Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, 3 September 2025 – Telecommunications regulators from around the world endorsed guidelines to help them build digital ecosystems for essential national services like healthcare, education and finance at the Global Symposium for Regulators 2025 (GSR-25) today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The GSR-25 Best Practice Guidelines , issued during the closing of the three-day event, outline key tools and frameworks to drive regulatory innovation and build sustainable information and communication technology ecosystems, ensuring that digital societies and economies deliver prosperity for all.
The new guidelines reinforce the need to foster innovation, adapt capacity, and strengthen cooperation to support the work of regulators.
“GSR has spent 25 years lighting the path from dial-up to digital society,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “With 2.6 billion people remaining unconnected, regulators are the bridge to a future where everyone, everywhere, can thrive online.”
In addition to endorsing the new guidelines, participants at GSR-25 shared insights on pressing regulatory issues in the digital landscape, including governance of artificial intelligence (AI), the growing space economy, and sustainable digital transformation.
“The Best Practice Guidelines represent a collective commitment to reimagine regulation for the digital era,” said H.E. Eng. Haitham AlOhaly, Governor of the Communications, Space & Technology Commission of Saudi Arabia, and Chair of GSR-25. “By fostering collaboration and leveraging innovations in emerging technologies such as AI and big data, we can strengthen our economies, empower our societies, and ensure that digital transformation delivers for all.”
Established by ITU in 2000, the GSR series serves as the world’s regulatory compass on telecommunications, guiding countries toward harmonized, forward-looking regulation in the rapidly evolving digital era.
“For a quarter of a century, GSR has served as a cornerstone of global digital development amid waves of technological change,” said Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau. “The Best Practice Guidelines are a chronicle of our digital age and of the central role GSR has played in supporting regulators throughout the years. I would like to thank the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting GSR-25 as we celebrate 25 years of the Symposium.”
GSR-25 brought together more than 1,200 participants, including Ministers and Heads of Regulatory Authorities.
At the event in Riyadh, ITU and CST also released Policy practices for e-waste management: Tools for a balanced and fair circular economy - Second Edition , a practical guide featuring an interactive toolkit covering all phases of e-waste regulation development.
Other activities at GSR-25 included:
GSR-25 also featured a special session of the Network of Women (NoW) in ITU's Telecommunication Development Sector to discuss inclusive regulation, artificial intelligence for green and trusted digital environments, and women’s leadership in digital policy.
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About ITU:
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations agency for digital technologies, driving innovation for people and the planet with 194 Member States and a membership of over 1,000 companies, universities, civil society, and international and regional organizations. Established in 1865, ITU coordinates the global use of the radio spectrum and satellite orbits, establishes international technology standards, drives universal connectivity and digital services, and is helping to make sure everyone benefits from sustainable digital transformation, including the most remote communities. From artificial intelligence (AI) to quantum, from satellites and submarine cables to advanced mobile and wireless broadband networks, ITU is committed to connecting the world and beyond. Learn more: www.itu.int