Members of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have agreed on priorities for standards and capacity development in areas from artificial intelligence (AI) and the metaverse, to sustainable digital transformation at the World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly (WTSA-24) in New Delhi.
The conference reviewed and modified existing guidance and agreed eight new resolutions reinforcing the organisation’s standards work to meet fast-evolving global needs.
“The outcomes of WTSA-24 remind us that humanity has one Earth, one human family, and one shared digital future,” says ITU secretary-general Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “Together with the global standards community, ITU is committed to ensuring that our digital future is technically strong with innovation, inclusion, and sustainability at its core.”
India’s Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia, says: “What was seen as a form of communication has today become the highway on which the future of not only our countries, but the future of humanity in the next decades will be building. Over the past 10 days, we have embarked on an extraordinary odyssey. One that has not only allowed us to envision a radiant digital future, but also empower us in order to be able to sculpt for the future – for rich dialogues, audacious ideas, and transformation partnerships.”
Accelerated support for high-priority standards work
The new WTSA Resolutions all emphasise support for developing countries.
The decisions direct ITU to prioritise:
- Responsible, safe, and inclusive AI – including collaboration via the AI for Good platform;
- Trusted, inclusive, and interoperable metaverse applications;
- Sustainable digital transformation across multiple industries and technologies;
- Technical requirements for digital public infrastructure;
- Communication technologies for vehicle-to-everything, intelligent transport systems, and automated driving;
- Caller-location information from mobile phones to support emergency communications;
- Preparing students and young professionals as the next generation of ITU standards experts;
- Continual improvement and evolution to meet new policy objectives and market demand.
“ITU standards and capacity development must create the foundation for the digital future we want,” says Seizo Onoe, director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardisation Bureau. “My top priorities are impactful standards and the strong industry engagement and support to developing countries that create this impact. The decisions of WTSA highlight ITU membership’s commitment to these goals.”
Ritu Ranjan Mittar, chair of WTSA-24, adds: “As we look ahead to the future, I am confident that the resolutions that we have developed will pave the way for groundbreaking innovations, sustainable growth, and greater connectivity worldwide. It is said that the march of technology will always continue – and it is the collective responsibility of all of us that standards and standardisations keep pace with it.”