ITU Digital Skills Forum 2024

Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT)

International Telecommunication Union • Place des Nations • CH-1211 Geneva 20 • Switzerland Tel: +41 22 730 5111 • Fax: +41 22 730 5484 • E-mail: bdtmail@itu.int • www.itu.int/itu-d

Ref.: BDT/DKH/CSD/NUM/063 Geneva, 13 June 2024

His Excellency Mr. Tiit Riisalo Minister Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications Estonia Email: info@mkm.ee karin.voodla@mfa.ee mission.un@mfa.ee tonu.nirk@mkm.ee

Subject: ITU Digital Skills Forum 2024, Manama, Bahrain, 17-19 September 2024

Sir,

I am delighted to extend a personal invitation to you to participate in the high-level session of the ITU Digital Skills Forum 2024 and share your perspective on how to achieve universal digital skills. The Forum is organized by the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and hosted by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The event will be held from 17 to 19 September 2024, at the Gulf Hotel and Convention Centre, Manama, Bahrain.

Under the theme “Developing skills for digital transformation”, the Forum will bring together Ministers, policy makers and regulators in charge of digital skills policies and programmes, private companies supporting digital skills development, representatives from academic and other training institutions, as well as other partners collaborating with ITU in the field of digital capacity and skills development, in particular from the ITU Academy Training Centres programme and the Digital Transformation Centres initiative.

The Forum will feature a mix of high-level panels, keynotes and roundtable discussions with practitioners in the field of digital skills development. The Forum will directly contribute towards enhanced awareness of policy makers about the importance of implementing national digital skills policies and programmes and will improve knowledge and understanding of the core issues related to the digital skills gap. It will examine, digital skills needs related to digital transformation and identify areas of action for digital skills improvement. The Forum also aims to come up with a set of guidelines and common proposals on how to strengthen digital skills at national and global level and launch new partnerships on digital skills.

Further information on the Digital Skills Forum, including the provisional programme, registration and other logistical information such as accommodation and visa arrangements, is available at www.itu.int/digital- skills-forum/.

My colleagues from the Capacity and Digital Skills Development (CSD) Division are at your full disposal should you require any further information at hcbmail@itu.int.

I hope you will be able to participate and make a valuable contribution to this event.

Accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava Director