TCI looking to join Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation

The Turks and Caicos Islands is looking to become an affiliate member of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation.

Affiliate Members of the CTO are self-governing states linked to a Member State of the Commonwealth of Nations including overseas territories that have joined the membership of the CTO in order to benefit from the Organisation’s programmes.

In addition, they have observer status at the CTO Council and benefit from advisory services in national ICT policy development and implementation for universal broadband access, cybersecurity, regulatory environments and international policy and regulatory benchmarking.

This was recently revealed by Hon Otis Morris, Minister of Home Affairs, Transportation, Broadcasting, Energy and Utilities, and the Telecommunications Commission, who led a delegation to the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) Digital Week from February 20-24, 2023, in London, United Kingdom.

After a four-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the CTO hosted a ‘Digital Week’ under the theme ‘Action for Impact’ which brought together countries from around the world to work together in partnership in the digital transformation journey.

The Turks and Caicos Islands’ delegation included James Astwood –Permanent Secretary; Kenva Williams –Director General,

Hon

Telecommunications Commission; Clayton Been – Chair of the Telecommunications Commission Board of Directors; and Christal Landy, Administrative and HR Officer, Telecommunications Commission.

Ms Bernadette Lewis, Secretary General, CTO, and Ms Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General, International Telecommunication Union brought remarks to open Digital Week.

The week-long conference featured three important ICT events of the CTO; The CTO Forum

The Inaugural Ministerial Alliance for Digital Nations; and the 60th CTO Council Meeting.

During the Inaugural Ministerial Alliance for Digital Nations, Hon Morris took part in the ‘Ministerial Caucus Four’ discussion along with other Ministers from Montserrat, the Republic of Guyana, the Independent State of Samoa, and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, according to a statement.

Commenting on the conference Hon. Morris stated: “Digital Week provided a unique opportunity for the CTO member and non-member states to reconnect and to engage with key stakeholders in the ICT sector, and to understand the plans CTO has to move towards digital transformation globally.”

“The Turks and Caicos Islands is looking to become an affiliate member in the near future”, he added.

The CTO is the oldest and largest Commonwealth information and communication technologies (ICT) organisation.

It was established as the Pacific Cable Board in 1899 to complete a global telegraph network. In its latest manifestation, the CTO is an international treaty organisation, dedicated to facilitating effective adoption,

ICT and accelerating digital transformation and sustainable development in the Commonwealth and beyond.