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Member states of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have agreed on a roadmap to bring connectivity to everyone around the world.

 The roadmap was outlined at the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

 The Baku Action Plan sets the agenda for human-focused digital development driven by communications technologies with a focus on the needs of developing countries, underserved communities and vulnerable populations, including those in Africa.

 The ITU said with an estimated 2.2 billion people worldwide still offline, the four-year plan spanning 2026 to 2029 supports efforts to advance universal digital connectivity for an inclusive and sustainable digital future.

 “WTDC-25 has brought us closer to our goal of making connectivity universal, meaningful and affordable for everyone, everywhere in this decade.

 The Baku Declaration and Action Plan is our roadmap towards human-centered digital development that leaves no one behind,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin.

According to the ITU, the principal outcome document of WTDC25 includes new and revised resolutions to guide ITU’s digital development work, recommendations for ITU’s Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D), and new initiatives addressing key digital development priorities in ITU-D regions.

“The plan also sets out new and revised questions on issues to be addressed by expert ITU-D study groups,” the ITU added.

“The outcomes of WTDC-25, contained in the Baku Action Plan, reflect the needs, priorities and the aspirations of our membership in a forward-looking and results-oriented agenda for digital development and impact,” added ITU Development Bureau Director Dr. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava.

 Zavazava added that the plan outlines the roadmap of action to bridge the remaining digital divides, while addressing the unique needs of least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states.

 “We look forward to delivering tangible results and accelerating digital transformation by working with governments and regulators to create an enabling policy and regulatory framework that paves the way for industry and private sector to invest and contribute to our efforts to close infrastructural gaps so we may achieve meaningful connectivity and bring everyone online,” Zavazava continued.

 In a Facebook post, Thiam said the partnership constitutes the general framework for cooperation between the ITU and ARTP and formalizes their common desire to support the implementation of this strategic project.

The Senegalese telecom regulator said that the operational procedures, along with the allocation of roles and responsibilities, are outlined in a dedicated draft document.

This document will take effect once it is signed and the internal approval process within ARTP is completed. Thiam stressed that ARTP is only the initiator and that the benefits are intended for women entrepreneurs in the country.

“As a reminder, this project supports young women by strengthening their participation in digital commerce through targeted skills development, ecosystem support and the development of digital tools,” Thiam added.

This partnership follows a meeting between the Senegalese regulator and the ITU held on the sidelines of the World Symposium of Regulators that took place in Saudi Arabia in September 2025.

That meeting saw the two entities discussing several themes, including ways to strengthen cooperation between Senegal and the ITU.