITU-T SGs address aspects of AI and ML within their mandates. The work has so far resulted in ITU-T Recommendations and Supplements, for example, in the L-, M-, P-, and Y-series of ITU-T Recommendations.

The adoption of Resolution 101 (New Delhi, 2024) at the 2024 World Standardization Telecommunication Assembly (WTSA-24) further emphasises the recognised role of ITU in establishing trusted AI standards

The first International AI Standards Summit, co-organised with ISO and IEC, brought together global experts to advance standards for responsible and inclusive AI. The next summit will take place in 2025 in South Korea. Prior to the Summit, the International AI Standards Dialogue will be held as part of the AI for Good Global Summit 2025.

The ITU-T AI/ML in 5G Challenge, introduced in 2020, rallies like-minded students and professionals from around the globe to study the practical application of AI and ML in emerging and future digital communications networks and sustainable development. The second Challenge (in 2021) attracted over 1,600 students and professionals from 82 countries, competing for prizes and global recognition. The 2022 Challenge covered a wide range of topics, including AI/ML in 5G, GeoAI, and tinyML. By mapping emerging AI and ML solutions, the Challenge fostered a community to support the iterative evolution of ITU standards. To learn more, see the Challenge GitHub.

ITU is also actively working on the environmental impact of AI. The AI and the Environment report highlights existing and emerging standards that support the AI’s environmental efficiency. ITU, France, and UNEP co-initiated the Coalition for Sustainable AI and contributed to the report on Standardization for AI Environmental Sustainability – Towards a Coordinated Global Approach launched at the AI Action Summit.

Several ITU-T FG are considering the use of AI and ML, including:

• ITU-T Focus Group on Costing Models for Affordable Data Services (FG-CD)
• ITU Focus Group on Metaverse (FG-MV)
• ​​ITU-T ​​Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) for Digital Agriculture (FG-AI4A)
• ​​ITU-T Focus Group on AI for Natural Disaster Management (FG-AI4NDM)​​
• ​​ITU-T Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence for Health (FG-AI4H)
• ITU-T FG-AINN: Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence Native for Telecommunication Networks (FG AINN)

Main activities related to ITU-R SGs and reports include:

• ITU-R SG1 covers spectrum management and monitoring. In relation to AI, Question ITU-R 241/1 ‘Methodologies for assessing or predicting spectrum availability’ was approved in 2019 and is under study.
• ITU-R SG6 covers all aspects of the broadcasting service. SG6 deliverables and work items related to AI and ML, including Question ITU-R 144/6 ‘Use of artificial intelligence (AI) for broadcasting’; and Report ITU-R BT.2447 ‘Artificial intelligence systems for programme production and exchange’.

During the 40th High-Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) session in October 2020, the Inter-Agency Working Group on AI (IAWG-AI) was established to focus on policy and programmatic coherence of AI activities within the UN. IAWG-AI, co-led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and ITU, aims to combine the ethical and technological parts of the UN to provide a solid foundation for current and future system-wide efforts on AI, ensuring respect for human rights and accelerating progress towards the SDGs.

ITU also coordinates an annual UN Activities on AI report, a joint effort with almost 50  UN agencies and entities, all partners of AI for Good or members of the IAWG-AI. The report usually presents over 400 cases and projects run by the UN system, in areas covering all 17 SDGs, ranging from smart agriculture and food systems to transportation, financial services, and healthcare. The report contains an Executive Summary that presents an analysis of all the projects submitted to the report, providing a snapshot of the key tracks, trends, and gaps in AI activities within the UN system.

The UN-led initiative, United 4 Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC), coordinated by ITU, UNECE, UNEP, and UN-HABITAT, and supported by 19 UN agencies and programmes, has been examining how AI can be employed in the smart city domain and through its thematic group on Artificial Intelligence in Cities for implementing AI-based solutions in line with the SDGs.

ITU, through its Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), organises the Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR), ITU’s flagship annual event, bringing together regulators to address emerging challenges such as data governance, 5G licensing, and cross-border data flows. Key outcomes from GSR24 included the GSR Best Practice Guidelines on a roadmap for regulators to harness transformative technologies (e.g., AI, 5G) by promoting agile, risk-aware policies, and stakeholder collaboration..

As part of its ‘Green Digital Action’ initiative, ITU emphasises green AI to reduce data-centre emissions. 

Critical internet resources

Over the years, ITU has adopted several resolutions that deal with internet technical resources, such as Internet Protocol-based networks (Resolution 101 (Rev. Bucharest, 2022)), IPv4 to IPv6 transition (Resolution 180 (Rev. Bucharest, 2022)), and internationalised domain names (Resolution 133 (Rev. Bucharest, 2022)). ITU has also adopted a resolution on its role regarding international public policy issues pertaining to the internet and the management of internet resources, including domain names and addresses (Resolution 102 (Rev. Bucharest, 2022)). In addition, the ITU Council has set up a Working Group on International Internet (CWG-Internet) – related Public Policy Issues, tasked with identifying, studying, and developing matters related to international internet-related public policy issues. This Working Group also holds regular online open public consultations on specific topics to give all stakeholders from all nations an opportunity to express their views with regard to the topic(s) under discussion.

ITU is also the facilitator of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Action Line С2 – Information and communication infrastructure.WTSA-24 recognised the importance of the common understanding on the technical requirements and standardisation aspects of digital public infrastructure by adopting the new WTSA Resolution 103 ‘Enhancing standardization activities on digital public infrastructure’.

Digital standards

In the work of ITU the issue of digital standards is addressed as ‘International standards’

Presently, 95% of international traffic runs over optical infrastructure built in conformance with ITU standards. Video now accounts for over 80% of all internet traffic; this traffic relies on ITU’s Primetime Emmy-winning video-compression standards.

ICTs are enabling innovation in every industry and public-sector body. The digital transformation underway across our economies receives key support from ITU standards for smart cities, energy, transport, healthcare, financial services, agriculture, and AI and ML.

ICT networks, devices, and services interconnect and interoperate thanks to the efforts of thousands of experts who come together on the neutral ITU platform to develop international standards known as ITU-T Recommendations.

Standards create efficiencies enjoyed by all market players, efficiencies, and economies of scale that ultimately result in lower costs to producers and lower prices to consumers. Companies developing standards-based products and services gain access to global markets. By supporting backward compatibility, ITU standards enable next-generation technologies to interwork with previous technology generations. This protects past investments while creating the confidence to continue investing in our digital future.

The ITU standardisation process is contribution-led and consensus-based. Standardisation work is driven by contributions from ITU members and consequent decisions are made by consensus. The process aims to ensure that all voices are heard and that the resulting standards have the consensus-derived support of the diverse and globally representative ITU membership.

ITU members develop standards year-round in ITU-T SGs. Over 6,000 ITU-T Recommendations are currently in force, and over 300 new or revised ITU-T Recommendations and Supplements are approved each year.

For more information on the responsibilities of ITU SGs, covering ITU-T SG as well as those of the ITU radiocommunication and development sectors (ITU-R and ITU-D), see the ITU backgrounder on study groups.

The ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) is the governing body of ITU’s standardisation arm (ITU-T). It meets every four years to review the overall direction and structure of ITU-T. This conference also approves the mandates of the Telecommunication Standardization Sector Study Group (ITU-T SSGs) (WTSA Resolution 2) and appoints the leadership teams of these groups.

ITU develops international standards supporting the coordinated development and application of IoT technologies, including standards leveraging IoT technologies to address urban development challenges.

WR to TL recognition procedure

Based on an MoU signed by ITU-T, the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), ITU recognises testing laboratories (TLs). These are accredited by an accreditation body (AB) that is a signatory to the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for testing. The scope of accreditation contains ITU-T Recommendation(s). All TLs which meet the criteria are listed in the ITU TL Database. More details are also available in the ITU C&I Portal.

Human rights and human-centric technologies 

In recent years, ITU has strengthened its commitment to embedding human rights in the development and deployment of digital technologies, particularly in the context of technical standards. This work is grounded in the recognition that standards have far-reaching implications for privacy, data protection, freedom of expression, accessibility, and non-discrimination. In response to calls from the UN Human Rights Council and the Global Digital Compact, ITU has deepened its collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), engaging in joint dialogues, multistakeholder consultations, and awareness-raising activities to ensure that standards development reflects fundamental rights principles.

At the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24), a landmark side event co-organised with OHCHR, the European Union, France, and the Czech Republic emphasised the need to embed human rights from the earliest stages of standardisation. The event was accompanied by a powerful statement from the Freedom Online Coalition, supported by 42 countries, calling for international standards that are not only technically sound but also aligned with the SDGs and human rights. For the first time, resolutions adopted at WTSA explicitly referenced human rights, including those related to emerging technologies such as AI and the metaverse.

Through its standardisation work, ITU has addressed the human dimensions of technologies across several ITU-T study groups. These include the development of standards for e-waste management (SG5), smart sustainable cities and digital inclusion (SG20), and accessible telehealth services (SG21). ITU has also advanced work on AI watermarking and deepfake detection—crucial for safeguarding the authenticity of information and the right to freedom of expression in an era of generative content. The AI for Good platform, convened with over 40 UN agencies, provides a trusted space to promote the development of AI that is inclusive and rights-respecting.

In this effort, ITU promotes inclusive participation by reducing barriers for civil society and experts from the Global South to engage in standardisation, offering fellowships, online participation options, and targeted training. Initiatives such as the Network of Women and Youth Advisory Board aim to diversify the voices shaping the digital future. By anchoring its digital governance and technical standards in human rights, ITU affirms its vision for a digital world that empowers individuals, protects the most vulnerable, and promotes equality and inclusion at its core.

Internet of things

Within the work of ITU, the work related to the IoT also includes ‘Smart cities’.

ITU develops international standards supporting the coordinated development and application of IoT technologies, including standards leveraging IoT technologies to address urban-development challenges.

These standards not only enable the broad range of IoT applications—from smart manufacturing to smart cities and global monitoring systems—but also ensure interoperability and efficient integration of both wired and wireless technologies across networks.

Alongside ITU-T studies on IoT, digital twins, and smart sustainable cities and communities, ITU-R conducts studies on the technical and operational aspects of radiocommunication networks and systems for IoT. The spectrum requirements and standards for IoT wireless access technologies are being addressed in ITU-R, as follows:

• Harmonisation of frequency ranges and technical and operating parameters used for the operation of short-range devices.
• Standards for wide area sensor and actuator network systems.
• Spectrum to support the implementation of narrowband and broadband machine-type communication infrastructures.
• Support for massive machine-type communications within the framework of the standards and spectrum for IMT-Advanced (4G), IMT-2020 (5G), and IMT-2030 (6G).
• Use of fixed-satellite and mobile-satellite communications for IoT.

ITU-D SG2 Question 1/2 ‘Creating smart cities and society: Employing information and communication technologies for sustainable social and economic development’ includes case studies on IoT application and identifies the trends and best practices implemented by member states, as well as the challenges faced, to support sustainable development and foster smart societies in developing countries.

ITU-T SG20 is at the forefront of this effort, driving the development of innovative standards (ITU-T Recommendations), guidelines, methodologies, and best practices for IoT, digital twins, and smart sustainable cities and communities (SSC&C). Its work focuses on accelerating digital transformation in urban and rural areas by addressing IoT-enabled digital services, systems, and applications. This includes developing architectural frameworks, ensuring interoperability, and promoting human-centric approaches in digital health, accessibility, and inclusion.

Between 2022 and 2024, ITU and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) for Digital Agriculture (FG- AI4A), established by ITU-T SG20, explored (1) how emerging technologies including AI and IoT can be leveraged for data acquisition and handling, (2) facilitating modelling from a growing volume of agricultural and geospatial data, and (3) providing communication for the optimisation of agricultural production processes.

United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) Initiative

ITU facilitates international discussions on the public policy dimensions of people-centred smart cities, principally through the U4SSC initiative, an initiative supported by 19 UN bodies with the aim of achieving SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities). U4SSC drives global collaboration through its thematic groups, which focus on key areas such as digital transformation, digital wellbeing, digital public infrastructure, city platforms, and artificial intelligence for sustainable cities.

ITU standards have provided a basis for the development of Key Performance Indicators for Smart Sustainable Cities. More than 200 cities worldwide have adopted the indicators as part of the collaboration driven by ITU within the framework of the U4SSC initiative. To promote the work of U4SSC, a series of U4SSC Country Hubs has been set up globally including in Vienna, Austria, hosted by the Austrian Economic Centre (AEC), and in Kyebi, Ghana. U4SSC Hubs provide a unique platform at the national and local level to accelerate cooperation between the public and private sectors and help facilitate the digital transformation in cities and communities while enabling technology and knowledge transfer.

Blockchain

New ITU standards for blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) address the requirements of blockchain in next-generation network evolution and the security requirements of blockchain, both in terms of blockchain’s security capabilities and security threats to blockchain.

ITU reports provide potential blockchain adopters with a clear view of the technology and how it could best be applied. Developed by the FG DLT, these reports provide an ‘assessment framework’ to support efforts to understand the strengths and weaknesses of DLT platforms in different use cases. The Group has also produced a high-level DLT architecture – a reference framework – detailing the key elements of a DLT platform. The FG studied high-potential DLT use cases and DLT platforms said to meet the requirements of such use cases. These studies guided the Group’s abstraction of common requirements necessary to describe a DLT architecture and associated assessment criteria. The resulting reports also offer insight into the potential of DLT to support the achievement of the SDGs.

Blockchain and DLT are also key to the work of the Digital Currency Global Initiative, a partnership between ITU and Stanford University to continue the work of the ITU Focus Group on Digital Currency, including Digital Fiat Currency (FG DFC). The Digital Currency Global Initiative provides an open, neutral platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and research on applications of the central bank digital currency (CBDC) and other digital currency implementations. The initiative will share case studies of digital currency applications, benchmark best practices, and develop specifications to inform ITU standards.

ITU-T SG3 is studying economic and policy aspects when using distributed ledger technologies such as for the improved management of the Universal Service Fund or to handle accounting.

ITU-T SG5 is studying the environmental efficiency of digital technologies, including blockchain. For example, ITU-T SG5 has developed Recommendation ITU-T L.1317 on guidelines for energy-efficient blockchain systems.

ITU-T SG21 Question 12/16  on multimedia aspects of DLT and e-services and ITU-T SG17 Question 14/17 on DLT security continue the work of the now closed ITU-T Focus Group on Distributed Ledger Technology. Several recommendations and technical papers have been produced, and more are being prepared.

Topics of interest for digital financial services (DFS) being studied by Q22/16 and Q7/17 include digital evidence services, digital invoices, and smart contracts. ITU-T SG20 Question 4/20 on data analytics, sharing, processing, and management, including big data aspects, IoT, and smart sustainable cities and communities (SSC&C), is developing a set of standards on emerging technologies such as blockchain to support data processing and management (DPM).

Cloud computing

ITU standards provide the requirements and functional architectures of the cloud ecosystem, covering inter- and intra-cloud computing and technologies supporting anything as a service (XaaS). These standards enable consistent end-to-end, multi-cloud management and the monitoring of services across different service providers’ domains and technologies. They were developed in view of the convergence of telecoms and computing technologies that characterise the cloud ecosystem.

Cloud services provide on-demand access to advanced ICT resources, enabling innovators to gain new capabilities without investing in new hardware or software. Cloud concepts are also fundamental to the evolution of ICT networking, helping networks meet the requirements of an increasingly diverse range of ICT applications.

As innovation accelerates in fields such as IMT-2020/5G and IoT, and digital transformation takes hold in every industry sector, the cloud ecosystem will continue to grow in importance for companies large and small, in developing as well as developed countries.

ITU-D SG1 Question 3/1 of the 2018–2021 period focused on the analysis of factors influencing effective access to support cloud computing, as well as strategies, policies, and infrastructure investments to foster the emergence of cloud-computing ecosystems in developing countries, among others. For 2022–2025, this topic will be studied under Question 2/2 ‘Enabling technologies for e-services and applications, including e-health and e-education’.

Emerging technologies

ITU’s range of work on emerging technologies in fields such as AI, metaverse, virtual worlds 5G, IoT, SSC&C, ITS, quantum information technologies, and others have been covered in various other sections.

ITU-T SG5 on Environment, Electromagnetic Fields (EMF), and the Circular Economy is responsible for ICTs related to the environment, energy efficiency, clean energy, and sustainable digitalisation for climate actions. It carries out work to study the environmental efficiency of emerging technologies.

ITU-T SG20 Question 5/20 on the study of terminology and definitions, study and research of emerging digital technologies , serves as a facilitator with the research and innovation community to identify emerging technologies requiring standardisation for the global market and industry.

U4SSC, through its various thematic groups, explores how leveraging emerging technologies such as IoT, AI, blockchain, and digital twin, can help create a sustainable ecosystem and improve the delivery of urban services to improve the quality of life for inhabitants. In this context, U4SSC has published the following reports:

•       Policy Benchmarks for Digital Transformation of People-centred Cities
•       Data and API Requirements for Centralized Smart City Platforms
•       Guiding Principles for Artificial Intelligence in Cities and its Case Studies
•       Reference Framework for Integrated Management of an SSC
•       Procurement Guidelines for Smart Sustainable Cities

In June 2024, ITU, together with UNICC and Digital Dubai, launched the Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds and AI – Discovering the Citiverse. The Initiative serves as a global platform that aims at fostering open, interoperable, and innovative AI-powered virtual worlds that can be used safely and with confidence by people, businesses, and public services.The UN Virtual Worlds Day is an annual event organised by ITU and other 17 UN entities exploring AI-powered virtual worlds, including the metaverse, to advance the SDGs and the Pact for the Future. The inaugural event held on 14 June 2024, in Geneva, showcased how immersive digital platforms can drive global progress. The second edition will be held on 11-12 June 2025, in Turin, Italy, featuring high-level dialogues, interactive showcases, and collaborative sessions to discuss how virtual technologies can foster sustainability, inclusivity, and digital public infrastructure.

Quantum information technology

Quantum information technology (QIT) improves information processing capability by harnessing the principles of quantum mechanics.  Recent development in QIT has promoted the second quantum revolution and will profoundly impact ICT networks and digital security.

ITU’s standardisation work of QIT helps promote its global development. After the ITU-T Focus Group on Quantum Information Technology for Networks (FG-QIT4N), which provided a collaborative platform for pre-standardisation aspects of QIT for networks and produced nine technical reports, several ITU-T SGs, including SGs 11, 13, and 17 are developing ITU-T Recommendations and Supplements in the Q-, X-, and Y-series of ITU-T Recommendations.

The 2021 webinar series explores innovative QIT applications and their implications on security, classical computing, and ICT networks and the discussion of corresponding roadmaps for quantum networks.

Following the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24), ITU-T study groups (SGs) reviewed and updated their mandates, enhancing the scope of quantum-related standardisation work across multiple groups:

• ITU-T Study Group 11: To continue studies on network signalling and control architectures for Quantum Key Distribution Networks (QKDN).
• ITU-T Study Group 13: To continue studies on quantum networks, covering both networking aspects of QKDN and broader quantum network technologies.
• ITU-T Study Group 15: Introduced studies addressing the management and use of QIT in transport networks, as well as network synchronisation, timing, and deployment requirements for QKDN.
• ITU-T Study Group 17: To continue leading security-related standardisation for quantum technologies, including QKD and post-quantum cryptography (PQC). WTSA-24 adopted an action recognising the need to promote migration to and utilisation of PQC in telecommunications and ICT networks, reinforcing the role of SG17 in developing necessary recommendations, technical reports, and best practices.

The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24) in New Delhi mandated further exploration of post-quantum cryptography and recognised that robust fiber infrastructure (including fibre-to-the-home networks) could be foundational for quantum communication rollouts.

ITU-T currently hosts a suite of 40 quantum technology standards, primarily focused on QKD, covering its network, security, and signalling aspects. An additional 30+ standards are under development.

The Joint Coordination Activity on Quantum Key Distribution Network (JCA-QKDN), which oversees ITU-T’s quantum standardisation efforts and facilitates collaboration with external standards bodies, held a collaborative meeting in Singapore in May 2024, aligning efforts with GSMA and ETSI events. It also advanced the development of a quantum standards database, providing a structured overview of global quantum information technology standards.

In recognition of the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) by Resolution 78/287, adopted on 7 June 2024. ITU plays a key role in the IYQ Steering Committee, guiding its implementation, planning global events, and overseeing related expenditures.

One initiative supporting ITU’s contributions to the International Year of Quantum is Quantum for Good, which explores how quantum technologies can drive global impact. It launched with a high-level side event, ‘Quantum for Good: Frontier Technology for the SDGs’, on 20 September 2024 in New York during the Summit of the Future Action Days, co-organised with UNICC, WEF, and Quantum Delta NL. The follow-up event ‘Quantum for Good: Setting the Stage for the International Year of Quantum’ in The Hague on 20-21 November 2024, deepened discussions on the role of quantum technologies in addressing global challenges, forming thematic sub-working groups (ITU leads the cybersecurity track). The Quantum for Good initiative will continue as a dedicated track during the AI for Good Global Summit (8-11 July 2025), further integrating quantum technologies into discussions on emerging technologies and sustainable development.

A series of other activities will be launched throughout 2025 as part of ITU’s contribution to raising awareness and fostering international collaboration on quantum technologies.

As part of an expanding global push, ITU is coordinating knowledge transfer so that quantum’s early adopters and advanced research hubs can share breakthroughs widely, avoiding a deep ‘quantum divide’. Moreover, initiatives like ‘Quantum for Good’ aim to link quantum technology with AI for beneficial applications—ranging from drug discovery to machine-learning optimisation—while ensuring that quantum advancement remains inclusive.

Network security

In the work of ITU the issue of network security is addressed as ‘ICT security’.

ITU and the WSIS Action Line C5 – Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs, bringing different stakeholders together to forge meaningful partnerships to help countries address the risks associated with ICTs. This includes adopting national cybersecurity strategies, facilitating the establishment of national incident response capabilities, developing international security standards, protecting children online, and building capacity.

ITU develops international standards to build confidence and security in the use of ICTs, especially for digital transformation, in the context of an ever-growing attack surface and confronted with an unbalanced threat landscape caused by new and emerging technology development. Topics of growing significance to this work include digital identity infrastructure, cybersecurity management, security aspects of digital financial services, intelligent transport systems, blockchain and distributed ledger technology, and quantum information technologies.

ITU-T SG17 (Security) is the lead SG on developing international standards to enhance confidence, security, and trust in the use of ICTs; facilitating more secure devices, edge, cloud, network infrastructure, services, and applications; and coordinating security-related work across ITU-T SGs. Providing security by ICTs and ensuring security for ICTs are both major study areas for SG17. Other ITU-T SGs, such as ITU-T SG9 (Broadband Cable and TV) and ITU-T SG13 (Future Networks, with Focus on IMT-2020, Cloud Computing and Trusted Network Infrastructures) have contributed to fulfilling the ITU mandate on cybersecurity.

ITU-TSG5 (Environment, EMF, and the Circular Economy) studies the security of ICT systems concerning electromagnetic phenomena (High-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP), High power electromagnetic (HPEM), information leakage).

ITU-T SG11 (Protocols, testing and combating counterfeiting) continues its studies on the implementation of security measures, in particular on the use of digital public-key certificates in the signalling level in order to cope with different types of attacks on existing ICT infrastructure and services (e.g., OTP intercept, calls intercept, spoofing numbers, robocalls, etc.). ITU-T Recommendations (e.g. ITU-T Q.3057, Q.3062, Q.3063) define the signalling architecture and requirements for interconnection between trustable network entities in support of existing and emerging networks. More details are available at https://itu.int/go/SIG-SECURITY.

WR to combating counterfeiting and stolen ICT devices: The issue of counterfeit and stolen ICT devices affects all stakeholders and is becoming a big challenge for the entire ICT industry. ITU, as a specialised agency of the UN on ICTs, is facilitating industry to cope with such issues. Since 2013, SG11 has approved 13 standards and non-normative documents and organised 11 Workshops and related events, whose main aim has been to promote ITU-T SG11’s current activities and find a way forward. More details about ITU-T SG11 activities on combating counterfeiting are available on a dedicated webpage https://itu.int/go/CS-ICT.

ITU-T SG20 Question 6/20 on Security, privacy, trustworthiness, and identification of IoT and smart sustainable cities and communities (SSC&C), is working on developing recommendations, reports, and guidelines to enhance the security, privacy, trustworthiness, and identification of IoT and smart sustainable cities and communities (SSC&C).  

In 2008, ITU launched a five-pillared framework called the Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) to encourage cooperation with and among various partners in enhancing cybersecurity globally. The cybersecurity programme offers its membership, particularly developing countries, the tools to increase cybersecurity capabilities at the national level in order to enhance security and build confidence and trust in the use of ICTs. The 2022 session of the ITU Council approved guidelines for better utilisation of the GCA framework by ITU.

ITU serves as a neutral and global platform for dialogue around policy actions in the interests of cybersecurity.

ITU issues the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) to shed light on the commitment of ITU member states to cybersecurity at the global level. The index is a trusted reference developed as a multistakeholder effort managed by ITU. In the last iteration of the GCI, 150 member states participated.

Alongside the ITU-T’s development of technical standards to support security  and ITU-R’s establishment of security principles for 3G and 4G networks, ITU also assists in building cybersecurity capacity.

This capacity building work helps countries define cybersecurity strategies, assists the establishment of computer incident response teams (CIRTs), supports the protection of children online, and assists countries in building human capacity relevant to security.

Strategies

ITU assists member states in developing and improving effective national cybersecurity frameworks or strategies. At the national level, cybersecurity is a shared responsibility, which requires coordinated action for prevention, preparation, and response on the part of government agencies, authorities, the private sector, and civil society. To ensure a safe, secure, and resilient digital sphere, a comprehensive national framework or strategy is necessary.

CIRTs

Effective mechanisms and institutional structures are necessary at the national level to deal with cyberthreats and incidents reliably. ITU assists member states in establishing and enhancing national CIRTs. In response to the fast-evolving technologies and manifestation of related threats, incident response must be updated and improved continuously.

Building human capacity

• ITU conducts regional and national cyber drills, assisting member states in improving cybersecurity readiness, protection, and incident response capabilities at the regional and national levels, and strengthening international cooperation among ITU member states against cyberthreats and cyberattacks. To date, ITU has conducted cyber drills involving over 100 countries.
• ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau organises regional cybersecurity forums across ITU regions, helping build capacity for the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) programmes and facilitating cooperation at the regional and international levels.
• Through the ITU Academy, ITU offers a number of training courses for professionals in the field of cybersecurity.
• BitSight provided access to ITU member states for its cybersecurity scoring platform – helping address cybersecurity challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and to support member states’ health infrastructure with timely information on cyber threats.
• The Women in Cyber Mentorship Programme builds skills of junior women professionals entering the field of cybersecurity.

International cooperation

In its efforts on cybersecurity, ITU works closely with partners from international organisations, the private sector, and academia, strengthened by a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a range of organisations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), World Bank, Interpol, World Economic Forum, and several others.

Child safety online

Within the work of ITU, child safety online is addressed as ‘Child online protection’.

As part of its Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA), ITU launched the Child Online Protection (COP) Initiative in 2008, aimed at creating an international collaborative network and promoting the protection of children globally from all kinds of risks and harms related to the online environment, all while empowering children to fully benefit from the opportunities that the internet offers. The initiative focuses on the development of child online protection strategies covering five key areas: legal measures, technical and procedural measures, organisational structures, capacity building, and international cooperation.

Approaching child online safety with a holistic child-rights-based approach, the initiative has recently added to its key objectives the participation of children in policymaking processes related to child online protection as well as the digital skills development for children and their families.

In collaboration with other organisations, ITU has produced four sets of the 2020 Child Online Protection (COP) Guidelines, aimed at children, parents, guardians, and educators, as well as industry and policymakers. The first set of COP Guidelines was produced in 2009. The ITU Council Working Group on Child Protection Online (WG- CP) guides the organisation’s activities in the area of child safety online.

ITU has launched or supported a range of COP responses specific to COVID-19, including:

• Global Education Coalition for COVID-19 response – a collaboration between UNESCO, UNICEF, ITU, WHO, GSMA, and Microsoft.
• Agenda for Action to reduce the negative impact of COVID-19 on children.
• COVID-19 and Its Implications for Protecting Children Online (2020) – in collaboration with UNICEF, the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children (GPEVAC), UNESCO, UNODC, WePROTECT GlobalAlliance, WHO, and World Childhood Foundation USA (Childhood USA).
• ITU signed an agreement with the SCORT Foundationon COP to empower and protect children online and offline, both in and through sport. It contributed to discussions such as Safer Internet Day 2021 and the 15th European Football for Development Conference.
• Creating a Safe and Empowering Cyber Environment for Children (a 2020 agreement between ITU and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) kicked-off in August 2021 to further strengthen global efforts to implement the ITU COP Guidelines. The programme implements child online safety policies among governments, industry, and civil society and focuses on fostering a culture of child online safety.
• ITU has also contributed to the adoption of General Comment 25 on children’s rights in the digital environment by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

ITU is working to disseminate Sango’s messages (COP mascot launched in 2020) to develop relevant content and raise awareness of COP.

Access

The need for sustained efforts to expand internet access at a global level and bring more people online has been outlined in several resolutions adopted by ITU bodies. The organisation is actively contributing to such efforts, mainly through projects targeted at developing countries and focused on aspects such as human and institutional capacity building, education, and digital literacy; the deployment of telecommunications networks and the establishment of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs); the creation of broadband public access points to the internet; and the development and implementation of enabling policies in areas such as universal access. The organisation is also studying access-related issues within its various study groups, and it publishes relevant papers and studies. ITU also monitors the progress made by countries in addressing the digital divide, through its periodically updated statistics and studies such as the ICT Facts and Figures and the series of Measuring Digital Development reports, including its analysis of ICT prices. The ITU DataHub brings together a broad range of indicators and statistics for easy consultation and download. The Connect 2030 Agenda envisions specific targets related to internet access; for instance by 2023, 65% of households worldwide were supposed to have access to the internet; by 2023, 70% of individuals worldwide were supposed to be using the internet; and by 2023, internet access was supposed to be 25% more affordable. In 2024, ITU produced a new ‘Facts and Figures: Focus on Small Island Developing States’ report, showing that although 67% of SIDS populations are online—close to the global average—rural 4G coverage lags significantly. An estimated 43% of rural populations in SIDS still have no 4G signal. Under the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition, ITU has mobilised $25 billion of pledges targeting connectivity gaps in SIDS.

To close a $1.6 trillion digital infrastructure gap, ITU collaborates with major development finance institutions. The Digital Infrastructure Investment Initiative (DIII) explores innovative financing of broadband networks, data centres, satellite constellations, submarine cables, and 5G/6G expansions—particularly in developing countries. The initiative focuses on: quantifying the financing gap and identifying immediate priorities; addressing structural barriers that deter investors—like fragile regulatory frameworks or limited local markets; and coordinating public-private partnerships and new financing models so that underserved regions can leapfrog into robust connectivity. The DIII ties into the broader Partner2Connect Digital Coalition—an ITU-led movement now boasting billions in pledges to extend connectivity and digital services worldwide.

Access is treated in most meaningful connectivity-related Questions of ITU-D SG1, including:

• Question 1/1 on strategies and policies for the deployment of broadband in developing countries.
• Question 2/1 on strategies, policies, regulations, and methods of migration to and adoption of digital technologies for broadcasting, including providing new services for various environments.
• Question 4/1 on the economic aspects of national telecommunications/ICTs.
• Question 5/1 on telecommunications/ICTs for rural and remote areas.
• Question 6/1 on consumer information, protection, and rights.

ITU is the facilitator of WSIS Action Line С2 – Information and communication infrastructure.

Giga: UNICEF-ITU global initiative

Giga is a UNICEF-ITU global initiative to connect every school to the internet and every young person to information, opportunity, and choice. Access to broadband internet and digital learning is critical to global efforts to transform education to make it more inclusive, equitable, and effective. Yet right now, the ability to leverage digital resources is far from equitably distributed: 1.3 billion children have no access to the internet at home and only around half of the world’s schools are online.  

This digital exclusion particularly affects the poorest children, girls, and those with disabilities. These learners miss out on online resources, the option to learn remotely, and the opportunity to develop digital skills. In 2019, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and ITU joined forces to address this new form of inequality by creating Giga, a unique global partnership with the bold ambition to connect every school in the world to the internet by 2030.  

What Giga does

• Giga maps schools and their internet access. No one knows how many schools there are in the world (approximately 6-7 million). Giga’s Project Connect map provides a real-time display of access and gaps to guide funders and governments and to enable accountability. Giga has mapped over 2.1 million schools across 140 countries.
• It creates models for innovative financing. It could cost over $400 billion to connect every unconnected school. Giga is working with a diverse array of partners to develop solutions for affordable, sustainable connectivity and aims to mobilise $5 billion to catalyse investment in vital connectivity infrastructure.
• Giga supports governments contracting for connectivity. It helps governments design the regulatory frameworks, technology solutions, and competitive procurement processes needed to get schools online. Giga and its partners have connected over 2.4 million students in over 5,800 schools.  

Learn more at giga.global. Please refer to the chapter on Giga.

Capacity development

ITU is heavily involved in capacity development activities, mainly aimed at assisting countries in developing their policy and regulatory frameworks in various digital policy areas, ranging from the deployment or expansion of broadband networks to fighting cybercrime and enhancing cybersecurity. The ITU Academy provides a wide range of general and specialised courses on various aspects related to ICTs. Such courses are delivered online, face-to-face, or in a blended manner, and span a wide variety of topics, from technologies and services to policies and regulations. ITU also develops digital skills at a basic and intermediate level for citizens through its Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) Initiative.

The Digital Regulation Platform is the result of ongoing collaboration between ITU and the World Bank, which started in 2000. Structured by thematic areas, the Digital Regulation Platform aims to provide practical guidance and best practice for policymakers and regulators across the globe concerned with harnessing the benefits of the digital economy and society for their citizens and firms. The content provides an update on the basics of ICT regulation in light of the digital transformation sweeping across sectors, and also includes new regulatory aspects and tools for ICT regulators to consider when making regulatory decisions.

The inclusivity of the ITU standardisation platform is supported by ITU’s Bridging the Standardization (BSG) Programme, as well as regional groups within ITU-T SGs. The BSG hands-on SG effectiveness training builds awareness and understanding of standardisation activities and working methods in highly interactive workshops and webinars, and Guidelines for National Standardization Secretariats (NSS) assist developing countries in developing the practical skills and national procedures required to maximise the effectiveness of their participation. In addition, ongoing enhancements to ITU-T electronic working methods and language support, coupled with fellowship opportunities for experts from developing countries, foster inclusivity in major standards-making meetings. Specific projects, sponsored by voluntary contributions from members, focus on emerging technology issues such as ethics, risks, governance, regulatory and legal aspects of AI/standardisation issues. 

Digital services and applications

The Digital Services and Applications programme offers member states the tools to leverage digital technology and ICT applications to address their most pressing needs and bring real impact to people, with an emphasis on increasing availability and extending services in areas such as digital health, digital agriculture, digital government, and digital learning, as well as cross-sectoral initiatives to accelerate sustainable development such as smart villages.

To effectively harness digital services and applications for socio-economic development, the programme facilitates:

• development of a national sectoral digital strategy (including toolkits, guidelines, capacity building, action plans, and evaluations);
• deployment of innovative digital services and applications to improve the delivery of value-added services, leveraging strategic partnerships as catalysts;
• knowledge and best practice sharing through studies, research, and awareness raising, connecting stakeholders in converging ecosystems; 
• addressing emerging technology trends – such as big data and AI – by collecting and sharing best practices.

Digital ecosystems

ITU works on helping member states create and mature their digital innovation ecosystems. The Digital Ecosystem Thematic Priority has created a framework to help countries develop appropriate ICT-centric innovation policies, strategies, and programmes; share evidence-based best practices; and implement bankable projects to close the digital innovation gap. Countries are empowered to develop an environment that is conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship, where advances in new technologies become a key driver for the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Connect 2030 Agenda.

ITU assists member states through its events, courses, publications, toolkits, and provision of technical advice. Its Ecosystem Development Projects initiative, for example, provides holistic advisory services including ecosystem diagnosis, risk assessment, good practice transfer, and capacity building. Events include its national and regional innovation forums, which bring ecosystem stakeholders together to equip them with the skills to build their national innovation ecosystems; the ITU Innovation Challenges, which identify the best ICT innovators from around the world and equip them with skills to scale their ideas to truly impact their communities; courses on developing and maturing ecosystems (available at the ITU Academy); and Digital Innovation Profiles, which provide a snapshot of a country’s ecosystem status, allowing them to identify and fill the gaps using ITU tools and expertise.egional Innovation Forums, which bring ecosystem stakeholders together to equip them with the skills to build their national innovation ecosystems; the ITU Innovation Challenges, which identify the best ICT innovators from around the world and equip them with skills to scale their ideas to truly impact their communities; courses on developing and maturing ecosystems (available at the ITU Academy); and Digital Innovation Profiles, which provide a snapshot of a country’s ecosystem status and allowing them to identify and fill the gaps using ITU tools and expertise.

Sustainable development

ITU, as the UN specialised agency for ICTs, continues to support its membership and contribute to the worldwide efforts to advance the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieve its SDGs.

The 17 SDGs and their 169 related targets offer a holistic vision for the UN system. The role and contribution of ICTs as essential catalysts to fast-forward achievement of the SDGs is clearly highlighted and has come into focus since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Infrastructure, connectivity, and ICTs have demonstrated their great contribution and potential to accelerate human progress, bridge the digital divides, and develop digital societies.

ITU has a key role to play in realising its main goals of universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation, in contributing to achieving the SDGs. ITU contributes to the achievement of the SDGs with four levels of involvement:

• ICTs as an enabler: ITU can be seen as a contributor to all SDGs through the benefits that ICTs bring to societies and economies.
• Focus: SDGs with no specific reference to ICTs but where ITU has demonstrated a clear impact through the benefits ICTs bring to specific sectors and activities (e.g. e-health, digital inclusion, smart cities, e-waste, climate change). These are SDGs 1, 3, 10, 11, 12, and 13.
• Key focus: SDGs where ITU has a particularly strong impact due to its initiatives, and is the custodian of some indicators. These are SDG 4 (Quality Education), with its Target 4b to ‘… expand globally the number of scholarships, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and ICTs, technical, engineering and scientific programmes…’; and SDG 5 (Gender Equality), Target 5.b on ‘…the use of enabling technology, in particular ICTs, to promote the empowerment of women’. Indicator 5b.1 on the ownership of mobile phones, by sex.
• Main key focus: SDGs where ITU maximises its contribution, such as SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals). Here, ITU is also the custodian of related Target 9.c on ‘…. ICTs to provide universal and affordable access to the internet…’; and its Indicator 9c.1 on coverage by a mobile network and by technology, as well as Target 17.8 to ‘….enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology’; and its Indicator 17.8.1 about individuals using the internet.

The ITU Connect 2030 Agenda is specifically dedicated to leveraging telecommunications/ICTs, including broadband, for sustainable development. The agenda is built around five goals: growth, inclusiveness, sustainability, innovation, and partnership. In addition, ITU-D works on fostering international cooperation on telecommunications and ICT development issues, and enhancing environmental protection, climate change adaptation, emergency telecommunications, and disaster mitigation and management efforts through telecommunications and ICTs. These and other related issues are explored in reports, guidelines, and recommendations produced by ITU-D SGs. 

Additionally, ITU-T SGs such as ITU-T SG5 on Environment, EMF, and the Circular Economy is the lead SG and develops standards on circular economy and e-waste management, ICTs related to the environment, energy efficiency, clean energy, and sustainable digitalisation for climate actions, which help achieve the SDGs. 

A list of ITU-R publications in response to Resolution ITU-R 61-3 on ‘ITU-R’s contribution in implementing the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ is available online.

The ITU strategic plan is aligned with the WSIS Action Lines and SDGs. Since 2015, the WSIS process has been aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to ensure that ICTs play the enabling role in advancing the SDGs.

Inclusive finance

Within the work of ITU, the issues related to inclusive finance are addressed as ‘Digital Financial Services (DFS)’.

ITU has built a substantial programme of work in support of digital financial inclusion. ITU standards for digital finance address the security of telecommunications infrastructure (Signalling System No. 7 (SS7)) vulnerabilities, SIM vulnerabilities and SIM fraud and the security of mobile payments applications, process for managing risks, threats, and vulnerabilities for digital finance service providers, assessing the quality of service of mobile networks to improve reliability and user experience for digital financial services and methodology for auditing the security of mobile payment applications in order to assess their level of security assurance through the DFS Security Lab. They provide for a high quality service and user experience, and safeguard security to build trust in digital finance.

Pursuant to WTSA Resolution 89, ITU has implemented several activities aimed at enhancing the use of ICTs in bridging the financial inclusion gap through the following:

1. The Financial Inclusion Global Initiative (FIGI)
2. ITU-T study groups and focus groups work on standardisation activities related to digital financial services
3. The Digital Financial Services Security Lab
4. Insights on Digital Financial Services during COVID-19 Webinars

The ITU Focus Group on Digital Financial Services (2014–2016), the ITU Focus Group on Digital Currency including Digital Fiat Currency (2017–2019), and the Financial Inclusion Global Initiative (2017–2021), a four-year programme to advance research in digital finance and accelerate digital financial inclusion in developing countries co-led by ITU, the World Bank Group, and the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures, with financial support from the Gates Foundation, have been at the heart of the resulting standardisation activities for digital financial inclusion.

Standardisation activities in the ITU-T study groups related to digital financial services include the following:

1. ITU-T SG3 approved, Recommendation ITU-T D.263, ‘Costs, charges and competition for mobile financial services (MFSs)’ in May 2019. Additionally, the following reports of the Focus Group on Digital Financial Services (FG-DFS) were published as ITU-T SG3 technical reports:
   1. DSTR-DFSECO: Digital financial services – The Digital Financial Services Ecosystem
   2. DSTR-DFSREG: Digital financial services – Regulation in the Digital Financial Services Ecosystem  
   3. DSTR-DFSSNDL: Digital financial services – Impact of Social Networks on Digital Liquidity  
   4. DSTR-DFSCA: Digital financial services – Competition Aspects of DFS  
   5. DSTR-DFSRP: The Regulator’s Perspective on the Right Timing for Inducing Interoperability  
   6. DSTR-DFSPI: Digital financial services – Access to Payment Infrastructures  
   7. DSTR-DFSUAAFR: Digital financial services – Review of DFS User Agreements in Africa: A Consumer Protection Perspective  
   8. DSTR-DFSCP: Digital Financial Services – Commonly Identified Consumer Protection Themes for Digital Financial Services  
   9. DSTR-DFSMR: Digital Financial Services – Main Recommendations

2. ITU-T SG 12 has developed the following recommendations for quality of service and quality of experience for digital financial services:
   1. Recommendation ITU-T G.1033 highlights important aspects related to quality of service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE) that require consideration in the context of digital financial services.
   2. Recommendation ITU-T P.1502 introduces a methodology for testing the quality of experience (QoE) of digital financial services.
   3. Recommendation ITU-T P.1503 Extended methodology for cross-country and inter-operator digital financial services QoE testing

The recommendations are based on the results of the ITU-T Focus Group on Digital Financial Services and the FIGI Security, Infrastructure and Trust Working Group.

1. ITU-T SG 17 has developed the following ITU-T recommendations related to the security of digital financial services based on the reports from the FIGI Security, Infrastructure, and Trust Working Group.
   1. Recommendation ITU-T X.1150 – Security assurance framework for digital financial services  (March 2024)
   2. New recommendations determined at the SG 17 meeting in September 2024:
      1. New Recommendation ITU-T X.1456 (X.sgdfs-us): Security guidelines for digital financial service (DFS) applications based on unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) and subscriber identification module tool kit (STK)
      2. New Recommendation ITU-T X.1284 (X.afotak): Authentication framework  based on one-time authentication key using distributed ledger technology
2. ITU-T SG11 agreed on the technical reports:
   1. ITU-T QSTR-SS7-DFS (2019): SS7 vulnerabilities and mitigation measures for digital financial services transactions based on the report approved by the FIGI Security, Infrastructure and Trust Working Group
   2. ITU-T QSTR-USSD (2021): Low resource requirement, quantum resistant, encryption of USSD messages for use in financial services

ITU-T SG 11 published recommendations and new work items, which are ongoing on digital financial services, include:

1. ITU-T Q.3062 (2022): Signalling procedures and protocols for enabling interconnection between trustable network entities in support of existing and emerging networks
2. ITU-T Q.3063 (2022) : Signalling procedures of calling line identification authentication
3. Draft Q.TSCA (SG11): Requirements for issuing End-Entity and Certification Authority certificates for enabling trustable signalling interconnection between network entities
4. Draft E.RAA4Q.TSCA (SG2): Registration authority assignment criteria to issue digital public certificates for use by Q.TSCA

The ITU Digital Financial Services (DFS) Security Lab was set up in 2021 as an outcome of FIGI, with the main objective to collaborate with DFS regulators in emerging economies to adopt the DFS security recommendations (also developed under FIGI) and to provide technical support to DFS regulators in conducting security audits of mobile payment applications used in their country. The DFS Security Lab has organised some 35 DFS Security Clinics attended by over 1,500 participants from emerging economies. The security clinics are aimed at providing an overview of the ITU DFS security recommendations to the regulators from the telecom and financial services regulators, mobile network operators, and DFS providers.

In addition, the knowledge transfer programme of the DFS Security Lab provides technical assistance to regulators in emerging economies to set up the DFS Security Lab in their country, implement the DFS security recommendations including ITU-T X.1150 Recommendation and assist the staff of the regulators to be able to conduct the security audits of mobile payment apps based on the standard methodology of the DFS Security Lab.

The following telecom regulators have so far benefited from technical assistance for knowledge transfer for the DFS Security Lab: Peru, Zimbabwe, The Gambia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Antigua and Barbuda, and St Lucia. The knowledge transfer programme for these countries is ongoing in 2025. In addition, new requests were received from South Sudan, Lesotho, Eswatini, Gabon, and Burkina Faso in 2025. In 2023, the DFS Security Lab developed a cyber resilience self-assessment framework for critical infrastructure for DFS aimed at regulators to conduct evaluation of the level of cyber resilience of critical infrastructure for digital finance. 

In 2020, ITU organised the Insights on Digital Financial Services Webinar Series with the objective of providing insights on the innovative applications of telecommunications services, digital payments, and fintech in addressing COVID-triggered social distancing and lockdown, and sharing lessons learned from governments and DFS stakeholders on the measures they are implementing. Twelve webinars were held between May and December 2020, attracting over 1,000 unique participants from 105 countries. The webinars focused on topics such as digital identity, strong authentication technologies, security of digital financial transactions, handling fraud and scams, tracking digital financial crimes and fraud, digital credit technologies, mitigating telecom infrastructure vulnerabilities for digital finance, and central bank digital currency.

In 2020, ITU and Stanford University launched the Digital Currency Global Initiative (DCGI) to continue the work of the ITU Focus Group on Digital Currency including Digital Fiat Currency. DCGI provides an open and neutral platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and research on the applications of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and other digital currency implementations. 

E-waste

ITU works to develop policies, standards, frameworks, and guidelines for the efficient disposal of e-waste in order to achieve a circular economy. ITU has the mandate to promote awareness of the environmental issues associated with telecommunications/ICT equipment design and encourage energy efficiency and the use of materials in the design and fabrication of telecommunications/ICT equipment that contributes to a clean and safe environment throughout its lifecycle (Res.182 (Rev. Busan, 2014)). 

ITU plays a key role in the UN E-waste Coalition, is a founding partner of the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP), and collaborates with the Circular Electronics Partnership.

ITU-D has been mandated to assist developing countries in undertaking a proper assessment of the size of e-waste and in initiating pilot projects to achieve environmentally sound management of e-waste through e-waste collection, dismantling, refurbishing, and recycling. To this end, the organisation supports countries in developing national policies on e-waste, and works together with industry partners from the public and private sectors to stimulate coordinated actions towards a circular economy model. ITU-D and ITU-T SGs also explore issues related to ICTs and the environment.

ITU-T has been mandated to pursue and strengthen the development of ITU activities in regard to handling and controlling e-waste from telecommunications and information technology equipment and methods of treating it; and to develop recommendations, methodologies, and other publications relating to sustainable management of e-waste resulting from telecommunications/ICT equipment and products, as well as appropriate guidelines on the implementation of these recommendations. As part of this effort, ITU-T promotes circular economy principles to extend the life cycle of ICT products, encourage resource efficiency, and minimise waste generation. ITU-T SG5 on Environment, EMF, and the Circular Economy is the lead ITU-T SG on the circular economy and e-waste management.

ITU-T SG5 has a dedicated Question (Q7/5) on ‘E-waste, circular economy, and sustainable supply chain management’. This Question seeks to address the e-waste challenge by identifying the environmental requirements of digital technologies including IoT, end-user equipment, and ICT infrastructures or installations, based on the circular economy principles and improving the supply chain management in line with SDG 12, target 12.5 to substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse by 2030.

As part of this work, Q7/5 is developing the Digital Product Passport (DPP), a tool designed to enhance transparency and traceability of ICT products by providing key environmental and material data throughout their life cycle, facilitating sustainable resource management and circularity. Additionally, ITU-T contributes to global efforts through its engagement in the Digitalization for Circular Economy (D4CE) initiative, led by the OnePlanet Network, which explores how digital technologies can optimise resource use, improve material flows, and support sustainable business models to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

Rights of persons with disabilities

ITU works both to promote globally ICT accessibility for persons with disabilities and to make ITU a more accessible organisation for persons with disabilities – Resolution 175 (Rev. Bucharest, 2022).

Globally, ITU has continued conducting technical work in ITU-R, ITU-T, and ITU-D SGs, advancing the use of telecommunications and ICTs for persons with disabilities; and developing resources to support member states in establishing environments that ensure accessible telecommunications/ICTs – work conducted with the participation of persons with disabilities and aligned with the Connect 2030 Agenda. ITU-D advanced regional initiatives linked to ICT accessibility, with projects, training, and events, and provided support to ITU administrations in almost every region, including organising Accessible Americas and Accessible events. More information is available here.

Within the second area of focus, ITU has made progress in implementing its ITU Accessibility Policy for persons with disabilities, with an updated version endorsed by the ITU Council 2021.

ITU-D Study Question 7/1 continues to focus on telecommunications/ICT accessibility to enable inclusive communication, especially for persons with disabilities for 2022–2025, as agreed at WTDC–22.

The year 2021 released SG Question 7/1 report (available free of charge in all UN official languages) with its accompanying video and the focused workshop and webinar confirm the careful attention given to this topic.

ITU-R continues its work in response to Resolution ITU-R 67-2 on ‘Telecommunications/ICT accessibility for persons with disabilities and persons with specific needs’. Further information on the work carried out by the Intersector Rapporteur Group Audiovisual Media Accessibility (IRG-AVA), can be found here.

ITU’s work on accessibility includes regional events, ICT accessibility assessment, and the publication of new resources and handbooks. ITU has developed capacity-building materials to promote the adoption of accessible solutions, including 15 video tutorials on the development and remediation of accessible digital content.

A range of activities is detailed below.

• ITU Regional Knowledge Development Platforms/Forums
• ITU has organised regional events that allow ITU members and stakeholders to share good practices and challenges, and to help develop digitally inclusive societies in these regions.

Further regional events are set out below.

• Accessible Asia-Pacific (ASP): Regional Dialogue on Digital Transformation: Gearing Up for Inclusive and Sustainable Development, virtual event, 2021.
• Accessible Arab Region: ICT for ALL, Egypt, 2021, in partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA). Participants identified ways forward to implement and mainstream digital accessibility, showing how technology can ensure inclusiveness and empowerment of all.

• Accessible Americas: ICT for ALL, Cuba 2021, featured discussions with policymakers and stakeholders on ICT/digital accessibility in the context of COVID-19.
• Accessible Africa, virtual, 2021. Five online, interactive workshops sought to strengthen the capacity of 175 regional focal points from 42 African countries on ICT/digital accessibility.
• Accessible Europe: ICT for ALL 2021, virtual, 2021. Over 240 participants from more than 40 countries discussed how to remove barriers to enable the social inclusion of persons with disabilities, through cooperation, programmes, and training.
• Accessible Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS): In 2021, the CIS Region has shown increased interest in ICT accessibility implementation to ensure equal digital empowerment through ICT.

Assessing and monitoring the implementation of ICT accessibility

• ITU Self-Assessment and Toolkit for ICT AccessibilityImplementation: Towards building Inclusive Digital Communities. This resource supports all ITU members, policymakers, and stakeholders in building inclusive digital communities. It also enables countries and organisations to assess themselves, obtaining an immediate overview of the level of their ICT accessibility implementation.
• ICT Accessibility Assessment for the Europe Region provides ICT accessibility assessment for the Europe region. See also the ITU Assessment of Digital Accessibility Policies in Serbia.

WSIS Forum 2021: ICTs and Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities and Specific Needs

• WSIS Forum 2021 featured ICTs and Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities and Specific Needs, with virtual workshops on innovative technologies, bringing together experts and stakeholders to discuss how to leverage ICTs to help people with blindness and vision impairment and how to provide inclusive education for all – showcasing emerging assistive technologies.

Self-paced online training courses

• In 2021, two self-paced online training courses in ICT accessibility were developed, available in Arabic, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Both ICT Accessibility: The Key to Inclusive Communication and Web Accessibility – The Cornerstone of an Inclusive Digital Society are delivered through ITU Academy in three modules.

Other accessibility resources

• Additional ICT accessibility training and resources are available here. The update of the Handbook on Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Broadcasting networks and systems implementation, outlining Accessibility to Broadcasting Services for Persons with Disabilities, is also part of ITU’s accessibility work.

Events and opportunities to support the global implementation of ICT accessibility

• ITU contributed to the development of the Disability Inclusion Practice Note on ICT & Digital Accessibility and its Additional Resources. ITU participated in the Digital Inclusion Summit – Leaving No One Behind, organised by the International Training Centre in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) (July 2021). In 2019, the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy (UN DIS) was adopted, including significant inputs from ITU. In 2020, ITU prepared its report on the strategy implementation and reviewed its Accessibility Policy accordingly.
• ITU contributed to the first-ever celebration of Universal Design Day in 2021.
• ITU shared its expertise on ICT accessibility and disability inclusion with 131 UN Country Team representatives during two webinars on ICT and Digital Accessibility, held virtually in 2021.

Making ITU a more accessible organisation for persons with disabilities

• ITU continues to ensure accessibility to persons with disabilities, including staff, delegates, and the general public.
• To ensure the structure and content of ITU websites, videos, publications, digital documents, and digital information are all digitally accessible, training events were under preparation (held in February 2022).
• To provide fully accessible ITU events, an invitation to bid for the provision of real-time captioning was completed in November 2021. Proposals for captioning in French, Spanish, and Chinese have been submitted.
• In 2019, ITU provided captioning across ITU events and major conferences, sign language interpretation at selected ITU-T accessibility meetings and in making ITU websites accessible. ITU has also modified its internal production to generate accessible publications in the six official languages.

COVID-19: Ensuring digital information is accessible to all

• In March 2020, ITU issued COVID Guidelines on How to Develop Inclusive Digital Information Products and Services through different digital platforms, in all six official UN languages. The guidelines contain messages and concrete actions to support policymakers and communicators in ensuring that COVID-related messages and vital digital information are accessible to all people, including persons with disabilities. These ITU guidelines were globally disseminated and translated into 22 other languages within the framework of the UN joint COVID-19 response and recovery emergency working group on the health workstream.
• To ensure that deaf and hard of hearing persons were not excluded, ITU produced the Guideline on Web-based Remote Sign Language Interpretation or Video Remote Interpretation.

Gender rights online

Within the work of ITU, gender rights online is addressed as ‘Gender digital divide‘.

ITU is involved in activities aimed at promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls through ICTs.

ITU is the custodian of three gender-related SDG indicators: the proportion of individuals who (1) own a mobile phone; (2) use the internet; and (3) have ICT skills. ITU’s Measuring Digital Development: Facts and Figures 2021 shows that, in all regions, the gender internet divide has been narrowing in recent years, and calls for more action on cultural, financial, and skills-related barriers that impede internet uptake among women. ITU has launched several targeted efforts to bridge the gender digital divide and advance the Connect 2030 Agenda. Below are some highlights of ITU’s work on gender.

Together with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations University (UNU), the GSMA, and the International Trade Centre (ITC), ITU has launched the EQUALS Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age with over 100 partners working together to ensure that women are given access, are equipped with skills, and develop the leadership potential to work in the ICT industry. Under this initiative, ITU contributes with the annual flagship event, the EQUALS in Tech Awards. The awards are presented every year to organisations and individuals working to help girls and women gain equal internet access, learn digital skills, and find opportunities in the tech industry. The initiative is dedicated to encouraging girls and young women to consider studies and careers in ICTs.

The African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) was launched in Africa in collaboration with UN Women and the African Union Commission (AUC) with the aim to train and empower girls and young women aged 17 to 20 across Africa to become computer programmers, creators, and designers. The initiative has also been launched in the Americas region with a focus on equipping girls with coding skills and generating interest in the pursuit of ICT careers.

Other activities, such as the Women in Technology Challenge and the EQUALS Women in Tech Network, led by ITU, are targeted at advancing women’s engagement with ICTs for social and economic development.

Through a new global initiative on Women in Digital Business, ITU partners with the ILO and Microsoft Philanthropies to equip women entrepreneurs across Africa, Asia, and Latin America with digital and entrepreneurial skills. The ‘train-the-trainer’ model has reached over 25,000 women, supporting inclusive online business growth. 

ITU WRC-19 also adopted a declaration that promotes gender equality, equity, and parity in the work of the ITU Radiocommunication Sector.

The Radiocommunication Assembly 2023 (RA-23) adopted Resolution ITU-R 72 on ‘Promoting gender equality and equity and bridging the contribution and participation gap between women and men in ITU-R activities’.

ITU is also a facilitator of WSIS Action Line C4 – Capacity building.

Network of Women (NoW): Encouraging gender balance

Encouraging and tracking gender-balanced representation and nominations of women for key roles strengthens women’s participation in ITU meetings. The aim is to build a community where female delegates can network, share their experience, and promote the participation of women – increasing their visibility, empowering them, and encouraging experienced female delegates to mentor ICT professionals in the digital space.

ITU promotes the active participation of women in ITU events and through the Network of Women (NoW) initiatives in each of its three sectors: ITU-R (radiocommunications), ITU-T (standardisation), and ITU-D (development). These efforts aim to increase women’s participation in technical meetings and leadership roles, with activities such as dedicated global campaigns like NOW4WRC27, NOW4WTSA24 , and initiatives such as NOW4WRC27 Mentoring Programme, the Empowering Women Leaders Mentorship Programme for WTDC-25 in the run-up to key ITU governing conferences.
ITU monitors women’s participation in events and activities through the gender dashboard.

ITU Secretary General Doreen Bogdan-Martin is a member of the Global Board of the International Gender Champions (IGC), a high-level network driving systemic change through concrete actions.

Capacity-building that empowers indigenous communities through technology

Capacity-building training for indigenous communities has empowered indigenous people and communities through technology. The training is tailored to needs and interests and has taken into account self-sustainability aspects and cultural legacy.

The programme has reached 70 indigenous participants throughout the Americas, 21 of whom have completed the full programme – from Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, and Peru. Thirty per cent of participants are indigenous women.

The course Technical Promoters in Telecommunications and Broadcasting in Indigenous Communities requires one year of study and trains indigenous professionals in maintaining indigenous networks from infrastructure to communication delivery. The module boosts the professional development of professionals and their ability to contribute to their communities’ socio-economic development and self-sustainability.

A course in 2021, on Innovative Communication Tools on How to Develop, Manage and Operate an Indigenous Radio Network, was offered to 141 indigenous participants over two editions. Countries represented included Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela. Thirty per cent of participants completed all five units of the course, 40.5% of whom were indigenous women.
ITU and UNESCO were developing activities for rollout at the WSIS Forum 2022 as contributions to the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032).

Working for digital inclusion for older people-raising awareness and building resources

Working for increased youth engagement

The ITU Youth Strategy ensures the participation of youth in ITU in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The strategy is built on three pillars: creating a community of young leaders, bringing young people together to engage with ITU and members, and fostering participation in ITU activities. More than 40 Youth Task Force members across ITU are coordinating efforts to implement the ITU Youth Strategy.

The initiatives detailed below have been implemented as part of the ITU Youth Strategy and as part of its continued commitment to engaging and empowering young people in the digital development agenda.

The Robotics for Good Youth Challenge is a global educational robotics championship that invites students aged 10 to 18  to develop AI and robotics-based solutions for global challenges. In the 2024-2025 edition, participants simulate a disaster response scenario using robotics and compete in a global challenge organised by ITU, with the grand finale taking place at the AI for Good Global Summit 2025. This programme offers a unique entry point into STEM disciplines while fostering the problem-solving and teamwork skills that are critical for the next generation of digital leaders. Over 7,000 participants from twenty countries are taking part in the first edition of the global competition, 35% of whom are from least developed countries.

The AI for Good Youth Zone at the AI for Good Global Summit 2024 hosted practical workshops and hands-on sessions focused on AI and robotics. Bringing together educators, students, and professionals, nine workshops were facilitated by 11 partners over two days, attracting 300 participants, including children and professionals. The Youth Zone provided interactive and collaborative learning experiences, covering topics from AI EdTech robots to disaster robotics and autonomous vehicles. Workshops by EPFL provided hands-on experience with AI, computer vision, and machine learning, demonstrating how smart cars detect and analyse their environment. Overall, the AI for Good Youth Zone provided a dynamic and engaging platform for participants to learn, collaborate, and explore the exciting world of AI and robotics.

The ITU AI/ML Challenge is a flagship collaborative platform that enables students, researchers, and developers to design and test AI models in various real-world use cases, including communication networks, Geospatial AI, and other domains. Through real-world problem statements and open datasets, participants are guided to explore the frontier of machine learning in ICT infrastructure, strengthening their technical capacities while contributing to ITU’s standards development work. In 2024, there were a total of 13 challenge problem statements, and a total of 4,196 participants joined these problem statements, contributing more than 30,000 submissions.

The Young AI Leaders Community is a platform launched during WTSA-24 to foster youth participation and leadership in driving the AI revolution, bringing together young people aged 18-30 who leverage AI to drive positive change in their communities. It provides a platform for sharing knowledge, developing skills, and collaborating. With 89 hubs across 46 countries and over 300 members operating on a voluntary basis, this network fosters engagement in joint AI for Good activities and projects that extend beyond individual hubs. It also promotes regional and cross-regional collaborations, aligning local actions and initiatives with the broader goals of AI for Good.

The AI for Good Innovation Factory’s special edition Meet Young Innovators Revolutionizing Agrifood Systems in the Global South, was convened in partnership with the World Food Forum (WFF) to spotlight entrepreneurial youth using digital innovation to tackle challenges in agriculture and food systems. This pitch competition provided a stage for youth-led startups to pitch their AI-based solutions to a global audience of investors, policymakers, and partners, reinforcing the role of innovation in solving the world’s pressing issues and empowering young people to be active drivers of transformation.

The Metaverse Think-a-Thon 2024, organised by ITU in collaboration with UNICC, FAO, and IAEA, challenged students and recent graduates to design innovative, technology-driven solutions for smart, sustainable cities and communities. Participants developed virtual simulations addressing global challenges in education, disaster preparedness, conflict resolution, and urban sustainability, advancing the UN SDGs.

The 1st UN Citiverse Challenge, launched on 13 February 2025 and co-organised by ITU alongside 16 global partners, invites students and startups to reimagine the future through the citiverse and digital public infrastructure. Focusing on access to public services, sustainability and resilience, and tourism and digital culture, participants are challenged to design bold, innovative solutions that will shape the cities of tomorrow and drive inclusive, technology-driven urban transformation.

Generation Connect Initiative

Generation Connect, launched in 2020, prepared the way for the journey to World Telecommunication Development Conference 2022 and the Generation Connect Global Youth Summit in 2022.

Generation Connect Visionaries Board

The Generation Connect Visionaries Board offers guidance to ITU on its youth-related work. The Board, composed of ITU representatives, eight young leaders, and eight high-level appointees, advises on the Youth Summit and the Youth Strategy.

Road to Addis Series – Digital Inclusion and Youth Events

The ITU Road to Addis series of events has a strong youth component. The event on International Youth Day 2021 saw the participation of youth as equal partners alongside the leaders of today’s digital change, while the Partner2Connect Meeting 2021 launched the Partner2Connect Coalition.

Implementation of the I-CoDI Youth Challenge

In 2020, ITU organised the International Centre of Digital Innovation (I-CoDI) Youth Challenge on connecting the unconnected. Winning pitches focused on technology and network development, cybersecurity, digital inclusion, climate change and environment, and capacity building.

Generation Connect Virtual Communities

In 2021, ITU launched the new Generation Connect Virtual communities on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, inviting youth from the regions to join.

ITU: Current co-chair of the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development

In March 2021, ITU was the co-chair of the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development (IANYD) with a one-year mandate. The Network increases the effectiveness of UN work in youth development by strengthening collaboration and exchange across UN entities.

Capacity Building on Meaningful Youth Engagement

Training on Meaningful Youth Engagement for UN staff was delivered to ITU staff in 2020; 174 ITU staff attended, including top management, members of the ITU Youth Task Force, and professional and administrative staff. This training was followed by two Pitch for Youth workshops in 2020, where teams proposed ideas to an ITU jury on youth engagement initiatives.

Collaboration with the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth

ITU works with the Office of the Envoy on Youth to align the ITU Youth Strategy with the United Nations Youth Strategy: Youth 2030. ITU has engaged with the UN Youth Envoy in various ways, including the co-creation of the Digital Technology session of the #YouthLead Innovation Festival and collaboration on how online efforts are helping improve children’s online safety.

Additional initiatives

ITU’s work on empowering youth through ICTs includes the Digital Skills for Jobs Campaign and the ITU Digital Skills Toolkit. In 2020, ITU mounted a Youth Engagement Survey to consult on how ITU can best engage. The results of this survey informed the ITU Youth Strategy.

Interdisciplinary approaches

WSIS Process

The WSIS process was initiated by ITU in 1998, and it led the organisation of the 2003 and 2005 summits in coordination with the UN system. In line with its mandate and the WSIS outcome documents, ITU continues to play a key lead coordination role in WSIS implementation and follow-up.

The WSIS Forum represents the world’s largest annual gathering of the ICT for development community. Co-organised by ITU, UNESCO, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in close collaboration with all WSIS Action Line Facilitators/Co-Facilitator, the forum has proven to be an efficient mechanism for coordinating multistakeholder implementation activities, exchanging information, creating knowledge, and sharing best practices. It continues to provide assistance in developing multistakeholder and public/private partnerships to advance development goals. The forum provides structured opportunities to network, learn, and participate in multistakeholder discussions and consultations on WSIS implementation.

The ITU Contribution to the Implementation of the WSIS Outcomes is an annual comprehensive report on ITU activities in the WSIS context from all three sectors of the organisation (radiocommunications, standardisation, and development sectors) and the General Secretariat on the activities implemented during the respective year. The report provides updates on the tasks carried out by ITU at the operational and policy levels, covering all assigned mandates with reference to the WSIS process.

ITU plays a leading facilitating role in the WSIS implementation process, in collaboration with more than 30 UN agencies in creating an environment for just and equal information and knowledge societies. As per Resolution 1332 (modified 2019), the ITU membership resolved to use the WSIS framework as the foundation through which it helps the world to leverage ICTs in achieving the 2030 Agenda, within its mandate and within the allocated resources in the financial plan and biennial budget, noting the WSIS- SDG Matrix developed by UN agencies. This close interlink between the WSIS Action Lines and the SDGs and targets can serve as an important basis for work on relevant areas outlined in relevant ongoing processes, for example, UN SGs Our Common Agenda, etc.

ITU’s role in the WSIS process, highlighting the varying role along the WSIS Action Lines:

• ITU is the sole facilitator for three different WSIS Action Lines: C2 (Information and communication infrastructure), C5 (Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs), and C6 (Enabling environment).
• ITU has also taken the lead role in facilitating WSIS Action Line C4 (Capacity building).
• ITU contributes to all the remaining WSIS Action Lines facilitated by other WSIS stakeholders.

The WSIS-SDG Matrix developed by UN WSIS Action Line Facilitators serves as the mechanism to map, analyse, and coordinate the implementation of WSIS Action Lines, and more specifically, ICTs as enablers and accelerators of the SDGs. This mapping exercise draws direct links between the WSIS Action Lines and the proposed SDGs to continue strengthening the impact of ICTs for sustainable development. Building on the Matrix, the Agenda and outcomes of the WSIS Forum are clearly linked to WSIS Action lines and the SDGs, highlighting the impact and importance of ICTs for sustainable development.

The WSIS Stocktaking Process provides a register of activities – including projects, programmes, training initiatives, conferences, websites, guidelines, and toolkits – carried out by governments, international organisations, the private sector, civil society, and other entities. To that end, in accordance with paragraph 120 of the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society adopted by WSIS, ITU has been maintaining the WSIS Stocktaking Database since 2004 as a publicly accessible system providing information on ICT-related initiatives and projects with reference to the 11 WSIS action lines (Geneva Plan of Action). The principal role of the WSIS Stocktaking exercise is to leverage the activities of stakeholders working on the implementation of WSIS outcomes and share knowledge and experience of projects by replicating successful models designed to achieve the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The WSIS Prizes contest was developed in response to requests from WSIS stakeholders to create an effective mechanism for evaluating projects and activities that leverage the power of ICTs to advance sustainable development. Since its inception, WSIS Prizes has attracted more than 350,000 stakeholders. Following the outcomes of the UN General Assembly Overall Review on WSIS (Res. A/70/125) that called for a close alignment between the WSIS process and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Res. A/70/1), WSIS Prizes continues to serve as the unique global platform to identify and showcase success stories in the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines and the SDGs.

UNGIS is the UN system’s inter-agency mechanism for advancing policy coherence and programme coordination on matters related to ICTs in support of internationally agreed development goals. Established in 2006 after WSIS, its mandate includes promoting collaboration and partnerships among members of the Chief Executives Board (CEB) to contribute to the achievement of the WSIS goals, providing guidance on issues related to inclusive information and knowledge societies, helping maintain issues related to science and technology at the top of the UN Agenda, and mainstreaming ICT for Development in the mandate of CEB members.

UNGIS remains committed and has contributed to the alignment of the WSIS Action Lines and the SDGs.

The Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development is an international, multistakeholder initiative to improve the availability and quality of ICT data and indicators.

ITU also works in close collaboration with the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology and in 2022 announced a first-ever set of targets for universal and meaningful digital connectivity to be achieved by 2030.

The universal meaningful connectivity targets were developed as part of the implementation of the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation and aim to provide concrete benchmarks for sustainable, inclusive global progress in specified action areas, such as (1) Universality, (2) Technology, and (3) Affordability. These 15 aspirational targets are meant to help countries and stakeholders prioritise interventions, monitor progress, evaluate policy effectiveness, and galvanise efforts around achieving universal and meaningful connectivity by 2030. They are also meant as a contribution towards the Global Digital Compact, as proposed in the UN Secretary-General’s report on Our Common Agenda. A first assessment of how the world currently stands in relation to the targets is available on ITU’s website here.

Kaleidoscope academic conferences

Kaleidoscope is the ITU flagship event for academia, which brings together a wide range of views from universities, industry, and research institutions across different fields to identify emerging trends in technologies for a digital and sustainable transformation that can benefit humanity. Selected papers are presented at the conference and published in the Conference Proceedings and IEEE Xplore Digital Library. By viewing technologies through a kaleidoscope, these forward-looking events also seek to identify new topics for ITU’s work. Kaleidoscope 2024 on Innovation and digital transformation for a sustainable world was held in parallel with the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2024 (WTSA-24), on 21-23 October, in New Delhi, India. This 15th Kaleidoscope edition also highlighted the role of youth in global standards development and the urgency of connecting the last one-third of the world’s population that is not yet online.

The next edition will be held in Geneva in conjunction with the AI for Good Summit in 2026.

ITU Journal 

The scholarly ITU Journal on Future and Evolving Technologies (ITU J-FET) provides complete coverage of all communications and networking paradigms. ITU J-FETl considers yet-to-be-published papers addressing fundamental and applied research. It shares new techniques and concepts, analyses, and tutorials, as well as learning from experiments and physical and simulated testbeds. It also discusses the implications of the latest research results for policy and regulation, legal frameworks, the economy, and society. This publication builds bridges between disciplines, connects theory with application, and stimulates international dialogue. Its interdisciplinary approach reflects ITU’s comprehensive field of interest and explores the convergence of ICT with other disciplines. 

ITU J-FET is a quarterly publication, free of charge for both readers and authors, which offers a platform to share research on topics of strategic relevance to ITU, such as Internet of Everything​, Terahertz Communications​​, Wireless Communication Systems in Beyond 5G Era​, ​​Internet of Bio-Nano Things for Health Applications, Towards Vehicular Networks in the 6G Era​, ​​Emerging Trends and Applications in Future Communication Networks, ​Integrated and Autonomous Network Management and Control for 6G Time-critical Applications, Digital Continuum and Next Generation Networks, Future of Networking Beyond 2030​, ​Innovative Network Solutions for Future Services, ​​Intelligent Surfaces and their Applications towards Wide-scale Deployment​, ​​​​​​​​AI-driven Security in 5G and beyond, Network Virtualization, Slicing, Orchestration, Fog and Edge Platforms for 5G and 6G Wireless Systems​, ​AI for Accessibility, Metaverse: Communications, Networking and Computing, ​Intelligent Technologies for Future Networking and Distributed Systems, ​Next Generation Computer Communications and Networks, Satellite Constellations and Connectivity from Space​, and AI and Machine Learning Solutions in 5G and Future Networks, and Geospatial AI to Advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Under the umbrella of the ITU Journal, a series of webinars has been launched to feature highly cited academics, CTOs, and industry leaders, sharing their pioneering studies and visions, as well as their impactful life lessons learned over the years that might be useful for students and young researchers starting their career in the ICT field. This special series is designed to expand synergies between academia and industry R&D, placing emphasis on 5G and 6G and increasing network intelligence.​ The recordings are available at the ITU Journal Webinars Series playlist on YouTube.

ITU-Tsinghua University Joint Journal 

The Intelligent and Converged Networks​​ (ICN) Journal focuses on the latest developments in communication technology. ICN is co-published by Tsinghua University Press (TUP) and ITU. The journal draws its name from the accelerating convergence of different fields of communication technology and the growing influence of AI and machine learning. An open-access quarterly publication, ICN was launched in 2020. All issues can be downloaded for free at the journal’s online library and on IEEE Xplore.  The Journal is indexed in the following databases: Ei Compendex, Scopus, DOAJ, and Inspec.

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