Mozambique Takes Over Presidency of ARCTEL-CPLP Telecom Regulators Body

Mozambique will assume the presidency of the Association of Regulators of Communications and Telecommunications of Portuguese-speaking Countries (ARCTEL-CPLP)  for the next two years, succeeding Cape Verde. The transition of leadership took place during the XVIII General Assembly of the Association, which takes place on June 15 and 16, in Praia, Cape Verde.

During the handover ceremony, the outgoing President of ARCTEL-CPLP and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Multisectoral Regulatory Agency for the Economy (ARME), Leonilde Santos, highlighted the progress achieved during her mandate, underlining the importance of cooperation between Portuguese-speaking regulators.

According to Leonilde Santos, the last two years have allowed us to witness the strength of cooperation within the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), based on joint work, technical competence and the commitment of regulators, factors that have contributed to raising ARCTEL-CPLP to new levels of institutional affirmation.

The head of the Cape Verdean regulator, who took over the leadership of the Association in 2024, becoming the first woman to hold the position, said that the presidency of ARME was guided by clear priorities, namely the strengthening of proximity communication between members, the promotion of gender equality and female leadership in the digital sector, as well as the strengthening of international cooperation as a strategic axis for the consolidation of the Association.

In turn, the President of the Board of Directors of the INCM, Helena Fernandes, as incoming President of ARCTEL-CPLP, thanked Mozambique for the trust placed in Mozambique and recognized Cape Verde’s contribution to the strengthening of the organization.

On the occasion, Helena Fernandes said that the support, experience and sharing of knowledge provided by the Cape Verdean presidency constitute a valuable legacy for the Association and a solid basis for the continuity of the work developed.

The new President assured that her mandate will be focused on the implementation of the plan of activities and the budget approved by the members, as well as on the institutional revitalization of ARCTEL-CPLP, both from a financial and operational point of view and in terms of its international affirmation and the dynamization of the Training Center.

PLAN IS BASED ON THREE STRATEGIC AXES

The plan of activities approved for this year is structured around three priority axes: (i) Promotion of gender equality in the communications sector; (ii) Strengthening the presence and international recognition of ARCTEL-CPLP; and (iii) Implementation of concrete projects with a direct impact on member countries.

During the General Assembly, Helena Fernandes also recognized the efforts made by Cape Verde to ensure the continuity and sustainability of the Association, preserving its identity as a forum dedicated to the specific interests and challenges of regulatory entities.

Among the main milestones achieved during the presidency of ARME are the integration of ARCTEL-CPLP in the Council of the Digital Regulation Network (DRN), reinforcing the Association’s presence in international digital regulation networks, as well as the election of Brazil, Cape Verde and Portugal to bodies of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), processes that had the active support of the Association and its members.

It is also worth noting the creation of the Girls in ICT CPLP initiative and the holding of the first celebration of Girls in ICT Day in the Portuguese-speaking space, initiatives that reinforce the Association’s commitment to the promotion of female participation and the empowerment of girls and women in the Information and Communication Technologies sector.

During the XVIII General Assembly, the Secretariat of ARCTEL-CPLP presented to the members the instruments of management, accountability and activity reports, including the work carried out within the scope of Universal Access and Service.

It should be noted that the Universal Access Service Working Group is chaired by the INCM, through the Executive Secretary of the Universal Access Service Fund, Cláudia Esmael.

The General Assembly precedes the ARCTEL-CPLP 2026 Forum, which will start on June 17, under the theme: “Satellite Communications and Network Resilience in the CPLP”.