The World Telecommunication Development Conference 2022 (WTDC-22), which took place in Kigali from 6 to 16 June, adopted a forward-looking agenda to address the global connectivity gap that has kept 2.9 billion people around the world from using the Internet. WTDC-22 welcomed 2,152 participants in total, representing 150 Member States and 340 Sector members and partners, with 1,304 delegates present in the Rwandan capital, and another 848 joining the meeting remotely. The focus of the event was 'Connecting the unconnected to achieve sustainable development'.

The Kigali Action Plan agreed at the conference charts a course for digital development that aligns closely with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out by the United Nations for 2030. It also defines the workplan of the ITU's Development Sector (ITU-D) until the next WTDC.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference set out to reinvigorate progress on SDGs and put digital uptake at the forefront for the remaining seven years of the UN's Decade of Action. With the adoption of the Kigali Declaration, delegates underscored their collective commitment to universal and meaningful connectivity, and approved new Regional Initiatives. Also agreed were various new ITU-D resolutions and new sets of Questions to be investigated by the two ITU Study Groups focused on development issues.

WTDC-22 featured ground-breaking events designed to mobilize new voices and partnership mechanisms including:

• the Partner2Connect Digital Development Roundtable (7-9 June 2022) threw the spotlight on investment pledges from governments, the private sector, and civil society to advance global connectivity, with commitments to be monitored transparently via an ITU-hosted online dashboard.
• the Generation Connect Global Youth Summit (2-4 June 2022) which brought young people aged 15-29 together in-person and online to discuss key debate topics including the global digital divide, youth access to online education and digital skills, the digital gender gap, online safety, e-waste management, the future of work, digital entrepreneurship, and the role of technology in climate change.
• the introduction of a Network of Women (NoW) for ITU-D programme to support women's participation and professional development at the conference, with the goal of promoting better gender balance in national delegations and empowering women to take on more responsible roles as leaders of working groups and committees.
• the launch of ITU's Global Connectivity Report 2022, released on 6 June, which called for putting universal and meaningful connectivity – defined as the possibility of a safe, satisfying, enriching, productive, and affordable online experience for everyone – at the centre of global development.

This summary includes excerpts from the ITU Press Release dated 16 June 2022. You can view the full press release here.