ITU Africa: 46 common proposals adopted in Abidjan ahead of the Doha Plenipotentiary Conference

Meeting in Abidjan-Port Bouët from September 15 to 17, 2026, African delegations adopted 46 common proposals for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference, scheduled in Doha from November 9 to 27, 2026. According to RTI Info, the final document includes 38 amendments to existing resolutions, two new resolutions, and six resolutions maintained without change, adopted at the end of the fourth African Preparatory Meeting (APM26-4), organized by the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) and hosted by Côte d'Ivoire. This outcome crowns a process launched in July 2024 in Windhoek, Namibia, which mobilized more than 500 online working group meetings and four face-to-face preparatory sessions; more than half of the resolutions remained pending at the opening of the Abidjan proceedings before being resolved in three days. The meeting's chair, Stella Erebor, warned that "the adoption of texts at the regional level does not mark the end of the process: States will still need to secure the necessary national support." ITU Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Emmanuel Manasseh, stressed that "decisions made in Doha must above all help improve connectivity, foster investment, strengthen digital trust, and promote inclusive digital services." ATU Secretary-General-elect Kezias Mwale recalled that only 52 days remain before the opening of the conference, ahead of the interregional meeting on October 13 and 14 in Saudi Arabia; editorial adjustments must be finalized before the October 19 deadline set by the ITU.