The Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) held its fifth and final preparatory meeting (WTDC25-5) for the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25) in Bangkok from 15 to 19 September 2025. The meeting brought together 168 participants from across the region and set the stage for a strong, unified Asia Pacific voice at WTDC-25, which will take place next month in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Over five days, delegates worked intensively to finalize 19 Preliminary APT Common Proposals (PACPs), including endorsement of the Asia-Pacific Regional Initiatives for 2026 – 2029, which align with WTDC-25’s strategic goals. They also reaffirmed 11 PACPs from the previous (4th) APT preparatory meeting.
The meeting adopted the APT Position on ITU’s Work on Topics Related to Sustainable Development and Assisting Persons in Vulnerable Situations, reflecting members’ discussions on ITU’s role in areas such as gender, youth, environment and climate change, sustainable development, and support for vulnerable groups. APT members affirmed ITU’s contribution to the 2030 Agenda and expressed support for its continued mandate on these issues.
Key outcomes and proposals adopted
Delegates reached consensus on several significant proposals that became PACPs ahead of WTDC-25. These outcomes reflect the region’s shared priorities in expanding connectivity, strengthening resilience, and promoting digital inclusion across the Asia Pacific:
- Internet for all: Resolution 63 saw renewed commitment to IPv6 deployment, ensuring developing economies can keep pace with global Internet growth. Modifications to Resolution 82 (endorsed at the 4th preparatory meeting) emphasized the importance of universal acceptance of Internationalized Domain Names (IDN) and Email Address Internationalization (EAI), both essential for achieving multilingualism on the Internet.
- Cybersecurity and resilience: Updates to Resolution 45 will enhance cooperation against cyber threats and spam, while changes to Resolution 69 aim to strengthen national Computer Incident Response Teams (CIRTs).
- Pacific priorities: The Lagatoi Declaration received strong support from APT members, with a new resolution proposed to embed its principles into WTDC-25 outcomes, promoting digital inclusion and resilience for Pacific Island nations.
- Innovation and skills: Several proposals advanced on bridging the digital divide, expanding ICT training, empowering youth, and fostering digital entrepreneurship.
Several new resolution proposals were also discussed, including ‘ITU’s Role in Bridging the Digital Divide by Facilitating Digital Connectivity Using Satellite Systems’ and a joint proposal to ‘Strengthen International and Regional Connectivity’. Although consensus was not reached, the discussions reflected the region’s ambition to enhance global connectivity. Proponents of these proposals were encouraged to submit them directly to ITU WTDC-25 for further consideration.
Next steps
As the next step, all APT members will be invited to indicate their support by adding their economy name as a signatory to the proposal. PACPs that receive sufficient endorsement in line with APT’s approval procedure will advance to become APT Common Proposals (ACPs) for submission to ITU WTDC-25.
With these agreements, the Asia Pacific enters WTDC-25 ready to champion a future of secure, inclusive, and sustainable digital development.
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