Forum on Policy and Regulation

🏝️Empowering Communities through the Smart Islands programme in Hunga, Tonga! 🇹🇴   We're pleased to share how the Smart Islands programme is making a difference in Hunga, Tonga.✨   Together with UNOPS and Tonga Women in ICT, ITU enhanced digital literacy, digital skills as well as community awareness of over 144 community members in the island who actively participated through engaging trainings on:   🖥️ Basic Digital Literacy 📱 Digital Skills Development 🔒 Online Safety essentials 🌱📊 Using Digital Services for Education, Finance, and Power Supply   Special highlights 💡 included: 👩💻 Empowering women and girls in Tonga through insightful awareness session. 🛡️ Awareness raising presentation on ITU Child Online Protection Guidelines to ensure a safer digital environment for parents, educators, and young users.   The Smart Islands programme is being implemented together with the Government of Tonga as part of the Joint SDG Fund programme in the Pacific. Together, we’re driving sustainable development and empowering communities through technology. 🌍💻

📅 On 1 Nov 2024, the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific visited Juntendo University in Tokyo, Japan. ITU and Juntendo University collaborated to conduct an information session on Healthy Ageing in Thailand through ICT, alongside WHO and Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) Thailand, on 1 April 2024. We are excited about future collaborations and engagements with Juntendo University! 🌟🤝 

🔔VACANCY NOTICE: ITU is looking for a Government Services Facilitation Consultant to perform a deep-dive study into the existing digital and offline government services and procedures in Thailand that relate to the trade of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), company registration, taxation, online payments, and any licensing requirements and associated procedures relating to the business operations licensing of waste management companies. 📍Location: Remote, Home Based. 💡 Deadline for application: 1 January 2025 Please find more information at 👉 https://lnkd.in/gCqW3T8G

🌏 ITU Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Ms. Atsuko Okuda joined the Asia-Pacific UN Regional Directors Meeting hosted by UNICEF East Asia and Pacific on 29 Nov 2024. Key outcomes and work streams from the Summit of the Future were discussed. ITU remains committed to bridging the digital divide and accelerating sustainable development alongside UN agencies. 🌐🤝 #DigitalTransformation #DigitalInclusion #SustainableDevelopment #ITU

🚀 Driving Digital Transformation: ITU’s Bilateral Meetings in the Maldives From 28 November to 1 December 2024, Ms. Pranita Upadhyaya, Head of the Area Office for South Asia and Innovation Centre, Delhi, engaged in impactful bilateral discussions with key stakeholders in the Maldives, including Dr. Mohamed Kinnanath, Minister of Homeland Security & Technology, Mr. Ilyas Ahmed, Chief Executive of the Communication Authority of Maldives (CAM), and Ms. Pek Chuan Gan, Deputy Representative of UNDP and their team. These strategic discussions focused on critical areas such as cybersecurity, early warning systems, and ITU’s Smart Islands initiative. Together, we’ve set the stage for transformative partnerships that will accelerate the Maldives' digital transformation and sustainable development. ITU remains committed to supporting the nation’s technological evolution and innovation. 🌐💡 #DigitalTransformation #BilateralRelations #Innovation #Sustainability #Maldives #ITU

On 6 December, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific held the final event of the Pacific Girls in ICT 2024. Over 90 participants joined this online event, which discussed key takeaways and experiences from the different programmes run this year across the Pacific👧💻   We thank the Pacific Islands Telecommunications Association and the Pacific Telecommunications Council for their continued collaboration! 🤝

🌐 Empowering & connecting communities through the Smart Island initiative in Nauru!   📄 1100+ students trained on online safety and how to craft a CV and use digital tools to enhance and facilitate education/job search  💻 45 government workers and community members informed on how to benefit from digital    The Smart Island initiative is being implemented together with the Government of Nauru🤝

On 4 December, the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific organized a webinar titled “The Role of Civil Society in Advancing Responsible AI”. 🌏 The webinar featured speakers from international civil society organizations such as Access Now, Asia Centre, and Encode Justice. They emphasized the importance of human-rights-based approaches to AI governance and use, and called for increased efforts to include the voices of communities and marginalized groups, particularly in the Global South, in the AI decision-making process. 🌍 The webinar, which gathered participants from across the Asia-Pacific region, was the fourth in ITU’s Southeast Asia webinar series on gender-sensitive and socially inclusive AI policies and standards. 💻✨

Discover the power of AI to reduce #DisasterRisks and capitalize on new tech with our new Global Initiative on Resilience to Natural Hazards through AI Solutions https://lnkd.in/d944TMWD #AIforGood

🌐 ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific at the 2024 APEC PPFS Webinar 🌐   On 4th December 2024, the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific participated in the 2024 APEC PPFS Webinar on Developing Sustainable Agri-food Systems by Utilizing Innovative Digital Technology. This event, hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of the Republic of Korea in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), focused on sharing digital innovation technology examples and discussing the roadmap to achieve food security by 2030. During the webinar, Ms. Atsuko Okuda, ITU Regional Director for Asia-Pacific, highlighted ITU’s initiatives in Asia and the Pacific on inclusive and sustainable digital transformation for climate change and food security, such as the Critical Technology project and the Digital Agriculture Initiative. We are proud to be part of this important dialogue and look forward to continuing our efforts towards a sustainable and secure agri-food system. 🌱🌾 #Sustainability #DigitalInnovation #FoodSecurity #ClimateChange