At the 3rd Preparatory Meeting of the Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) ITU World Telecommunications Development Conference (WTDC-21), which was held online on October 5-8, Director Ko Sangwon of KISDI’s Department of Development Cooperation Research (International Cooperation Research Division) was elected vice-chairperson of the Preparatory Group.

WTDC-21 is a general meeting of government representatives and relevant organizations from 193 ITU member countries. The participants discuss major items of agenda and development strategies, such as the global programs, broadband, and information gaps that must be dealt with over the next four years (2022-2025). In 2022, WTDC-21 will be held from June 6 to 16 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the APT's WTDC-21 preparatory group will prepare a joint Asia-Pacific proposal and submit it at the WTDC-21.

Director Ko has also been working as the vice-chairperson of ITU-D Division’s Research Team 1. With his appointment as the vice-chairperson of the preparatory meeting, he will lead the discussions to select the key research items of agenda that must be dealt with as major issues in the ICT development area over the next four years (2022-2025).

The APT’s next preparatory meeting of the WTDC-21 Preparatory Group will be held in Thailand in January of next year.