Costa Rica Assumed the Presidency of the OAS's Leading Technology and Telecommunications Body

Costa Rica at the Helm of the OAS CITEL

The country formally assumed the Presidency of the Permanent Executive Committee of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (COM/CITEL), the OAS’s specialized body for telecommunications and information and communication technologies. The appointment was made official on March 17, during the IX CITEL Assembly and the 2030 High-Level Forum, an event at which the new working commissions were also formed. With this appointment, Costa Rica will play a central role in coordinating regional policies and positions on connectivity, radio spectrum, digital services, and technology regulation.

Role and Scope of the Presidency

Over the next four years, Costa Rica will lead the digital agenda of the Americas within the CITEL framework, coordinating common positions before global bodies such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The Presidency involves chairing the Executive Committee meetings, facilitating consensus among member states, and following up on the technical and policy agreements adopted. This regional leadership reinforces the country’s positioning as a reference point on issues of digital governance, telecommunications regulation, and rights in digital environments.

Priorities: “Technology with Purpose”

Through the Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology, and Telecommunications (Micitt), Costa Rica will advance a mandate centered on the idea of “technology with purpose.” Priorities include strengthening digital security, promoting the ethical use of technologies, and expanding connectivity in vulnerable territories and historically underserved communities. The approach also seeks to ensure that digital transformation contributes to sustainable development goals, social inclusion, and the reduction of the digital divide.

Costa Rica’s Official Message

The Minister of Science and Technology, Paula Bogantes, stated that Costa Rica assumes this presidency “with a spirit of dialogue, cooperation, and continuity,” with the goal of consolidating CITEL as a solid technical space for regional coordination. In her address, she underscored the importance of working jointly among countries to address challenges such as cybersecurity, regulation of new technologies, and the inclusion of more people in the digital ecosystem. The country committed to leading an agenda based on collaboration and transparency, involving governments, the private sector, academia, and civil society.

Official Sources

Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) of the OAS: institutional information on its structure, mandates, and governing bodies.

Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology, and Telecommunications (Micitt): communiqués on the COM/CITEL Presidency and “technology with purpose” priorities.

Organization of American States (OAS): notes and documents on the IX CITEL Assembly and the 2030 High-Level Forum.