By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Côte d’Ivoire’s
Telecommunications/ICT Regulatory Authority (ARTCI) is participating in the
World Symposium on Telecommunication Indicators in Geneva, where global experts
are examining how reliable statistics can support digital policymaking and
better measurement of digital development.
The symposium, taking place
from September 7 to 8, 2026, is being held under the theme “Guiding Digital
Policies through Statistics” and brings together statisticians, technology
experts, regulators and policymakers from across the world.
Discussions are focusing on
measuring digital development, identifying new data sources to better assess
digital divides, tracking the growth of emerging technologies such as
artificial intelligence and examining issues surrounding digital sustainability.
On the sidelines of the
symposium, ARTCI Director General Lakoun Ouattara held discussions with
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary-General Doreen
Bogdan-Martin and Cosmas Zavazava, Director of the ITU Telecommunication
Development Bureau.
A key issue discussed was
Côte d’Ivoire’s candidacy for a seat on the ITU Council at the next
Plenipotentiary Conference.
The engagement provides Côte
d’Ivoire with an opportunity to strengthen its visibility within the ITU and
engage with senior officials on the country’s ambitions within the global
telecommunications policy-making body.
The World Symposium on
Telecommunication Indicators is expected to further discussions on the role of
high-quality data in understanding connectivity trends, measuring digital gaps
and informing effective digital policies.
Following the symposium,
meetings of the ITU Expert Group on Telecommunication/ICT Indicators (EGTI) and
the Expert Group on Household Indicators (EGH) will take place from September 8
to 11.
The meetings will continue
technical discussions on ICT indicators and statistical methodologies,
contributing to international efforts to improve the availability and quality
of data used to guide digital transformation.
