The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference is the top policy-making body and supreme organ of the International Telecommunication Union. It is a meeting of ITU Member States and is held every four years. Plenipotentiary conferences adopt the underlying policies of the organization, determine its structures and activities, establish the financial plan for the organization. It sets the ITU’s general policies, adopts four-year strategic and financial plans, and elects the Secretary General and its deputy, members of the council, bureau, committee and subcommittee.

The conference is attended by a total of more than 3 thousand representatives from 175 member countries, international and regional organizations, as well as the observer countries. Azerbaijan at the event is represented by a delegation led by Minister of Communications and High Technologies Ali Abbasov. It should be noted that Azerbaijan is a candidate for the membership of the ITU Council from Eastern Europe and North Asia region.

President of the Republic of Korea Park Geun-hye, ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Toure addressed the opening ceremony of the conference which kicked off in Busan Exhibition and Convention Center. Video message of the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was demonstrated at the event.

Azerbaijani delegation took part in the meeting of ministers of the area of information and communication technologies, at the general meeting, the meeting of the heads of delegations of the RCC (Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications). In his speeches, Minister Ali Abbasov said the country attaches great importance to the cooperation with ITU, stressed the organization’s support for the projects proposed by Azerbaijan.

Speaking about achievements in the country in the ICT sector in recent years under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the Minister provided information about the development in all areas, including information and communication technologies, high technologies.

During the event, Ali Abbasov held bilateral meetings with ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Toure, ministers of Russia, Hungary, Iran, Uganda, and Ivory Coast. Issues of development of relations and cooperation between the sides, encouraging foreign companies to invest in Azerbaijan’s economy, as well as possibilities of Azerbaijani companies’ entry into the international markets were discussed during the meetings.

Various  meetings, exhibitions, forums, discussions will be  held within the framework of  the conference, ITU’s strategic and Financial Plan  for 2016-2020 will be approved, governing bodies of the organization will be elected.