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It was organized for the first time in the Asia-Pacific region by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and hosted by the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India.
- Theme for GSS-24 was “Charting the Next Digital Wave: Emerging Technologies, Innovation, and International Standards”.
- ITU, established in 1865, is the oldest UN specialized agency for Information and Communication Technologies.
Key Outcomes of the GSS-24
- Consensus based international standards system: Calls for continued efforts towards bridging standardization gap between developed and developing countries, through initiatives like ITU Bridging the Standardization Gap programme.
- International standards for sustainable development of emerging digital technologies: Encourages strengthened collaboration among Standards Development Organizations, to enable developing countries to embrace digital innovation.
- High-level segment catalyzing changes: Recognizes Global Digital Compact's emphasis on international cooperation, highlighting importance of emerging digital technologies, including AI in driving digital transformation.
- Standards and SDGs: Highlighted the significance of international standards in enabling sustainable development of emerging digital technologies. E.g. #Standards4SDGs campaign
- Celebrating Smart Cities: Acknowledged sustainable initiatives in cities, reinforcing the commitment to the United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) initiative.
- U4SSC, led by the ITU, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and UN-Habitat encourages fostering partnerships to empower cities and communities in achieving the UN SDGs.
