Uganda Champions Inclusive Multilingualism and Innovation in Landmark ITU Language Initiative

Geneva, Switzerland – Under the pioneering chairmanship of Uganda, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council Working Group on Languages (CWG-LANG) has concluded a transformative session, advancing a bold, five-pillar strategy to reshape linguistic inclusivity and technical precision within the global UN specialized agency.

Uganda’s leadership has steered the group towards actionable reforms aimed at making the ITU more accessible, efficient, and representative in all its six official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish).

The key achievements and proposals are structured around five foundational pillars:

Fostering Inclusion: Championing a proposal to open the CWG-LANG’s proceedings to industry and academic experts. This groundbreaking move seeks to inject diverse perspectives and specialized knowledge into the ITU’s language policy, ensuring it remains responsive to technological and societal shifts.
Elevating Capacity Building: Uganda successfully launched a pioneering pilot program for training and utilizing local interpreters. This initiative not only enhances the quality of interpretation but also serves as a major boost for Uganda’s professional linguistic training ecosystem and its standing as a host for high-caliber international meetings.
Harnessing AI Innovation: The Working Group conducted practical tests on artificial intelligence for real-time interpretation and captioning. The conclusive verdict positions AI as a powerful auxiliary tool, while affirming that human expert review remains the indispensable gold standard for ensuring diplomatic and technical accuracy.
Driving Digital Transformation: Moving beyond treating multilingualism as an add-on, the group is ensuring it is embedded at the core of the ITU’s new digital infrastructure. This means designing the upcoming ITU website with integrated, seamless language access from the outset.
Ensuring Technical Integrity: A focused effort is underway to strengthen and standardize technical terminology across all official languages. This work is critical for maintaining regulatory clarity, consistency, and fairness in all ITU treaties, regulations, and standards.

Uganda’s strategic and results-oriented tenure at the helm of CWG-LANG underscores the nation’s deep commitment to fostering global inclusion, building local capacity, and pursuing excellence within international governance forums.

“Our chairmanship was guided by the principle that true global collaboration cannot happen without clear communication and equitable participation,” stated a representative of the Ugandan chair. “These pillars are not just about language; they are about ensuring every member state, regardless of its official language, can fully engage in shaping the future of telecommunications and digital technologies.”

The advancements led by the CWG-LANG are set to create a lasting legacy, making the ITU a more inclusive and effective platform for international cooperation in the digital age.