The recently concluded International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-22) held in Bucharest adopted the organization’s new Strategic Plan for 2024 – 2027; the plan is aimed at improving connectivity, the use of radio communications, digital skills and literacy, along with the promotion of innovation and technology-based entrepreneurship, according to Agerpres.

The ITU member states approved new goals and targets, along with updated priorities for advancing towards universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation, with a newly revised Resolution 71 outlining the ITU Strategic Plan for a four-year period starting from 2024.

„This latest four-year plan enhances ITU’s universal connectivity goal with targets for ensuring Internet access for all. It also bolsters ITU’s environmental priorities as part of sustainable digital transformation. The plan’s targets for inclusive and secure infrastructure aim to enhance fixed and broadband connectivity and access, radiocommunications use, and digital skills and literacy worldwide, as well as upgrading knowledge and capacities among ITU members. The plan also promotes technology-centric innovation and entrepreneurship, along with innovative regulation to help developing countries advance digital inclusion,” an official statement informs.

According to the cited source, revised Resolution 71 suggests enhancing the role of ITU’s regional offices, incorporating the gender perspective and mainstreaming diversity across ITU’s work, and continuing to implement the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The latest Strategic Plan clarifies key areas of ITU’s work, provides a clear focus for the next four years, encourages strong coordination among ITU’s radiocommunication, standardization, and development sectors, and strengthens the framework for results-based management.

Romania organized between September 26 and October 14, at the Parliament Palace in Bucharest, the 21st Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union (PP-22), with more than 3,000 leaders and delegates from 193 countries attending.

Alongside the National Communications Administration and Regulation Authority (ANCOM) and the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism, partners in organizing the conference were: the Senate of Romania, the Chamber of Deputies, the government’s Secretariat General, the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Transformation, the Health Ministry, the Ministry of Culture, the Bucharest City Hall, the Special Telecommunications Service, the Protection and Security Service, and the Romanian TV Broadcaster.

The National News Agency AGERPRES was media partner of the event.

The next Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union will take place in 2026 in Doha – Qatar, a country that has previously hosted ITU’s World Telecommunication Development Conference (2006), the Connect Arab Summit (2012) and ITU Telecom World (2014).

The International Telecommunication Union is the United Nations’ specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), which promotes innovation in this field, together with its 193 member states and over 900 members from companies, universities and international and regional organizations.

Founded 157 years ago, the ITU is an intergovernmental organization whose main task is to coordinate the safe use of the global radio spectrum, promote international cooperation on the assignment of satellite orbits, improve communications infrastructure in developing countries and establish worldwide standards to encourage the seamless interconnection of a wide range of communications systems.

Agerpres