"With this Policy Manual, we provide guidance for building an information space free from oligopolistic control, resilient to manipulation, and supportive of independent, pluralistic media. This Policy Manual proposes both structural reforms and targeted mitigation measures – focusing on media vis
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ibility, viability, and vigilance. If journalists cannot report safely, if their work is rendered invisible or economically unsustainable, neither the integrity of the public discourse nor media freedom can be protected. Cautious and principled State engagement is needed to ensure that information – as well as the information space – is not captured, neither by private businesses, including platforms and AI giants, nor by the governments of the day. This is a necessary precondition to ensure the media can fulfil its democratic role.
Recognizing the diversity of legal systems and societal contexts across the OSCE, this Policy Manual does not prescribe a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. Instead, it offers principled and adaptable guidance, grounded in international human rights standards and OSCE commitments, to support States in designing frameworks that safeguard media pluralism, independence, and public interest over distortion, deception, and division. It aspires to be both a tool and a call to action. It urges States to move from reactive ‘fixes’ towards a proactive, rights-based vision for the future of our information ecosystem – one that restores pluralism and accountability." (Foreword, page 7)
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"This report offers a comprehensive snapshot of the region’s digital landscape, highlighting both remarkable progress and persisting challenges. Ninety-five per cent of the population in this region is covered by mobile broadband networks, and more than half of the countries have already achieved
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universal Internet access. However, as this report highlights, infrastructure alone is insufficient. Although connectivity extends to much of the population, only 70 per cent uses the Internet. Barriers such as affordability, digital skills, and awareness must be addressed to ensure that everyone benefits from digital opportunities.
This report underscores the region’s diversity, reflecting economies at different stages of digital development. From nations spearheading 5G deployment to those grappling with basic connectivity, the disparity is striking. The 82 percentage-point gap in Internet penetration across the region illustrates this reality. Closing these gaps will require tailored strategies that account for each country’s unique socio-economic and geographic context. The concept of universal and meaningful connectivity (UMC) serves as a guiding principle throughout this publication. UMC emphasizes not only access but also the quality of the online experience, ensuring that connectivity leads to tangible socio-economic benefits." (Foreword)
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"[...] While mobile broadband covers over 95 per cent of the population, disparities persist. High-income economies lead in 5G deployment and innovation, while lower-income countries face infrastructure, affordability, and digital literacy gaps. The urban-rural divide remains, and women and marginal
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ized communities still encounter barriers to digital inclusion. Closing these gaps is both an economic necessity and a social imperative, as digital transformation expands access to services and strengthens resilience. Small island developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific face distinct challenges due to their geographic isolation, small populations, and vulnerability to climate change. Reliable connectivity is crucial for economic development, disaster resilience, and access to essential services. To sustain the region’s momentum, achieving universal and meaningful connectivity (UMC) is a policy imperative. UMC enables people to access knowledge, build livelihoods, and connect with their communities while also driving economic growth through digital trade, e-commerce, and innovation. Achieving this goal requires strengthened digital skills, improved regulatory frameworks, resilient infrastructure, and inclusive innovation ecosystems." (Foreword)
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"This publication provides an in-depth look at digital development across the region, revealing both substantial progress and areas where challenges persist. Internet use is widespread, with nearly nine in ten people online. In a milestone achievement, the Americas is the only region to have fully b
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ridged the gender gap in Internet use, with women now more likely to be online than men. Yet, the region’s digital landscape is also defined by contrasts. While North America benefits from advanced policy and regulatory frameworks, parts of Latin America and the Caribbean continue to face barriers in infrastructure deployment, affordability, and regulatory capacity. This is particularly the case for the region’s small island developing States (SIDS) and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs). These disparities highlight the importance of targeted policies and enhanced regional cooperation.
The region must also respond to growing cybersecurity and environmental challenges. The Americas generate nearly a quarter of the world’s e-waste, yet recycling rates remain low and formal collection systems are lacking in many countries. Advancing green digital policies and implementing extended producer responsibility mechanisms will be vital for sustainable digital growth. Reliable, granular, and timely data is essential for designing effective, targeted interventions and supporting progress toward UMC. While the region benefits from strong statistical capacity and several global data leaders, gaps remain – particularly in disaggregated data by gender, age, location, and socio-economic status. This report also highlights powerful examples of progress – from community networks and disaster resilience efforts to initiatives that empower girls and women through digital skills." (Foreword)
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"This publication reveals that the gap between ambition and reality remains wide. Mobile broadband coverage has expanded rapidly, offering most of the population the possibility of going online. And yet, only 38 per cent of the population currently uses the Internet—the lowest rate among all ITU r
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egions. But adoption is just the beginning. Universal and meaningful connectivity (UMC) is a new imperative. Achieving UMC means not only ensuring that everyone can access and use the Internet, but also that they can do so safely, productively, and affordably—whenever and wherever needed. In Africa, this possibility remains the privilege of a few. Gaps in affordability, digital skills, and connectivity quality disproportionately affect rural communities, women, and lower-income populations. These divides are leaving millions behind as the digital economy advances. The challenge is especially acute for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which make up more than half of the countries in the region. Many of these nations face multiple, compounding barriers to digital inclusion, and require targeted, sustained support.
At the same time, this publication offers reasons for optimism. Africa is home to a growing number of digital pioneers—countries, communities, and individuals who are leading innovative approaches to e-waste management, digital entrepreneurship, accessibility, and regulatory excellence. The case studies in this report demonstrate the transformative power of digital technologies when supported by local leadership, inclusive policies, and international cooperation. Better data is essential to closing the digital divide. Africa faces the greatest connectivity challenges yet has the fewest resources—and the least data. Investing even modestly in measurement can yield outsized returns by identifying where needs are most acute, and which interventions will have the greatest impact." (Foreword)
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"This publication offers a comprehensive overview of digital development in the CIS region. The data reveal a region where nine in ten people are online—well above the global average—and where mobile broadband networks now cover virtually the entire population. These are important milestones. At
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the same time, disparities remain between countries and communities. Fixed broadband is still out of reach for many, ICT regulation is uneven, and digital skills remain limited in key areas. Seven of the nine CIS countries are landlocked, which presents unique challenges for international connectivity, infrastructure deployment, and access to global Internet infrastructure. These constraints make regional collaboration particularly important—not only for physical infrastructure development but also for the harmonization of policies and regulatory frameworks. The second part of this report features case studies that illustrate how digital initiatives are making a tangible impact across the region. From expanding rural broadband access to enhancing youth entrepreneurship and strengthening cybersecurity readiness, these stories highlight the diversity of challenges—and the creativity of responses—emerging across the CIS." (Foreword)
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"This toolkit advocates taking a Human Rights-based approach to data governance. This means ensuring that data practices—across the full data lifecycle from collection to (re()use— should respect, protect, and fulfill the rights and freedoms of individuals and communities. This also entails trea
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ting data governance not just as a technical or compliance function, but as a rights-centered data governance practice." (Page 16)
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"This white paper summarizes the outcomes of the initial phase of the Digital Infrastructure Investment Initiative (DIII), launched in 2024 by the ITU in collaboration with the International and Regional Development Finance community, and in coordination with the G20 Brazil Presidency. The initiativ
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e also benefitted from the advice and feedback of over 40 organizations who comprised the DIII Working Group.
The aims of the DIII in its initial stage are:
i) Understand the digital infrastructure investment gap and opportunity: Despite the increase in internet usage in recent years, 35% of the global population does not use the internet at sufficient speeds. This percentage increases to 54% in low and lower-middle-income countries, primarily due to the absence of necessary infrastructure. Developing this infrastructure is estimated to require at least USD 1.6 trillion, according to high-level calculations by the DIII.
ii) Develop a framework that describes the key areas that need to be addressed to increase investment and measure a country’s digital infrastructure investment readiness: By exploring the factors affecting investments, the DIII has identified five archetypal challenges that hinder investments in digital infrastructure. These challenges are demand fragmentation, significant gaps in core infrastructure, unclear digital agendas and policies, execution risks, and country risks. The presence and significance of these challenges depend on the context.
iii) Identify innovative financing mechanisms and instruments that international organizations and private or public plurilateral/multilateral financing institutions can implement to accelerate reaching the target of universal and meaningful connectivity by 2030: Closing the digital infrastructure investment gap will necessitate the identification and deployment of innovative financing mechanisms and instruments. Through a series of discussions, the DIII has identified a range of initiatives, including platforms for pooled digital investments and technical forums designed to enhance coordination and share best practices. Detailed in the report, these initiatives aim to enable stakeholders to improve coordination and collaboratively finance infrastructure projects.
With this document, the initiative aims to inspire multistakeholder solutions through innovative financing of digital infrastructure, moving toward the goal of providing universal, meaningful connectivity to the 2.6 billion unconnected individuals across the world by 2030." (Executive summary)
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"The study’s first major conclusion is that taxes imposed both on operators and on consumers remain in place in many countries around the world. At least 74 countries impose taxes on service providers, whether environmentally related, import duties on equipment or VAT on equipment purchases. Simil
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arly, 145 countries impose VAT on mobile services, while 74 apply import duties on mobile devices.
Secondly, some nuanced geographic patterns in terms of taxation approaches can be teased out from the data. The group of countries exempting equipment purchases from taxation include advanced economies and some less developed countries. This would indicate that this group is not only composed of countries that do not require equipment taxation to increase revenues but also countries that prioritize maximization of network coverage (stimulated by lower equipment taxes) over tax collection. That said, there appears to be countries, mostly concentrated in the developing world, with some middle-income economies, that still prioritize tax collection from import duties on equipment.
Thirdly, unlike with network equipment, many countries were identified that exempt consumer devices from import duty or device-specific taxes. Furthermore, several developing countries were found to tax the import of devices at an extremely high rate. However, some countries have established consumer device taxation approaches aimed at reducing the purchasing acquisition cost. At the other end, some countries appear to have imposed high taxation on consumer devices. In addition to taxes on devices, affordability of telecommunications/ICTs for consumers is affected by VAT paid on mobile telecommunications services, a fairly common practice across countries. Of all services to which VAT is applied, the most prevalent service is outgoing international traffic, where rates range between 2.75 per cent and 20 per cent.
Finally, many countries have enacted a digital service tax to address perceived gaps in corporate income-tax systems. This approach imposes a tax on gross receipts derived from digital advertising, data mining and other types of digital platform revenue. A few countries have already implemented national approaches aimed at tackling profit shifting by digital platforms. While many countries did not report the application of digital service taxes in the ITU Tariff Policies Survey, of the 115 nations that provided a response, only 17 reported applying a digital service tax, and the percentage applied varies from 3% (Fance) to 21% (Argentina). This limited evidence prevents us from understanding what the current trend is in this domain." (Conclusion)
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"In 2011, working with the Communications Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa (CRASA),1 the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in cooperation with the European Commission (EC) published a toolkit on universal access funding and universal service implementation to provide guidance o
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n how to establish, manage and ensure good governance of universal access and service funds. It also offered advice on sources of traditional and new financing mechanisms with relevant good practices and country experiences.
[.] Over the past decade, countries have taken different approaches to universal access and service funding. Ongoing, and in some cases worsened, socio-economic conditions have meant bridging the digital divide is more difficult – the Covid-19 pandemic, systemic poverty and global political uncertainty have all taken a toll.
By the end of 2023, of the 14 CRASA Member States, all part of the Southern African Development Community known as “SADC”, 11 had reported having operational access and service funds. In these countries, laws have been passed establishing funds and setting out specific mandates, the scope of funding, eligible beneficiaries and the governance frameworks for fund operations. The toolkit has been updated to reflect ICT sector changes, such as the evolution of universal access and service, and a wider scope of universal access funding that now covers not only connectivity but also adoption, innovation, and inclusivity. The revised SADC toolkit also addresses the different institutional and legal setups across CRASA Member States and the diverse roles and responsibilities of fund managers. Some of the challenges experienced by fund managers and how these could be addressed are also considered." (Summary)
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"Digital monopolies shape ever larger parts of our lives. The platforms are increasingly controlling the public formation of political opinion and at the same time abolishing our free market economy. Digital expert Martin Andree shows in detail how far the hostile takeover of our society by the tech
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giants has already progressed - and how we could reclaim the Internet." (Publisher description)
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"This paper examines the counter-violent extremism and anti-terrorism measures in Australia, China, France, the United Kingdom and the United States by investigating how governments leveraged internet intermediaries as their surrogate censors. Particular attention is paid to how political rhetoric l
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ed to legislation passed or proposed in each of the countries studied, and their respective restrictive measures are compared against the recommendations specified by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression. A typology for international comparison is proposed, which provides further insights into a country’s policy focus." (Abstract)
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"In the digital era, journalists are targeted with online abuse including serious threats of violence. These censorship tactics are a direct threat to media freedom. Although the UK Government intended to tackle online abuse of journalists in the Online Safety Act 2023, provisions fit for that purpo
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se never materialised. This paper reveals why that was the case and what can be done about it. It finds that there is ongoing tension in the press industry about press regulation, with implications for journalist safety; that the Government carved out special privileges for the press’ online content but did not similarly protect journalist digital safety; that journalist safety was largely ignored in Parliament; and that repeated Government disintegration and shifting policies stripped away provisions that could have been improved to better protect journalists. This paper concludes with suggestions for how journalist safety can be better protected in the OSA regime." (Abstract)
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"This paper presents an exploratory study aimed at systematically mapping the public actions taken by OSCE participating States to combat online violence against female journalists. Adopting a qualitative large N research design, the study examines national policies and initiatives across all 57 OSC
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E participating States. Through extensive desk research of official government documents and gray literature qualitative data is collected. The analysis thereof is guided by three research aims: (a) identifying actions implemented by participating states, (b) examining the roles of public sphere actors, and (c) assessing the approaches adopted to combat online violence. The paper discusses best practices identified in eleven OSCE participating States, shedding light on strategies for addressing online violence against female journalists. However, the findings highlight significant disparities in policy implementation and acknowledgment of the issue, with only a minority of states demonstrating proactive measures on the safety of journalists (11 states; 19.3%). Of these 11 States, only 7 participating States (12.28%) were found to have a gendered approach. 47 (80.7%) participating States lack information and/or targeted action on violence against journalists. Challenges including the legal gray area surrounding online violence, limited response from tech platforms, and the complexities of transnational collaboration are discussed. Finally, based on these insights, policy recommendations are proposed to enhance to address the multifaceted challenges more effectively. These include working towards multinational definitions and approaches on online gender-based violence against journalists, and developing international multi stakeholder cooperation and peer education." (Abstract)
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"This paper delves into the intricate relationship between religious populism and the legitimization of digital authoritarianism in Turkey. Specifically, it investigates how the ruling party, AKP, has strategically linked Islamist values to state policies as a means of justifying its repressive cont
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rol over digital technology. Through an examination of internet governance at multiple levels—full network-level governance, sub-network or website-level governance, proxy or corporation-level governance, and network–node or individual-level governance—the study reveals the instrumentalization of religious populism to consolidate support and validate the government’s autocratic agenda. Furthermore, it sheds light on the role of state-controlled religious institutions, traditional media, social media outlets, as well as religious leaders and organizations in shaping public opinion, enabling the government to exert greater control over the dissemination of information. By dissecting the religious populist justification of digital authoritarianism in Turkey, this research provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics at play in the realm of online governance." (Abstract)
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"As South Africa adopts reforms to further strengthen its economy across multiple sectors, this country review presents the policy, legislative, and governance frameworks that are enabling South Africa’s digital transformation. It includes a review of key institutions and collaborative digital reg
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ulation practices, as well as common themes related to digital sector policies and frameworks. This review draws on policy, legal, and regulatory instruments in place and it reflects the insights and challenges based on the research and analysis of official document, interviews conducted with public- and private-sector stakeholders and exchanges with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA). The report also leverages ITU resources, including the Unified framework to assess the state of readiness of policy, governance, and legal frameworks that are enabling digital transformation in South Africa. This country review concludes with high-level recommendations and suggested next steps for collaborative digital regulation and includes considerations of ongoing global discussions related to digital technologies and services." (Introduction)
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"The objective of this report is two-fold. First, the report breaks down the energy and emissions profile of the sector and assesses the 30 highest emitting countries for telecommunications while providing global estimates for other ICT sector segments. The report uses a key framework for categorizi
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ng energy use and emissions, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard. Scope 1: Emissions are direct emissions from owned or controlled sources; Scope 2: Emissions are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling consumed by the firm; Scope 3: Emissions are all indirect emissions, upstream or downstream, (not included in Scope 2) that occur in the firm’s value chain. Second, the report addresses the policy and regulatory implications inferred from this data and the examination of these issues through several country case studies." (Executive summary, page 2)
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