Global dialogue shapes unified digital policy priorities as WTPF-26 adopts five key opinions

ITU forum in The Bahamas sets stage for Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 with consensus on digital divide, sustainability, resilience, space connectivity, and innovation By IT Edge News.Africa Representatives of governments, industry, academia, civil society, and the technical community at the World Telecommunication/ICT Policy Forum 2026 (WTPF-26) today adopted a set of Opinions on critical issues shaping the digital future, providing a unified framework for global digital policy priorities. ADVERTISEMENT The three-day Forum, organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) —the United Nations agency for digital technologies—convened in Nassau, The Bahamas, as a platform for global policy dialogue addressing the digital divide, sustainability, resilience, space connectivity, and innovation. The non-binding Opinions come just two months before ITU's Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (PP-26) , helping to build consensus approaches on major global information and communication technology (ICT) issues ahead of ITU's highest decision-making meeting. From Vision to Action: ITU Secretary-General Sets the Tone Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU Secretary-General, emphasized the Forum's mission to translate ambition into tangible progress. ADVERTISEMENT 'We came to Nassau determined to move from vision to action to accelerate an inclusive, sustainable, resilient and innovative digital future,' Bogdan-Martin said. 'The five Opinions adopted at WTPF sharpen our focus to do just that, while keeping people at the centre of digital transformation as we head to PP-26.' Her remarks underscored the Forum's commitment to ensuring that digital transformation serves the needs of all people, particularly the most vulnerable and underserved communities. Five Opinions Shaping the Global Digital Agenda As artificial intelligence (AI), space-based connectivity, and rapidly changing digital infrastructure reshape the global digital landscape, the Opinions adopted at WTPF-26 offer guidance to ITU membership on key challenges: ADVERTISEMENT 1. Bridging Digital Divides The Forum emphasized the urgent need to address disparities in connectivity, skills, and access—particularly along gender and age lines—to ensure no one is left behind in the digital revolution. 2. Green Digital Transformation Climate change and environmental sustainability took center stage, with participants calling for ICT systems to support a greener, more sustainable future while reducing their own environmental footprint. 3. Resilience of Telecommunication and ICT Systems The Opinions stressed the importance of building robust, resilient digital infrastructure capable of withstanding disruptions—from natural disasters to cyber threats. 4. Space Connectivity With satellite-based internet and space technologies expanding rapidly, the Forum addressed the policy and regulatory frameworks needed to ensure equitable and secure space connectivity. 5. Strengthening ICT-Centric Innovation Ecosystems Participants highlighted the need to foster entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems that can drive economic growth and create opportunities across all regions. Bahamas Minister: Small Island States Must Shape Global Policy Sebastian Bastian, Bahamas Minister of Innovation and National Development, stressed that small island developing states (SIDS) must not simply be affected by global digital policy but must play an active role in shaping it. 'Small island developing states must not simply be affected by global digital policy, but be at the table helping to shape it,' Bastian said. 'For The Bahamas, the opportunity before us is to move from access to capability to opportunity, building the skills and conditions that allow our people to benefit meaningfully from emerging technologies.' His remarks highlighted the unique challenges and opportunities facing SIDS in the digital age, from limited infrastructure to the potential for leapfrogging through innovation. Multistakeholder Dialogue Delivers Practical Outcomes The Forum brought together a multistakeholder community of over 500 participants in person and online from September 2 to 4—the seventh in the WTPF event series. ITU convenes WTPF periodically to ensure policy discussions keep pace with rapid technological change. Previous Forums have helped the international community navigate other major shifts—from the emergence of new telecommunications services and Internet telephony to broadband, Internet-related public policy issues, and new and emerging technologies such as AI. Randol Dorsett, Chair of WTPF and the Bahamas Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA), praised the collaborative spirit of the Nassau gathering. 'The issues before us are shaping the future of societies and economies around the world,' Dorsett said. 'The work we have done in Nassau has produced practical, forward-looking outcomes that should influence global telecommunications and ICT policy for years to come.' Strategic Dialogue Highlights Vulnerable Economies A high-level Strategic Dialogue preceded WTPF-26 on September 1, with a discussion on the choices needed to shape the digital future. The Strategic Dialogue highlighted the perspectives of small island developing states and other vulnerable economies, exploring how policy, investment, innovation, and international cooperation can turn technological progress into meaningful benefits for people everywhere. The dialogue set the stage for the Forum's deliberations, ensuring that the voices of the most vulnerable were heard at the highest levels of global digital policymaking. Looking Ahead to PP-26 With WTPF-26 concluded, all eyes now turn to ITU's Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (PP-26) , where the Opinions adopted in Nassau will inform decisions on the future of global ICT policy. The PP-26 will bring together ITU's 193 member states to shape the organization's strategic direction for the next four years, making the consensus-building achieved at WTPF-26 a critical precursor to the conference. As the global community prepares for PP-26, the outcomes of WTPF-26 provide a roadmap for a more inclusive, sustainable, resilient, and innovative digital future.