On August 25, 2026, Mr. Bosun Tijani of Nigeria, Chairman of the 2026 ITU Council, convened an extraordinary session of the ITU Council in Geneva, Switzerland, at the request of the ITU Secretary‑General.

The agenda focuses on the feasibility of holding PP‑26 in Doha, Qatar.

Following discussions at the third plenary meeting of the ITU Council in April 2026, the ITU Secretariat has been closely monitoring and assessing the security situation in the region, in close cooperation with the host country and the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS).

The Secretariat committed to analyzing the situation four months ahead of the Conference and submitted a corresponding report, which served as the starting input document for today's Council session:

Key information: The Conference is planned for Doha, Qatar, from November 9 to 27, 2026. An alternative option — holding it in Geneva from January 11 to 29, 2027 — is also being considered.

Security assessment: The current situation in Qatar is stable and allows for international events. However, there are a number of risks to consider.

Doha option: advantages include maintaining the scheduled timeline and using the already prepared infrastructure; risks include a possible reduction in participation and transportation difficulties.

Geneva option: advantages include predictability and well‑known infrastructure; disadvantages include additional financial costs amounting to 1.51 million CHF.

The Council was invited to:

• Consider both scenarios
• Take a decision on the venue
• Determine the course of action in the event of a change in the situation
• Approve the financial plan for holding PP‑26.

During the session, Mr. Ahmad Abdullah Al-Muslemani, the incoming Chairman of PP-26 and the President of the Communications Regulatory Authority of the State of Qatar, confirmed Qatar's firm intention to host the upcoming Conference and and ensure its success at the highest possible standard.

The host party presented the Councillors with a corresponding report and a risk analysis that thoroughly justified the safety of holding the Conference in Doha.

In response to the proposals in the report, ITU Member States also submitted corresponding proposals regarding the need to retain Qatar as the host country for PP‑26 while maintaining its scheduled timeline, including:

A contribution from the RCC communications administrations — endorsed at the 59th Meeting of the Working Group on ITU Relations under the RCC Commission on the Coordination of the International Communication (CIC) on behalf of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, and Uzbekistan — calling for the Conference to be held in Qatar, in strict accordance with the ITU's statutory documents and taking into account the financial implications of relocation for Member States

A letter from Algeria, on behalf of the African Group, and a letter from Sudan, on behalf of the Arab Group, requesting that the existing arrangements for preparing and holding PP‑26 in Doha be maintained

After hearing the information presented, approximately two and a half dozen Councillors — a majority of the Council — along with roughly a dozen States Observers, spoke in support of holding PP‑26 in Qatar.

At the same time, discussions also addressed the possible risks and the process for canceling the Conference if the conflict in the Middle East were to escalate.

Based on the discussions, the Council authorized the Secretary‑General — in close coordination with the Council — to cancel the Conference in Doha if it becomes unsafe or impossible to hold, taking into account the conclusions and recommendations of UNDSS, and to activate the contingency plan to hold the PP in Geneva from January 11 to 29, 2027.

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