The Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT), hosted the third meeting of the APT Preparatory Group for the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (APT PP26-3) from 30 March to 2 April 2026 at the JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok.
Mr. Trairat Viriyasirikul, Acting Secretary General of the Office of the NBTC, attended and delivered welcoming remarks at the opening ceremony. The meeting gathered over 290 representatives from 26 APT member countries, joining both physically and virtually, including Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China (People’s Republic of), Fiji, India (Republic of), Indonesia (Republic of), Iran (Islamic Republic of), Japan, Kiribati (Republic of), Korea (Republic of), Lao (People’s Democratic Republic of), Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar (Republic of the Union of), Nepal, New Zealand, Palau (Republic), Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vietnam (Socialist Republic of). The ceremony also featured remarks on the significance of this meeting by Dr. Masanori Kondo, Secretary General of the APT, and Ms. Zhu Keer, Chair of APT PP26-3.
Additionally, Clinical Professor Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck, Chairman of the NBTC, delivered the inaugural address at the opening ceremony, emphasising the profound transformations taking place across the telecommunications and ICT landscapes. He highlighted the need for regulatory bodies to strengthen their readiness and to keep pace with the rapid developments of the digital ecosystem. In his address, he also underscored the importance of APT member countries working together to establish regional priorities for the ITU’s work agenda over the next four years, especially in key areas such as universal connectivity, cybersecurity, and space-related matters. His remarks reflected the Asia-Pacific region’s strong commitment to advancing telecommunications and ICT development for the benefit of the global community, while supporting the ITU’s evolving role in an era of continuous digital transformation.
This regional preparatory meeting served as an important platform for Thailand to actively present its views on a wide range of issues alongside APT member countries, associate members, and representatives from international organizations. The meeting reviewed a series of proposals carried over from the APT PP26-2 Meeting, including the development of new resolutions, amendments to existing resolutions, and matters related to the roles and responsibilities of the ITU that member countries wish to advance. These discussions aim to shape the region’s positions and consolidate them into APT Common Proposals (ACPs) for submission to the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (PP-26), to be held from 9 to 27 November 2026 in Doha, Qatar.
This meeting marks a significant milestone for Thailand, as it contributes to the formulation and review of regional proposals across various ITU telecommunication development agenda items. It allows Thailand to address emerging challenges and opportunities in the digital era while strengthening its preparedness for effective participation in PP-26.
