About the CTO
About the CTO
A trusted partner for sustainable development for all through ICTs
The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) is the oldest and largest Commonwealth intergovernmental organisation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Being fully involved in the development and use of ICTs for social and economic development, the management of the organisation recognise that it must stay at the cutting edge of ICT developments in order to deliver significant benefits to its members.
The history of the CTO can be traced back to 1901, although the organisation has only existed in its present form as an intergovernmental treaty organisation since 1967. The CTO has a diverse range of members including developed countries, developing countries, Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States and Landlocked Developing Countries. Therefore policies, decisions and actions must cater to the needs of this wide range of countries. Activities in the CTO are implemented in a manner to reflect the changes in both the Commonwealth as well as the global telecommunications/ICT community.
The CTO is an international treaty organisation, and as such is a not-for-profit entity. Any surpluses generated through the CTO’s activities are re-invested in the activities of the organisation for the benefit of its members in using ICTs for socio-economic development.
Our strategic goals
Strategic Plan 2016 – 2020 is structured around 6 strategic goals, as follows:
- Enhance the value of the CTO membership and expand the CTO’s membership base, including through Member Action Plans which define clear programmes and activities for each member.
- Promote enabling regulatory environments in key areas such as licensing, spectrum management, quality of service and over-the-top operators.
- Promote affordable universal and high-quality broadband connectivity via enabling policies and regulatory measures that facilitate the rapid rollout of broadband infrastructure.
- Promote a culture of cybersecurity and effective cyber governance through the establishment of cybersecurity frameworks, standards and guidelines.
- Promote the development and use of ICT applications for socio-economic development e.g. e-governance, e-health, e-education and e-agriculture, among others.
- Ensure effective coordination of Commonwealth countries at international ICT conferences and meetings.
Our membership
The CTO has four categories of membership:
- Full Member Countries
- Affiliate Member Countries
- ICT Sector Members
- Academia
For more information, contact us at [email protected]
