Information Technologies and Communication Authority
President Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu and his accompanying delegation attended WTDC-22 held in Kigali/Rwanda.
The World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-22), the highest-level meeting of the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) – one of the United Nations specialized agencies and a founding member of which our country is also a member – was held between June 6-16, 2022, in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, under the theme "Connecting the unconnected to achieve sustainable development." Our Authority was represented by a high-level delegation headed by Board President Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu.
The fundamental objective of WTDCs, organized with the participation of ITU member countries and sector members, is to determine priorities and strategies for development in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT) and to formulate action plans that will guide the work of the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT). At the conclusion of WTDCs, an Action Plan is prepared that outlines the overall work program of ITU-D and the programs to be implemented until the next WTDC. This includes regional initiatives aimed at development, new and revised "Resolutions and Recommendations" to serve the sector's objectives, and Questions to be addressed by ITU-D working groups over the next four-year period. This Action Plan also contributes to the Strategic Plan, where ITU's overall strategies are determined. Additionally, at WTDCs, a Declaration is adopted containing the policy support needed for ITU-D to fulfill its duties and achieve its strategic objectives.
Within the scope of WTDC-22, Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Development Roundtable Meetings were organized between June 7-9, 2022. These roundtables, consisting of panels aimed at high-level participants including Ministers, Senior Executives, and other leaders in the ICT development sector, provided Member States, ITU-D Sector Members, and other stakeholders with the opportunity to engage in high-level discussions on challenges and opportunities related to digital development, make concrete commitments, and establish new partnerships. Within the event, our Board President Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu participated as a speaker in the session held on June 8, 2022, and shared our Authority's commitment.
During WTDC-22, bilateral meetings were held with representatives of countries including the USA, Azerbaijan, Germany, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, United Kingdom, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chad, Dominican Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, France, Gambia, South Africa, South Korea, Iran, Spain, Switzerland, Japan, Cameroon, Montenegro, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, North Macedonia, Lithuania, Mexico, Namibia, Uzbekistan, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Jordan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe regarding our country's candidacy for Council membership and our Authority's activities aimed at development, in the context of elections to be held at the Plenipotentiary Conference (PP) – ITU's highest-level meeting – planned to be held in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, between September 26 and October 14, 2022, under the theme “Connect and Unite.”
During the conference, President Karagözoğlu and the delegation headed by him also met with Ambassador Burcu Çevik in Kigali and engaged in contacts to garner support for the ITU Council candidacy.