November 2025

APTYPS 2025 – Empowering Youth for a Digital Future

In 2025, six activities of the APT Young Professionals and Students Programme (APTYPS) were successfully conducted across Australia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, and Tonga. The Programme, designed to engage and empower young professionals and students in ICT, focused on innovation, inclusiveness, and digital resilience.

The six activities included:

· Australia - Using STEM to Address Real-World Problems in the Girl’s Community

· Australia - Tech for Change: The Asia-Pacific ICT Innovation Challenge

· Lao PDR - Workshop on the Impact of Social Commerce on Women’s Empowerment: Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Age

· Myanmar - Secure the Future: AI-Powered Cybersecurity & Privacy

· Nepal - CyberSafe: Cybersecurity and Privacy Essentials for School Girls and Teachers

· Tonga - ICT for Disaster Preparedness and Response: Building Resilience in Tonga

Throughout 2025, these initiatives provided young participants with valuable exposure to emerging technologies, digital entrepreneurship, and inclusive innovation, while promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Programme continues to inspire the next generation of ICT leaders, reinforcing the APT’s mission to advance sustainable, inclusive, and equitable digital transformation across the Asia-Pacific region.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all Member administrations, host institutions, mentors and participants for making APTYPS 2025 a success. We look ahead to continuing this youth-focused journey and fostering deeper regional integration in ICT innovation.

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Recent Events:

· The 22nd APT Telecommunication/ICT Development Forum (ADF-22)

· The 13th Meeting of the Working Group of Management Committee on APT Legal Instruments (WGMC-13)

Upcoming Events:

· The 26th Meeting of the South Asian Telecommunication Regulators’ Council (SATRC-26)

· Seminar on Progress in APT for the year 2025 (SPA-2025)

· The 49th Session of the Management Committee of the APT (MC-49)

Recent Events

The 22nd APT Telecommunication/ICT Development Forum (ADF-22)

14 - 16 October 2025, Bangkok, Thailand

The Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) successfully organized the 22nd Telecommunication/ICT Development Forum (ADF-22) from 14 to 16 October 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, in a hybrid format, with 106 participants from APT Members, Affiliate Members, International Organizations, and relevant stakeholders.

ADF serves as a regional platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and capacity building in telecommunications and ICTs. ADF-22 featured five thematic and four Extra-Budgetary Contribution (EBC) sessions aligned with the APT Strategic Plan 2024-2026 and the 2025 Ministerial “Tokyo Statement,” covering digital connectivity, transformation, trust and safety, inclusion, and sustainability, with discussions on broadband development, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, the APT Young Professionals and Students Programme (APTYPS), and EBC-funded ICT projects.

Key outcomes:

· Thematic sessions explored advancing broadband and digital infrastructure, emerging technologies such as quantum communication, AI, and OpenRAN, and responsible AI governance, while stressing trust, cybersecurity, and digital resilience. Live demonstrations, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and technical guidance were encouraged to strengthen regional ICT safety and disaster preparedness.

· EBC sessions highlighted APT’s hands-on support programmes and projects fostering ICT innovation, digital transformation, governance, environmental management, and practical solutions in health, agriculture, and education.

· Initiatives under the APTYPS promoted digital inclusion, youth engagement, and ICT skills, with plans to expand regional collaboration and strengthen training.

The next ADF, ADF-23, will be hosted in Isfahan, Iran in 2026 with the selection of the Chair deferred to the next Forum. The Forum reaffirmed the APT’s commitment to cultivating inclusive, secure, and sustainable digital development across the Asia-Pacific.

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The 13th Meeting of the Working Group of Management Committee on APT Legal Instruments (WGMC-13): 28 - 29 October 2025, Virtual/Online Meeting

The 13th Meeting of the Working Group of Management Committee on APT Legal Instruments (WGMC-13) was held virtually from 28 to 29 October 2025, with a total of 42 participants representing APT Members and Affiliate Members.

WGMC-13 considered the assessment on potential mode of APT meetings, focusing on the development of guidelines for managing fully virtual meetings and physical meetings with remote participation. The group reviewed financial, procedural, and legal aspects – particularly the participation and voting rights of remote participants - and finalized the draft guidelines, subject to legal review, for submission to MC-49.

WGMC-13 also discussed and agreed on the dissolution of the APT Yearbook Fund and the related amendment to the APT Financial Regulations.

The date and venue of WGMC-14 will be determined after MC-49, based on its outcomes and any new instructions to the Working Group.

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Upcoming Events

The 26th Meeting of the South Asian Telecommunication Regulators’ Council (SATRC-26)

5 - 7 November 2025, Islamabad, Pakistan, Hybrid Meeting

The APT will organize the 26th Meeting of the South Asian Telecommunication Regulators’ Council (SATRC-26) in Islamabad, Pakistan from 5 to 7 November 2025. The meeting will be hosted by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). SATRC-26 will be held with physical attendance as well as virtual/online participation through Zoom meeting platform (i.e., hybrid meeting).

The SATRC meeting is held annually to discuss and coordinate regulatory and other related issues in the area of telecommunication and ICT that are common for the regulators of SATRC Members. The meeting will be attended by the heads of telecommunication regulatory bodies of SATRC Member countries and designated senior level officers.

SATRC-26 will discuss the key policy and regulatory issues in the SATRC countries, approve the outcomes of SATRC Action Plan Phase IX and adopt SATRC Action Plan Phase X. SATRC-26 will include special sessions for Regulators’ Roundtable, Industry-Regulator Dialogue and Sharing Regulatory Experiences Sessions to facilitate the development of the telecom/ICT sector in South-Asia. The Regulators’ Roundtable will be held exclusively for the heads of regulators to discuss and share thoughts on important regulatory issues that need regional collaboration specifically for the SATRC Member countries and generally to the Asia-Pacific region.

Seminar on Progress in APT for the year 2025 (SPA-2025)

8 December 2025, Bangkok, Thailand, Hybrid Meeting

The APT will organize the Seminar on Progress in the APT for the year 2025 (SPA-2025) in Bangkok, Thailand on 8 December 2025 with physical attendance as well as virtual/online participation through APT Zoom meeting (i.e., hybrid meeting). The Seminar is being held in conjunction with the 49th Session of the Management Committee of the APT (MC-49) scheduled to be held from 9 to 12 December 2025.

SPA-2025 is a place where the progress made in the implementation of the APT Work Programmes and APT activities during the year 2025 are introduced.

The 49th Session of the Management Committee of the APT (MC-49)

9 - 12 December 2025, Bangkok, Thailand, Hybrid Meeting

The APT will organize the 49th Session of the Management Committee of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (MC-49) from 9 to 12 December 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand with physical attendance as well as virtual/online participation through APT Zoom meeting (i.e., hybrid meeting). It will be hosted by Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, Thailand.

MC-49 will review the activities in 2025 and consider and approve the Work Programme and Annual Budget for 2026. In addition, MC-49 will discuss how to prepare for the 17th Session of the General Assembly of the APT (GA-17), including preparation for the Strategic Plan of the APT for 2027-2029. Prior to MC-49, the Seminar on Progress in the APT for the year 2025 (SPA-2025) will be held on 8 December 2025 at the same venue.