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Member states of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have agreed on a roadmap aimed at ensuring global internet access for all. The decision was adopted today at the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25), which concluded in Baku.
The two-week event was held in partnership between the ITU and the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Organized for the first time in Azerbaijan in the CIS region, the conference provided an opportunity to discuss regional and international digital development strategies.
“As President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev emphasized in his address, Baku has become the place where member states and partners reached agreement on practical decisions that will define the ITU’s development priorities for the next four years. Working closely with its partners, Azerbaijan actively contributed to shaping these outcomes. The adoption of the Baku Declaration — which references the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action — reflects our shared commitment to an inclusive and sustainable digital future,” said Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev.
The resolutions adopted at the event covered a wide range of areas, including radio-frequency management, cybersecurity, digital inclusion, ICT application and regulation, innovation, and the use of digital technologies in remote regions.
The Baku Action Plan — the main outcome document of the conference — outlines the key directions for human-centric digital development through telecommunications and information and communication technologies. The plan places particular emphasis on the needs of developing countries, communities with limited access to digital services, and vulnerable population groups.
Currently, more than two billion people around the world remain without internet access. The four-year plan covering 2026–2029 will support the development of universal, meaningful, and affordable internet connectivity to help build an inclusive and sustainable digital future.
“WTDC-25 has brought us closer to our goal of ensuring universal, meaningful, and affordable connectivity for everyone, everywhere, in this decade. The Baku Declaration and Action Plan serve as our human-centric digital development roadmap that leaves no one behind,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin.
The Baku Action Plan encompasses regional initiatives, the new and updated resolutions that will guide the ITU’s digital development activities, as well as recommendations for the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D). The document also outlines the technical issues to be examined by the organization’s expert groups.
The regional initiatives included in the Action Plan set out the key digital development priorities across the ITU’s six global regions — such as ensuring access to infrastructure, enhancing digital skills, and providing inclusive services. The international organization aims to build partnerships and mobilize resources for projects that address these identified regional needs.
“The Baku Action Plan sets out the roadmap for bridging digital divides. It also takes into account the specific needs of least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states. By working with governments and regulatory authorities, we will create an enabling policy and regulatory environment that allows industry and the private sector to invest. Through this approach, we look forward to achieving concrete results in closing infrastructure gaps, ensuring meaningful connectivity for all, and providing universal internet access,” emphasized ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau Director Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava.
During the conference, the ITU presented the 2025 Global Connectivity Report, which offers recommendations to ensure that people everywhere can access high-quality internet services at affordable prices.
Several agreements were also signed as part of the event. A two-year project will be implemented to support the sustainability of national “smart villages” and “smart islands” programs in the Asia-Pacific region. This initiative will serve as a model for strengthening digital skills and ensuring access to digital services in rural and remote communities, benefiting 3,000 people across seven countries.
In addition, a project will be implemented in the CIS region to support the development of professional and digital skills. The project will be implemented in cooperation with the international organization Intersputnik and will benefit 300 professionals working in the fields of satellite communications and broadcasting technologies.
WTDC-25 also featured a high-level dialogue for least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states. Countries belonging to these groups shared their plans to expand broadband access, advance human-centric sustainable development, and ensure a secure digital future for all.
