Kigali is hosting the 2022 edition of the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) from the 6th to the 16th of June. Held every four years, the event is dedicated to the review of issues, projects and programmes related to telecommunications development.
Under the theme “Connecting the unconnected to achieve sustainable development”, the WTDC is an opportunity to develop innovative approaches and new models for collaboration on connectivity and digital solutions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which is organising the event through its Telecommunication Development Board, has announced that this edition will define the strategies and objectives for the development of telecommunications and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), providing guidance and direction to the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector.
For Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Board, “the upcoming WTDC represents a unique opportunity to harness the potential of digital partnerships to deliver on our commitments to sustainable development by 2030.
In addition, the WTDC will host the “Partner2Connect” Round Table for Digital Development from 7 to 9 June. Director Doreen Bogdan-Martin, emphasises on financial inclusion “The Partner2Connect initiative mobilises leaders from the public sector, the global technology industry and other stakeholders to bring digital inclusion to even the hardest to connect communities, so that digital opportunities benefit everyone.
As a prelude to the WTDC, the ITU is organising the Generation Connect Global Youth Summit from 2 to 4 June in Kigali as part of the initiative. The Summit aims, according to the project leader Anetha Awuku, “to raise awareness among young people around the world of the key challenges of digital transformation, to encourage them to participate as equal partners with today’s digital change leaders, and to provide them with the skills and opportunities to realise their vision of a safe and inclusive connected future.
For the first time, the World Telecommunications Development Conference will be held in Africa.
