On the occasion of World Standards Day, join this pivotal session to hear from leaders who will deliver insightful speeches on the crucial role of international standards in shaping the landscape of emerging technologies, fostering innovation, and steering the course for the next digital wave. Gain a profound understanding of how global collaboration in standardization is essential for ensuring interoperability, security, and sustainability in the rapidly evolving digital realm.

Seizo Onoe, Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, ITU
Sergio Mujica, Secretary-General, International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
Philippe Metzger, Secretary-General and CEO, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)

Dive into the future of innovation with our exclusive session. This sophisticated high-level segment brings together ministers and CEOs in a setting that is nothing short of innovative.

Witness first-hand the collaborative spirit as the session unfolds, with each minister contributing insights and posing questions that spark a lively exchange with industry leaders. This session promises to be a ground-breaking segment where industry and ministerial leaders synergize their efforts to craft the future of innovation, driving change on a global scale.

Moderator: Rajkumar Upadhyay, Chair of GSS-24

H.E. Ms Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister, Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, Ghana
H.E. Mr Mohammed Saud Al-Tamimi, Governor, Communications, Space & Technology Commission (CST), Saudi Arabia (Kingdom of)
H.E. Mr Mauricio Lizcano Arango, Minister, Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications, Colombia
Paul Foster, Chief Executive Officer, Global Esports Federation, Singapore (Republic of)
H.E. Mr Solly Malatsi, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies in South Africa (Republic of)
Anna Gomez, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission, United States of America
H.E. Mr Takuo Imagawa, Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan
Philip Besiimire, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Vodacom Tanzania
Javier Juarez Mojica, President, Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT), Mexico
H.E. Mr Zhongde Shan, Vice Minister, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China
H.E. Ms Catalina Plinschi, State Secretary, Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, Moldova (Republic of)
Jim Zemlin, Executive Director, Linux Foundation
H.E. Mr Rashad Nabiyev, Minister, Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, Republic of Azerbaijan
Jacek Oko, President, Office of Electronic Communications, Poland
Cristiane Sanches de S. Corrêa, Chair of the Board, Brazilian Association of Internet and Telecommunications Providers (Abrint), Brazil (Federative Republic of)
H.E. Ms Margaret Nyambura Ndung’u, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communications & The Digital Economy, Kenya (Republic of)
Carlos Baigorri, President, National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL), Brazil (Federative Republic of)
Mohamed Shamroukh, Executive President, National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, Egypt
Erik Ekudden, Chief Technology Officer, Ericsson
Masakazu Yamashina, Corporate Senior Executive Vice President and Co-COO, NEC, Japan
H.E. Mr Jerry William Silaa, Minister, Ministry of Information, Communication and Information Technology, Tanzania (United Republic of)
Julissa Cruz Abreu, Executive Director, Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (INDOTEL), Dominican Republic
Alberto Hernando de Castro, CEO and Founder, Kido Dynamics
H.E. Mr Belete Molla, Minister of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, Ethiopia
Sandra Maximiano, Chairwoman, Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (ANACOM), Portugal
Manuel Barreiro, CEO & Founder, Aston Group
Gabriela Styf Sjoman, Managing Director, Research and Networks Strategy, BT
H.E. Ms Raffaella Petrini, Secretary General, Governorate of Vatican City State
H.E. Mr Jamol Maksudov, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Digital Technologies, Republic of Uzbekistan
Parthsarathi Trivedi, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Skylo Technologies

Global standards, especially in the field of networks and communications have enabled interoperability, security and provided key benefits to users and network operators alike. However, the future of emerging technologies is intertwined also with open source – a driving force shaping innovation. Open source has evolved as “de facto standards”, providing implementers with much-needed reference tools and baselines for putting standards to work. Open source plays an important part in enabling collaboration, transparency, and access to technology and standards.

As future technologies evolve, it is important not only to establish and adhere to global standards but also to align with the open source movement. In this session, we bring you expert views on how open source and international standards intersect, and we analyze the challenges and synergies in balancing the two important pillars of future technologies.

Moderator: Oscar Leon, Executive Secretary, CITEL

Daniel Goldscheider, Founder of the OpenWallet Foundation
Leon Wong, Senior Researcher, Rakuten Mobile
Inder Gopal, CEO, India Urban Data Exchange; Research Professor, Indian Institute of Science
Anuradha Kanamarlapudi, Technology Manager, GE Healthcare, India
Ulrich Dropmann, Head of Standardization and Industry Environment, Nokia
Rana Kamill, Radio Architecture Solutions and Standards Manager, BT
Alexander Pabst, Vice President of Wireless Communications, Rohde & Schwarz

Questions & Answers

Join the U4SSC KPI Ceremony, an important event featuring mayors from cities that have successfully implemented the United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) based on Recommendation ITU-T Y.4903. This ceremony is open to all, providing a unique opportunity to witness the achievements and progress made by cities committed to smart and sustainable urban development.

Moderator: Wendy Goigo Campagna, Vice Chair of the United for Smart Sustainable Cities Initiative (U4SSC)

Seizo Onoe, D​irector, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, ITU
Dae-ho Choi, Mayor of Anyang, Korea (Rep. of)
Kjell Neergaard, Mayor of Kristiansund, Norway
Akosua Asabea Annoh, Mayor of Abuakwa South Municipal Assembly, Kyebi, Ghana
Dmitry Ontoev, Advisor to the Minister of the Government of Moscow and the Head of the Department of Information Technologies of Moscow (DIT)

Discover the transformative potential of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and the metaverse and the potential challenges they bring. In this engaging panel discussion, industry experts and thought leaders will explore how the convergence of these emerging technologies and how they can revolutionize key areas, such as public services, city planning, and smart manufacturing. Gain insights into innovative solutions driving positive change to achieve the sustainable development goals.

Moderator: Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

Andrey Koucheryavy, Professor of Telecommunication Networks and Data transmission, St. Petersburg University of Telecommunications
Ebtesam Almazrouei, Expert AI Executive & Tech Visionary Leader, United Arab Emirates
Jun Li, Vice President, China Telecommunications Corporation, China
Rebecca Mukite, Head Public and International Relations, Uganda Communications Commission
Per Beming, Chief Standardization Officer, Ericsson
Roberta Nelson Shea, Global Technical Compliance Officer, Universal Robots
Rosanny Arias Castillo, Manager, Innovation Department, OGTIC

Questions & Answers

The ITU BSA Application Challenge aims to promote the utilization of passwordless multi factor authentication based on blockchain in digital financial services applications to address vulnerabilities in authentication processes based on traditional passwords in digital finance. The challenge is aimed at developers in developing countries with the objectives to promote the adoption and skills necessary for deploying BSA authentication, to showcase the robust authentication protocols grounded in blockchain technology. The winners of the BSA Application Challenge will be announced during the session.