ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Ms. Atsuko Okuda, Ph.D, ITU Regional Director for Asia and Pacific, participated in the AI4GOOD Impact India event today at India Mobile Congress during #ITUWTSA24. She presented ITU’s regional initiatives in the field of AI, highlighting the project called “Enhancing the development of Standards and Frameworks for Critical Technologies in Southeast Asia” 🌏, which is supported by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The project aims to support the development of AI standards, policies, frameworks, and initiatives that mainstream gender equality and social inclusion 👩💼👨💼 and ensure that AI is responsibly and inclusively developed and used in the region. The focus of this project is on four countries in Southeast Asia – Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. The ITU Regional Office also partnered with the United Nations University Institute in Macau to produce a report titled “Gender-Sensitive AI Policy in Southeast Asia” 📄. The report applies a gender lens and analyses the AI policy environment in the project countries, providing practical examples of how AI is being applied, and recommendations to inform gender-sensitive AI policymaking. The ITU Regional Office in Bangkok as well as the Area Office for South Asia and Innovation Centre in Delhi are open to developing partnerships with our stakeholders to implement ITU standards on AI for inclusive development across our member states 🤝.

Explore how AI can be used for good in this new #AIforGood Impact report with insights into current #AI trends + challenges and recommendations to guide the adoption + scaling of safe, responsible and #ethicalAI initiatives https://lnkd.in/eywbSRui

🔴 Tune in for an Exciting Panel Discussion! 🌏 Join us as we delve into the Regional Early Warnings for All Multi-Stakeholder Forum: Leveraging Digital Advancements for Early Warning Dissemination and Communication at the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 2024. This event will take place on 17 October 2024 from 10:45 - 12:15 (PST+08 Asia/Manila) in Manila, Philippines. 🔗 Watch the livestream: https://lnkd.in/gNTXDHdE 📄 Further information: https://lnkd.in/gQe5MgPZ

We had the pleasure of welcoming H.E. Mr. SOK Puthyvuth and his esteemed delegation from Cambodia to the ITU Area Office for South Asia and Innovation Center (AO-IC). Dr. Pranita Upadhyaya, Head of AO-IC, shared insights on the past activities, current initiatives, and the future roadmap of the centre. The discussions also explored potential avenues for collaboration to drive innovation, regional connectivity, and sustainable development. 🌐🤝 We look forward to a fruitful partnership with Cambodia and building a connected and inclusive future together! 🌍✨ #Innovation #Collaboration #ITU #DigitalTransformation #SouthAsia #SustainableDevelopment

An inspiring session today on World Food Day at #ITUWTSA24 on 🌍 Standards for Global Food Security: Leveraging AI for Digital Agriculture 🌾 Special thanks to the moderator Ms. Atsuko Okuda, Ph.D, Regional Director, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and esteemed panelists for an engaging session: • Mr. Sebastian Bosse, Head of the Interactive & Cognitive Systems Group, Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) • Mr. Rajbir Singh, Assistant Director General, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) • Mr. Ulaç Demirag, Country Director, IFAD • Ms. Frances Loraine Valdez, Director, International Cooperation Division, Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Philippines. The panelists addressed some critical concerns on how AI and other emerging technologies can be applied to make UN’s work more impactful for some of the most vulnerable communities in the world, mainly small-holder farmers, who are confronted with challenges related to soil, water, climate, and other social concerns on a daily basis. International standards can ensure the interoperability, data security, and scalability of AI applications across the agricultural value chain. We look forward to more engagement with the agriculture and tech community in ITU’s work on Digital Agriculture across both standardization as well as development projects. 🌐🤝

🌐The World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly #ITUWTSA24 was inaugurated on 15 October 2024 by the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, in presence of ITU Secretary-General, Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, TSB Director, Seizo Onoe, BDT Director, Dr. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Union Minister for Communications for India, Mr. Jyotiraditya Scindia, State Minister of Communications, Mr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Secretary DoT, Mr. Neeraj Mittal, CEO of Reliance Jio Infocomm, Mr. Akash Ambani, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal and Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla. Reflecting on the memorable inauguration of the ITU Area Office for South Asia & Innovation Centre in Delhi back in March 2023, it was an honour to witness both the Prime Minister and the ITU Secretary-General at the historic #ITUWTSA24 event which is being held in Asia for the first time 🌏, marking a significant step towards advancing digital innovation and bridging the digital divide 🌐. With support from Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, United Nations Country Team and various stakeholders from the region, the Area Office & Innovation Centre has provided many technical assistance and capacity building activities for member states in the region through this office in Delhi, India. Follow this space for more updates about the Area Office and Innovation Centre in Delhi as various side events scheduled to take place from 15 - 24 October 2024 📅, as part of #ITUWTSA24. Come join us and collaborate with us! 🤝

From international technical standards for all and accelerating AI standards development for good, to greater resilience for submarine networks, and reducing #eWaste, catch up on the latest in this week’s ITU Newsletter live from #ITUWTSA in New Delhi!

The world gathers to shape the future of standardization at #ITUWTSA, which opened today with the Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We know that standards build trust. Trust nurtures inclusion. And inclusion can unlock the full potential of digital and emerging tech. Standards are the engine of digital transformation. As I said this morning, this global gathering— the first of its kind in Asia — calls for bold, collective action.  We’re calling for bold action to: -Develop emerging tech like AI responsibly and as a force for good -Level the innovation playing field -Align tech progress with digital inclusion

World conference on the future of technology standards begins! Our standardization governing conference #ITUWTSA-24 opened today with calls for consensus, #ethicalAI, and #UniversalConnectivity. Catch up on the news here https://lnkd.in/dF8qHMFT

🔔VACANCY NOTICE: ITU is hiring a Consultant on Smart Villages and Smart Islands (Asia-Pacific) to support the design, planning and implementation of identified Smart Villages and Smart Islands (SVSI) in Asia and the Pacific. 📍Location: Multiple duty stations 💡 Deadline for application  (Midnight Geneva Time): 31 December 2024 Please find more information at 👉 https://lnkd.in/g2nFExug