Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation

The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) is the oldest and largest Commonwealth intergovernmental organisation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Being fully involved in the development and use of ICTs for social and economic development, the management of the organisation recognise that it must stay at the cutting edge of ICT developments in order to deliver significant benefits to its members. The history of the CTO can be traced back to 1901, although the organisation has only existed in its present form as an intergovernmental treaty organisation since 1967. The CTO has a diverse range of members including developed countries, developing countries, Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States and Landlocked Developing Countries. Therefore policies, decisions and actions must cater to the needs of this wide range of countries. Activities in the CTO are implemented in a manner to reflect the changes in both the Commonwealth as well as the global telecommunications/ICT community. The CTO is an international treaty organisation, and as such is a not-for-profit entity. Any surpluses generated through the CTO’s activities are re-invested in the activities of the organisation for the benefit of its members in using ICTs for socio-economic development.