ITU will conduct the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 9 to 20 October 2017.
ITU said Buenos Aires Declaration and the Buenos Aires Action Plan are the expected outcomes of WTDC-17. WTDC-17 will set the priorities and program of the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) over the next four years. ITU will issue the provisional final report of WTDC-17 on 20 October.
“The theme of WTDC-17 is timely because now more than ever, we need ICTs to drive development and accelerate the achievement of the SDGs’ vision to leave no one behind,” said Houlin Zhao, ITU Secretary-General.
High-ranking officials from member states, including ministers and deputy ministers will share their views on emerging trends and on matters of strategic importance to the development of the ICT sector at a high-level segment meeting held on 9-10 October.
WTDC-17 will host a series of pre and side events to highlight the role that ICTs play in achieving socio-economic development.
Together for an #Accessible World pre-event will bring together ITU Members and other stakeholders from all regions to share their views, challenges and success stories on the promotion of a global inclusive society.
Ministerial Roundtable on ICT④SDGs in LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS will highlight how ICTs are accelerating the attainment of SDGs, and discuss initiatives in least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states.
Digital Skills for Youth Employment in the Digital Economy on 11 October will explore the latest trends in digital skills for youth employment, the role of ITU in promoting digital skills for youth employment and provide an update on the joint ILO – ITU Digital Skills for Decent Jobs Campaign.
Digital transformation through innovation on 13 October will provide a platform for networking and sharing knowledge and best practices to help countries accelerate digital transformation.
Emergency Telecommunications on 13 October will highlight the role of ICTs in disaster management, early warning and monitoring systems, and new technological tools used to restore communication networks when disasters strike.
Cybersecurity event on 16 October will showcase some of ITU’s cybersecurity related flagship initiatives, including the annual Global Cybersecurity Index, and gather views and inputs from participants on how to improve ITU’s work in cybersecurity.
E-Health event on 17 October will discuss the role of ICT in contributing to the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and provide examples of best practices, experiences and lessons learned where ICTs have made concrete progress towards UHC.
On Wednesday 11 October, ITU-D will host two Ministerial Roundtables on ICT④SDGs and the digital economy with inspiring and visionary speakers.
