Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Sam Nartey George, has urged the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to strengthen its regional presence by ensuring all its sectors are fully represented.
Delivering Ghana’s submission at an ongoing ITU meeting in Geneva, he acknowledged the impact of regional and area offices across the six global regions but stressed the need for a more inclusive and technically balanced approach.
Mr. Nartey George commended the ITU for initiatives benefiting member states, particularly in Africa. He highlighted Ghana’s participation in Digital Financial Services Security Clinics, organised through the African Regional Office in collaboration with the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB).
He noted that such programmes provide practical training for regulators and are essential for strengthening the country’s digital financial ecosystem.
“These are the kinds of capacity-building interventions our membership needs,” he said, calling for their expansion.
Despite the progress, the Minister raised concerns about an imbalance in the ITU’s regional structure. He observed that activities are largely driven by the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), which, while important, does not fully address the evolving technical demands of member states.
He emphasised that rapid technological advancements now require a more integrated approach involving all ITU sectors.
To address this, he called for greater involvement of the Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) and the Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) in regional operations.
He proposed deploying dedicated technical experts to regional offices, organising regular sector-specific missions, and improving coordination between ITU bureau directors and regional leadership.
While acknowledging the presence of some TSB staff in regional offices, he questioned when similar support would be extended to ITU-R in Africa.
The Minister also identified key priority areas, including spectrum management, satellite coordination, and preparations for the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027.
He further urged that the ongoing review of ITU’s regional presence should move beyond development-focused metrics to include a broader assessment of how effectively offices address technical needs across all three sectors.
Mr. Nartey George concluded by calling for a unified ITU regional structure that delivers comprehensive support to member states.
“A stronger regional presence is one that brings the whole of the ITU to the membership, not just one bureau,” he emphasised, reaffirming Ghana’s commitment to supporting reforms aimed at enhancing the organisation’s global impact.
