The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly ( WTSA-24 ) opened today in New Delhi, India, where policy-makers, industry leaders and tech experts will meet to consider global actions to reinforce the standardization work of ITU, the UN Agency for Digital Technologies.
The opening ceremony highlighted the push for universal connectivity, the need for ethical artificial intelligence (AI), the critical importance of consensus, and how digital inclusion can make a meaningful difference in people's lives.
India's Prime Minister, the Honourable Narendra Modi, inaugurated WTSA-24 alongside India Mobile Congress at a joint opening ceremony.
"The objective of WTSA is to work on global standards. At the same time, the India Mobile Congress plays a very big role for giving services to people. So, from that point of view, with this event that is taking place here, we are working on both standards and services, and both have been brought to one platform today," said Modi. "Whatever standards we set in this field, this will set the path of our future. Therefore security, dignity and equity - on these principles we have to work, and this should be the centre stage of our discussion. Our objective should be that no country, no region and no community should be left behind the in this digital era."