Resolution 31 (Doha, 2006) calls for the organization of one development conference or regional preparatory meeting per region to coordinate, at the regional level, the preparations for the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC).

In 2009-2010, the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) will therefore stage six Regional Preparatory Meetings (RPM):

• Asia and the Pacific (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 5-7 May 2009)

• Africa (Kampala, Uganda, 13-15 July 2009)

• Americas (Santa Marta, Colombia, 9-11 September 2009)

• CIS (Minsk, Belarus, 23-25 November 2009)

• Europe (Andorra, 1 to 3 December 2009)

• Arab States (Damascus, Syria, 17-19 January 2010)

The main purpose of the Regional Preparatory Meeting is to engage the ITU members in the WTDC process early on and to consider, at the regional level, appropriate ICT development strategies. To this end, they seek to identify priority areas and related initiatives, projects, Study Group Questions that need to be addressed to foster the development of telecommunications and of information technologies.

Participants are expected to review reports on the implementation of the Doha Action Plan adopted by the 2006 World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC), along with contributions from the Member States and Sector Members in a bid to draw up recommendations on priority areas to be considered by next WTDC in 2010.