CTU ICT Week 2025 – Jamaica
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CTU ICT Week 2025 – Jamaica
Theme: Driving Change: Connecting Futures
Venue: The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica
Hosted by: Government of Jamaica
Organised by: Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU)
Under the Patronage of: The Honourable Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Government of Jamaica
Background
The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), in collaboration with the Government of Jamaica, is pleased to host CTU ICT Week 2025 – Jamaica from Monday 29th September to Friday 3rd October 2025, at The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Kingston. This prestigious event will take place under the distinguished patronage of the Honourable Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Government of Jamaica.
As one of the CTU’s premier annual events, ICT Week provides a unique platform for regional and international stakeholders to exchange ideas, share best practices, and shape digital policy and development across the Caribbean.
Theme
This year’s theme, “Driving Change: Connecting Futures,” reflects the CTU’s commitment to fostering regional collaboration and innovation. It underscores the need for Caribbean governments to harness the full potential of digital technologies to enhance social and economic development while building resilience to emerging global challenges.
Objectives
CTU ICT Week 2025 aims to:
- Advance regional dialogue and cooperation on digital transformation and ICT policy.
- Support the development of inclusive and resilient digital economies.
- Promote strategic ICT leadership among Caribbean governments.
- Provide a platform for sharing insights on cutting-edge technologies and trends.
- Encourage innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment in the ICT sector.
Key Highlights
- Statutory CTU Meetings – Including the convening of Ministers responsible for ICT to guide the strategic direction of the Union.
- 23rd Strategic ICT Ministerial Seminar – A high-level forum where ministers will deliberate on regional ICT priorities and policy strategies.
- Expert Presentations and Panel Discussions – Featuring global thought leaders and technical experts on critical topics such as:
- Expansion of 5G networks
- Applications of artificial intelligence
- Promoting digital inclusion
- Strengthening cybersecurity
- Leveraging ICT for climate action
- Innovation and Networking Spaces – Showcasing the creative potential of Caribbean innovators and entrepreneurs.
- Public Engagement and Youth Participation – Activities designed to engage young people, civil society, and other stakeholders in the digital development agenda.
Target Audience
- Government ministers and policymakers
- ICT regulators and public sector technocrats
- Private sector representatives and investors
- Regional and international development partners
- Academia and research institutions
- Civil society and youth networks
Significance
CTU ICT Week 2025 is positioned to serve as a catalyst for regional digital transformation, reinforcing the critical role of ICT in shaping a prosperous and connected Caribbean. The event will contribute to shaping forward-looking policies that increase the region’s competitiveness and resilience in an evolving global digital landscape.
By driving change and connecting futures, the CTU, alongside its member states and partners, aims to unlock the full potential of ICTs for innovation, economic growth, and sustainable development throughout the Caribbean.
WEEK AT A GLANCE
| Date | Time | Activity |
| Monday 29th September | 9:00–17:00 | 23rd Ministerial Strategic ICT Seminar |
| Monday 29th September | 18:00–22:00 | Opening Ceremony |
| Tuesday 30th September | 09:00–13:00 | 53rd Executive Council Meeting (EC53 Closed) |
| Tuesday 30th September | 09:00–13:00 | CTU 3rd Caribbean ICT Youth Network Meeting (By invitation only) |
| Tuesday 30th September | 09:00–13:00 | Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda (CCA) Workshop |
| Tuesday 30th September | 13:00–17:00 | Joint Meeting of 53rd EC and 31st GC (Open) |
| Wednesday 1st October | 09:00–16:00 | 31st General Conference of Ministers (GC31 Closed) |
| Wednesday 1st October | 09:00–16:00 | CTU Network of Women Leadership Seminar |
| Wednesday 1st October | 18:00–22:00 | Reception hosted by Hon. Minister |
| Thursday 2nd October | 09:00–17:00 | 11th Caribbean ICT Regulators Forum (Closed and by invitation) |
| Thursday 2nd October | 09:00–17:00 | CTU ICT4PWDs Workshops for the Blind, Deaf and Persons with Mobility Challenges |
| Thursday 2nd October | 09:00–17:00 | Universal Postal Union/Caribbean Postal Union Workshop (By invitation) |
| Friday 3rd October | 09:00–17:00 | Digital Jamaica – Secondary School Forum |
| Friday 3rd October | 09:00–17:00 | Cultural Tour |
CTU ICT Week 2025 – Jamaica
Theme: Driving Change: Connecting Futures
Official Opening Ceremony
AC Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica
Monday 29th September 2025
(By Invitation Only)
| Time | Activity | Speaker |
| 19:00 | National Anthem | Video |
| 19:03 | Opening Prayer/Invocation | TBD |
| 19:05 | Opening Remarks | Senator, the Hon. Dominic Smith
President, Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) and Minister of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence, Trinidad and Tobago |
| 19:10 | Welcome Remarks | The Hon. Daryl Vaz, MP
Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Jamaica |
| 19:15 | Remarks | Mr. Ed Watal
Founder Intellibus and World Digital Governance (WDG) Headline Sponsor |
| 19:20 | Feature Address | Mr. Kurtis Lindqvist
Chief Executive Officer ICANN |
| 19:35 | Cultural Interlude | |
| 19:45 | Keynote Address | Dr. The Honourable Andrew Holness (TBC)
Prime Minister Government of Jamaica |
| 20:05 | Cultural Moment and Official Photo | |
| 20:30 | Opening Ceremony Reception | |
| 22:00 | End of Official Opening Ceremony | |
CTU ICT Week 2025 – Jamaica
Theme: Driving Change: Connecting Futures
23rd Caribbean Ministerial Strategic ICT Seminar
AC Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica
Monday 29th September 2025
Provisional Agenda
| Time | Item | Presenter |
| 09:00 | Welcome and Introductory Remarks | Mr. Rodney Taylor
Secretary-General, CTU |
| 09:05 | Keynote Address: (Topic to be determined on Data | |
| 09:10 | High Level Panel Discussion:
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, DATA AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES: · Responsible and ethical AI adoption in public and private sectors · Open data, big data and data governance for evidence-based decision-making · Innovation sandboxes and public-private collaboration models Question and Answer (5 minutes) |
|
| 10:10 | Group Photo and Coffee Break | |
| 10:30 | Presentation: Resilient Infrastructure | Sponsor |
| 10:40 | Panel Discussion:
RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND INCLUSIVE CONNECTIVITY: – Enhancing resilience of submarine cable systems and terrestrial networks – Infrastructure-sharing and regional collaboration for cost-effective deployment – Integrating ICT infrastructure into national disaster risk management plans Question and Answer Segment (5 minutes) |
|
| 11:30 | Presentation: Topic to be determined | Sponsor |
| 11:40 | Panel Discussion:
TRUST, SAFETY AND CYBER RESILIENCE: – Raising cyber awareness and promoting digital hygiene among citizens – The role of trust frameworks in digital identity and e-government services – Public-private collaboration for cyber threat intelligence and response Question and Answer (5 minutes) |
|
| 12:30 | Lunch Break | |
| Media Conference | ||
| 14:00 | Presentation: Space Connectivity | AMAZON |
| 14:10 | Panel Discussion: Topics to be developed
Question and Answer segment |
|
| 15:00 | Sponsors’ Lightning Presentations 1:
Q&A |
Moderator: Nia Nanan
· Sponsor · Sponsor · Sponsor |
| 15:15 | Coffee Break | |
| 15:30 | Sponsors’ Lightning Presentations 2:
Q&A |
Moderator:
· Meta · Starlink · Sponsor |
| 16:00 | Presentation: Transitioning from a Telco to a Techno | |
| 16:10 | Panel Discussion: Transitioning from a Telco to a Techno
Q&A |
Moderator: Tariq Mohammed/
Gabrielle Johnson
|
| 16:45 | Wrap Up | Mr. Rodney Taylor, CTU |
| 17:00 | Close of 23rd Caribbean Ministerial Strategic ICT Seminar | |
CTU ICT Week 2025 – Jamaica
Theme: Driving Change: Connecting Futures
3rd Caribbean ICT Youth Network Meeting (Hybrid)
Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica
Tuesday 30th September 2025
Provisional Agenda
| Time | Item | Presenter / Facilitator |
| 08:45 | Welcome and Introduction | Mr. Rodney Taylor, Secretary-General, CTU
Mr. Tariq Mohammed, Chair, CIYN |
| 08:55 | Introductions – Youth Representatives | Youth Representatives |
| 09:10 | Keynote Address: The Role of Youth in Building a Sustainable and Inclusive Future | |
| 09:30 | Capacity Building Session: AI | |
| 10:45 | Coffee Break & Group Photo | |
| 11:00 | Open Discussion: CIYN Plan 2026 | Ms. Gabrielle Johnson, Caribbean ICT Youth Network |
| 11:40 | CIYN Membership Retention | |
| 11:55 | Opportunities for Caribbean Youth | Mr. Miguel Ignacio Estrada, Chief Strategic Relations Officer, LACNIC |
| 12:25 | Next Steps and Closing | Ms. Gabrielle Johnson, Vice-Chair, Caribbean ICT Youth Network |
| 12:30 | Lunch | |
| 13:30 | Educational Tour
Network Operations Centre (NOC) & Cyber Forensics Lab |
|
CTU ICT Week 2025 – Jamaica
Theme: Driving Change: Connecting Futures
Joint Meeting of
53rd Executive Council and 31st General Conference of Ministers
Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica
Tuesday 30th September 2025
Provisional Agenda
(Open)
| Time | Item | Presenter |
| 13:30 | Opening Remarks | Mr. Rodney Taylor
Secretary General, CTU |
| 13:35 | Presentation: Strengthening multistakeholder approach, WSIS+20, GDC, ccTLDs for SIDs and ICANN’s role
Open Engagement session with ICANN |
Mr. Kurtis Landquist
CEO, ICANN |
| 14:30 | Coffee Break | |
| Secretariat Updates: | ||
| 14:45 | Re-engineering CTU 2025-2028 | Mr. Rodney Taylor, Secretary-General, CTU |
| 14:55 | Caribbean Internet Governance 21st CIGF
4th Caribbean Youth IGF |
Mr. Nigel Cassimire,
Deputy Secretary-General, CTU |
| 15:05 | Caribbean Spectrum Management | Mr. Nigel Cassimire, CTU |
| 15:15 | CTU Caribbean AI Taskforce | Dr. Craig Ramlal, Chair CTU AI Task Force |
| 15:25 | Regional Regulatory Body | Mr. Nigel Cassimire, CTU |
| 15:35 | Smart Seas Initiative and Youth | Mr. Tariq Mohammed, Chair, CIYN |
| 15:45 | CTU-NoW | Ms. Francola John, Chair, CTU-NoW |
| 15:55 | Child Privacy and Online Protection | Mr. Shernon Osepa, Consultant, CTU |
| 16:05 | Digital Comparative Framework | Ms. Nia Nanan, Senior Research Analyst, CTU |
| 16;15 | Caribbean Cybersecurity Action Plan | Mr. Shernon Osepa, Consultant, CTU |
| ITU Updates: | ||
| 16:25 | Report on Advisory Submarine | Mr. Rodney Taylor, Secretary-General, CTU |
| 16:35 | Dep SG Bid – Bahamas | H.E Ambassador Leon Williams, The Bahamas |
| 16:45 | WTPF26 | Mr. Rodney Taylor, Secretary-General, CTU and Ms. Michelle Grell-Bereaux (Bahamas) |
| 16:55 | WTDC | Mr. Nigel Cassimire, CTU |
| 17:00 | Wrap-up | Mr. Rodney Taylor, CTU |
| End of Meeting | ||
CTU ICT Week 2025 – Jamaica
Theme: Driving Change: Connecting Futures
CTU Network of Women (CTU-NoW) Caribbean Women Leadership Seminar
Theme: Transforming regional ideas into international policy
Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica
Wednesday 1st October 2025
Provisional Agenda
| TIME | ITEM | SPEAKER |
| 8:45 | Welcome & Introduction | Ms. Francola John
Stakeholder Engagement Specialist and CTU Focal Point for ITU Network of Women |
| 8:50 | Opening Remarks | Mr. Rodney Taylor
Secretary-General, CTU |
| 09:00 | Keynote Address: Shaping the Digital Development Agenda: Leadership, Legacy, and the Road to WTDC-25 | Ms. Roxanne McElvane-Webber
Chair – Telecommunications Development Advisory Group (TDAG) |
| 09:15 | Presentation: From a Caribbean Challenge to an International Resolution | Dr. Kim Mallalieu
Vice Chair, NoW in ITU-D |
| 09:45 | Interactive Question and Answers | |
| 10:00 | Coffee Break | |
| 10:30 | Presentation: Addressing essential protocols regarding line Ministry and Foreign Affairs/ Cabinet | Ms. Shelley-Ann Clarke-Hinds
Executive Manager External Relations at the Ministry of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence Trinidad and Tobago |
| 11:00 | Working Group Briefings: Impact Pathways
· AI · Cybersecurity · Internet Governance · Satellite · Climate Change/ Infrastructure
|
Working Group Facilitators
· Dr. Dianne Cliche, UNESCO · Dr. Kim Mallalieu · Ms. Carol Roach, Undersecretary – Government of the Bahamas & Chair of UNIGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group · Ms. Natalia Vincente Vice President of Public Affairs, GSOA |
| 11:50 | Interactive Question and Answers | |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 13:30 | AI Working Group | Dr. Dianne Cliche, UNESCO |
| Cybersecurity Working Group | Dr. Kim Mallalieu | |
| Internet Governance Working Group | Ms. Carol Roach | |
| Satellite Working Group | Ms. Natalia Vincente | |
| Climate Change/ Infrastructure Working Group | ||
| 14:30 | Coffee Break | |
| 14:45 | Plenary – Group Presentations | |
| 15:15 | Presentation: Role of National Focal Points | Ms. Shelley-Ann Clarke-Hinds |
| 15:30 | Wrap Up | Dr. Kim Mallalieu |
| 15:40 | Closing Remarks | Ms. Francola John, CTU |
| 15:45 | End of Seminar | |
 Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Jamaica The Honourable Daryl Vaz, MP The Hon. Daryl Vaz, MP is the Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport. The Ministry was renamed Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport on May 22, 2023, following the addition of the Telecommunication and Transport Portfolios. The major priorities of this Administration for the Ministry are the creation of an enabling environment to facilitate access to alternative sources of energy, greater incorporation of science and innovation as well as ensuring universal access to broadband and wireless services as a right for all Jamaicans, with a specific focus on rural Jamaica. As the Minister with portfolio responsibility for the Energy and Information and Communications Technology portfolios, Minister Vaz chairs the Joint Select Committee of Parliament established to review and report on the operations of both the Electricity Act, 2015 and the Cybercrimes Act, 2015. Under legislation, provisions were made for both Acts to be reviewed five years after promulgation. The Cybercrimes Act, 2015 was promulgated to criminalise the misuse of computers /data to commit activities directed against same, as well as, other crimes; and facilitate the investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes; while the Electricity Act, 2015 was promulgated to consider important issues raised by the Regulator, Single Buyer, Independent Power Producers and Consumer Advocacy Groups, in relation to the update and renewal of the Electricity Act. Additionally, Minister Vaz has been charged to lead the development of a National Broadband Strategy which seeks to: establish a national broadband network aimed at, among other things, supporting the provision of last mile service to the unserved or underserved; ensure the sustainability, security and reliability of the infrastructure which will be installed; and update the legal and regulatory framework to make the said network more agile and responsive. An astute businessman, Minister Vaz was the Founding President of the Jamaica Used Car Dealers Association. He attended Mona Preparatory, Campion College and Miami Dade Community College in Miami, Florida. He is married to Ann-Marie Theresa Vaz, JP, Member of Parliament for Eastern Portland. They have five children. |
 President and CEO of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Kurt Lindqvist Kurt Erik “Kurtis” Lindqvist is a seasoned technology executive and business leader who became President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) on 9 December 2024. With more than 30 years of experience in engineering and business development of Internet service providers, Internet Exchange Points, and global network carriers, Lindqvist has dedicated his career to advancing the stability, security, and accessibility of the Internet. Prior to joining ICANN, Lindqvist served as CEO of the London Internet Exchange (LINX), a leading operator of worldwide interconnection services, from 2019 to 2024. Prior to this, he was CEO of Netnod from 2002 to 2015. Lindqvist also chaired the European Internet Exchange Association (Euro-IX) from 2003 to 2020, which underscores his long-standing leadership in Internet infrastructure organizations. Lindqvist has been a leading voice in Internet governance (IG) and technical development. He served on the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) and led working groups within the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and RIPE, where his efforts helped shape critical Internet standards and policies. Additionally, he has advised the Swedish government on IG, broadband policy, and other key areas, fostering collaboration between public and private sectors. Lindqvist studied Computer Science at Uppsala University, Sweden, and holds an Executive MBA from the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland. |
 Secretary-General, African Telecommunications Union John Omo Mr. John OMO is the Secretary-General of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) having been elected during the 5th ATU Conference of Plenipotentiaries held in Nairobi in August 2018. He leads the continental body entrusted with building consensus within African countries in the development of ICT policies, systems and services, and also in coordinating African participation in international ICT for Africa. Mr. Omo has 29 years experience as a lawyer and has contributed immensely to the development of local and international policies, legislation, agreements and treaties in all areas of public service life but mainly in the area of ICTs. Prior to his election, he worked with the Communications Authority of Kenya, Kenya’s ICT regulator, where he provided leadership over the Authority’s legal matters and strategies. Before that, he worked in the public/civil service. He holds a Master of Law degree in International and Commercial law from the University of Sheffield – UK; a Bachelor of Law from the University of Nairobi – Kenya; a Diploma in Human Rights Law from the UN Human Rights Centre, Geneva, and ILO Centre Turin and another diploma in Legal Practice and Ethics from the Kenya School of Law amongst other professional courses. |
Sponsorship Prospectus ICT Week Jamaica 2025
Headline Sponsor
Headline Sponsor
The World Digital Governance (WDG) initiative is a global movement dedicated to creating ethical, inclusive, and scalable frameworks for digital governance.
Focused on empowering nations and individuals, WDG fosters collaboration among governments, private sector leaders, and international organizations to address critical challenges in data management, artificial intelligence, and virtual assets.
By providing tools, certifications, and support, WDG ensures that digital transformation aligns with principles of sovereignty, equity, and transparency.
Silver
Other
