Baku Declaration Charts Course for Global Digital Inclusion

Baku, 28 November 2025 – Member States of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have agreed on a roadmap aimed at ensuring everyone’s access to the internet worldwide. This decision was adopted today at the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25), which concluded in Baku.

The two-week event was organized through a partnership between ITU and the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Held for the first time in the CIS region in Azerbaijan, the conference provided a platform for discussions on regional and international digital development strategies.

“As President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev emphasized in his address, Baku became the place where Member States and partners agreed on practical outcomes to guide ITU’s development work for the next four years,” stated Rashad Nabiyev, Minister of Digital Development and Transport. “Working alongside our partners, Azerbaijan has contributed to shaping these outcomes. The adoption of the Baku Declaration, which includes a reference to the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action, reflects our shared commitment to an inclusive and sustainable digital future.”

The resolutions adopted during the conference address various areas including spectrum management, cybersecurity, digital inclusion, ICT application and regulation, innovation, and the deployment of digital technologies in remote areas.

The Baku Action Plan, the conference’s principal outcome document, defines the core directions for human-centered digital development through telecommunications and ICT. The plan gives priority especially to the needs of developing countries, communities with limited access to digital services, and vulnerable population groups.

Currently, more than 2 billion people worldwide do not have access to the internet. The four-year plan covering 2026-2029 will support the development of universal, meaningful and affordable connectivity for an inclusive and sustainable digital future.

“WTDC-25 has brought us closer to our goal of making connectivity universal, meaningful and affordable for everyone, everywhere in this decade,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “The Baku Declaration and Action Plan is our roadmap towards human-centered digital development that leaves no one behind.”

The Baku Action Plan encompasses regional initiatives, new and updated resolutions to guide ITU’s digital development activities, as well as recommendations for ITU’s Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D). The document also defines technical issues to be examined by the organization’s expert groups.

Regional initiatives in the Action Plan address key priorities for digital development across ITU’s six world regions, such as ensuring infrastructure access, enhancing digital skills, and providing inclusive services. ITU plans to build partnerships and mobilize resources for projects that meet identified regional needs.

“The outcomes of WTDC-25, contained in the Baku Action Plan, reflect the needs, priorities and the aspirations of our membership in a forward-looking and results-oriented agenda for digital development and impact,” said Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of ITU’s Bureau of Telecommunication Development. “The Plan outlines the roadmap of action to bridge the remaining digital divides, while addressing the unique needs of Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. We look forward to delivering tangible results and accelerating digital transformation by working with governments and regulators to create an enabling policy and regulatory framework that paves the way for industry and private sector to invest and contribute to our efforts to close infrastructural gaps so we may achieve meaningful connectivity and bring everyone online.”

During the conference, ITU presented the Global Connectivity Report 2025. The report provides recommendations for ensuring that people everywhere can access high-quality internet services at affordable prices.

Several agreements were also signed during the event. A two-year project will be implemented to ensure the sustainability of national “Smart Villages” and “Smart Islands” programs in the Asia-Pacific region. This initiative will serve as a model for enhancing digital skills and providing access to digital services in rural and remote communities, benefiting 3,000 people across seven countries.

A project will also be carried out in the CIS region to support the development of professional and digital skills. The project will be implemented in partnership with the international organization Intersputnik and will benefit 300 professionals working in satellite communications and broadcast technologies.

WTDC-25 also featured a high-level dialogue for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Countries representing these groups shared their plans to expand broadband coverage, advance people-centered sustainable development, and ensure a secure digital future for all.

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