Kathmandu: Nepal has called for stronger international cooperation to build disaster-resilient telecommunications infrastructure and ensure equitable access to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in developing and least developed countries.
Addressing the recent International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (PP-26) in Doha, Qatar, Hon Information and Communication Minister Bikram Timilsina said reliable telecommunications infrastructure and emergency communication systems were essential to maintaining connectivity during climate-induced disasters.
Delivering Nepal’s national policy statement, Timilsina highlighted the growing threats posed by climate-related disasters and stressed the need to strengthen critical telecommunications infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted communication during emergencies.
According to Minister Timilsina’s Secretariat, the minister also called for affordable and reliable connectivity to bridge the digital divide and expand access to AI and other emerging technologies, particularly for developing and least developed countries.
The minister stressed the importance of stronger international partnerships to address these challenges, calling for targeted technical assistance, concessional financing, technology transfer and capacity development.
Nepal reaffirmed its commitment to building an inclusive digital future in which geographical and economic circumstances do not determine people’s ability to access and benefit from technological progress, according to a statement shared by the minister’s secretariat.
