On 15 October 2024, the World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly 2024 (WTSA-24) was launched at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India, which is being held for the first time in the Asia-Pacific region.

Shri R.R. Mittar, who is a recognised telecommunication expert in India and a former Advisor to the Department of Telecommunication, Government of India, was elected as the Chairman of the Assembly. He was the head of standardisation work at the Indian Telecommunication Centre.

WTSA is held every four years and sets the priorities for the work of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecommunication Standardisation Sector for the coming study period.

Delegations of the Communications Administrations of the Republic of Armenia, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Belarus, Kyrgyz Republic, Russian Federation, Turkmenistan and Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as RCC Director General Alexey Borodin and RCC Deputy Director General Maria Bolshakova participate in WTSA-24 from the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications.

The events of the Assembly were honoured by the high-level participation of the ‘digital’ ministries and agencies of the region:

- Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan Shahin Tofig oglu Babayev,

- Deputy Minister of Hi-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, Gevorg Meliksetian,

- Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, Andrey Zarenin,

- Deputy Minister of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan Zhamol Makhsudov,

- Chairman of the Turkmenaragatnashyk Agency, Agency of Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Khadjimurat Khudaykuliev,

- Chairman of the Service for Regulation and Supervision of the Communications Industry under the Ministry of Digital Development of the Kyrgyz Republic Altynbek Toktorbaev.

The Assembly was opened by H.E. Narendra Damodardas Modi, Prime Minister of India, who addressed the participants and spoke about India's achievements and future prospects in the telecommunication/ICT industry.

During the opening plenary session the representatives of the RCC Communications Administrations were approved for the following positions in the governing bodies of the Assembly:

- Deputy Chairman of WTSA-24 - Altynbek Toktorbaev, Kyrgyz Republic,

- Vice-Chairman of Committee 3 (WTSA-24 working methods) - Umida Musaeva, Republic of Uzbekistan,

- Vice-Chairperson of Committee 4 (ITU-T work programmes and organisations) - Zhavohir Aripov, Republic of Uzbekistan,

- Vice-Chairman of Committee 5 (Drafting Committee) on the Russian language - Konstantin Trofimov, Russian Federation.

The Assembly will have a broad pool of issues to consider, in particular, its participants will seek consensus on such aspects as working methods, rules of procedure and structure of the ITU Telecommunication Standardisation Sector and the mandates of its Study Groups.

The harmonisation of new WTSA Resolutions on Artificial Intelligence and the meta-universe will be a major focus. Considerable attention will also be given to cybersecurity, the naming of top-level domains, telecommunication/ICT interoperability, the role of industry in the work of the Sector, accessibility of telecommunication/ICT facilities for persons with disabilities and persons with special needs, and the enhancement of electronic working methods in the Sector's activities.

Common proposals from the six ITU regional telecommunication organisations will form the basis of the discussions. The RCC Communications Administrations came to WTSA-24 with 37 common proposals from the region.

The Assembly will conclude on 24 October 2024.