The Africa Regional Preparation Meeting for the 2017 World Telecommunications Development Conference (WTDC-17) was held last 6-8 December in Kigali, Rwanda, along with the Regional Development Forum, discussing regional initiatives for that continent. The event was jointly organised by the ITU Telecommunications Development Bureau (BDT) and the government and regulatory authority of Rwanda.
Discussions at the meeting focused specifically on inputs from the African region for the strategic and operational plan of the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) as well as eventual proposals for new regional initiatives that may arise from WTDC-17.
As for the forum, its aim is to create a platform for dialogue between the BDT, governments, regulators and operators regarding issues deemed priority between two WTDCs.
On behalf of the presidency of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) and its Committee for ITU Policy, Portugal took part in these meetings representing Europe, with the aim of enhancing cooperation with that region. The possibility of revising the memorandum of understanding between CEPT and the African Telecommunication Union remains in perspective.
