The 1st African Preparatory Meeting (ATU) for the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference 2021 (WTDC-21) was held from 11 to 13 October 2020 using the Zoom platform.

The event was attended by over 115 representatives of regional and international telecommunication organizations.

The above meeting was opened by the Secretary General of ATU John OMO and the Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) Doreen Bogdan-Martin with a welcoming speech.

The guest of honor - Elsayed Gamaleldin, Director General of the Office of Telecommunications and Postal Regulation of Sudan, made an opening speech.

At the 1st ATU Preparatory Meeting for WTDC-21, representatives of the following regional organizations made presentations:

- Asia Pacific Telecommunication Community (APT);

- Arab Group;

- European Conference of Post and Telecommunication Administrations (CEPT);

- Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL);

- Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications (RCC).

The RCC position on the preparation for WTDC-21 was presented by the Chairman of the Working Group on work with ITU under the RCC Commission for the Coordination of International Cooperation Vladimir Markovich Minkin.

The agenda of the above meeting included the following issues:

- Providing ITU-D with an update on preparations for WTDC-21 and an overview of TDAG discussions;
- Analysis of the ICT situation in Africa and trends;

Objectives: This session will focus on the state of the mobile industry and projections to 2025.

- Submission of preliminary views on WTDC-21 issues and agenda items of other RGOs;
- Submission of preliminary views on issues and agenda items for WTDC-21 by ATU and RECs members;
- Formulation of the Preliminary Common Position of African Countries on Issues and Agenda Items for WTDC-21.

At the close of the 1st African Preparatory Meeting for WTDC-21, ATU Secretary General John OMO summed up the event and thanked all meeting participants for their constructive and fruitful work.

At the same time, the work in the ITU Regional Organizations on the preparation and holding of Regional Preparatory Meetings for the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference 2021 will continue.