Accelerating an inclusive, sustainable, resilient, and innovative digital future

As technological breakthroughs continue to reshape the global digital economy, it is essential to address a wide range of interconnected issues while designing public policy interventions that can maximize opportunities and address the challenges related to digital technologies.

Looking towards 2026 and beyond, and recognizing the limited time left for the global community to make progress on the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is imperative for policymakers and stakeholders to adopt a holistic approach for developing integrated policy frameworks.

Creating Forward-Looking Policy Frameworks

A robust enabling environment through effective policymaking is essential for facilitating efforts, particularly in developing countries, to ensure universally accessible, affordable, high-quality, interoperable, and secure infrastructure and services.

Enhanced international coordination and standardization of telecommunications can help leverage existing and emerging technologies, connectivity solutions, and business models to close the digital divide, ensuring access in all countries and regions.

WTPF-26: International Policy Forum

WTPF-26 will bring together policymakers and stakeholders for a global exchange of views and information on technology policy issues. The Forum is uniquely placed to facilitate best practices exchange and enhance international collaboration for developing interconnected solutions, harmonized approaches, and forward-looking policy frameworks.

Focus on five key thematic areas

The theme for WTPF-26 – decided by Decision 641 (Council 2024) – is “Accelerating an inclusive, sustainable, resilient, and innovative digital future,” with focus on:

Bridging digital divides, particularly on gender and age as well as skills and connectivity
Green digital transformation: climate change and environmental sustainability
Resilience of telecommunication/ICTs
Space connectivity
Strengthening ICT-centric innovation ecosystems and entrepreneurship