MGIMO MODEL ITU
A Model Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union
26-28 October 2026 || MGIMO University, Moscow
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Organised by the MGIMO AI Centre
With the academic and organisational support of the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications (RCC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, the Ministry of Digital Development of Russia and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
With the academic and organisational support of the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications (RCC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, the Ministry of Digital Development of Russia and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
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for participation in MGIMO Model ITU
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MGIMO Model ITU recreates the work of the actual Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union. Students and young professionals take on the roles of country delegates, members of the conference’s governing bodies and secretariat staff – and go through the full cycle of multilateral negotiations, from the adoption of the agenda to the signing of the final document.
Why it matters
The Model gives participants a practical understanding of how the ITU works and how 194 states agree on common rules for telecommunications, digital development and artificial intelligence.
Why it matters
The Model gives participants a practical understanding of how the ITU works and how 194 states agree on common rules for telecommunications, digital development and artificial intelligence.
What participants learn
- to navigate the ITU: its purposes, its structure and the workings of the Plenipotentiary Conference, the supreme organ of the Union;
- to draft state positions and conference documents: resolutions, decisions and amendments;
- to represent a country’s interests in line with its foreign policy, economy and technology priorities;
- to negotiate, speak in public and hold their own in international-format debates;
- to take collective decisions and adopt final documents under the rules of real multilateral diplomacy.
Schedule
19-23 October 2026
Lecture school
16:00 - 18:50 Moscow time, online
16:00 - 18:50 Moscow time, online
Lectures and expert sessions on the structure and competence of the ITU, the PP-26 agenda, and the preparation of state positions and draft resolutions. Attendance is a mandatory part of delegate preparation (at least 80% of classes).
26-28 October 2026
Main sessions of the Model
10:00 - 18:00 Moscow time, in person,
MGIMO main building
10:00 - 18:00 Moscow time, in person,
MGIMO main building
Plenary meetings, committee and working-group sessions, informal consultations, the election of the Union’s senior officials, and the adoption of the final document.
Programme of the main days
26 October
Opening and positions
- opening ceremony
- keynote address by the guest of honour
- meeting of heads of delegation
- first Plenary meeting
- policy statements by delegations
- formation of working groups
27 October
Negotiations and work on the resolution
- committee and working-group sessions
- informal consultations
- presentation of draft proposals
- debate on Resolution 214, Artificial intelligence technologies and telecommunications/information and communication technologies, through to the finalisation and signing of the document
28 October
Elections and adoption of the final document
- conclusion of committee work
- elections for the five senior posts:
2. ITU Deputy Secretary-General
3. Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau
4. Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau
5. Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau
- closing ceremony and awards
Key dates
until 4 October
until 4 October
Applications
5-9 October
5-9 October
Competitive selection
12 October
12 October
Results and country allocations
19-23 October
19-23 October
Lecture school
26-28 October
26-28 October
Main sessions
About the ITU and PP-26
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies. Founded in 1865, it is the oldest organisation in the UN system, bringing together 194 Member States and more than a thousand companies, universities and international organisations. The ITU allocates the global radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbital positions, develops international technical standards and works to extend access to connectivity and digital technologies. Its work is organised in three Sectors: Radiocommunication (ITU-R), Telecommunication Standardization (ITU-T) and Telecommunication Development (ITU-D). Artificial intelligence and the governance of emerging technologies occupy a growing place on the Union’s agenda.
Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (PP-26) is the supreme organ of the ITU, convened every four years. The conference sets the Union’s policy and strategy, approves its strategic and financial plans, and elects the five senior officials, the 48 Member States of the Council and the 12 members of the Radio Regulations Board. PP-26 will take place on 9–27 November 2026 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha, State of Qatar. It is this conference that MGIMO Model ITU recreates in 2026.
Materials
Selection and participation rules, the structure of the Model’s organs, and the rules governing meetings, voting and elections
The Constitution, the Convention and the General Rules of Conferences, Assemblies and Meetings of the Union – the normative basis of the Model’s procedures
The same basic texts in English, the working language of the conference
The decisions and resolutions of the current cycle, including the ITU Strategic Plan for 2024-2027 – source material for delegations’ position papers
Official candidatures with CVs and campaign materials – the basis of the Model’s electoral block
An ITU overview of the conference ahead of PP-26
An updated explanation of the election process as it applies to PP-26
Ethical principles for candidates’ campaign activities: use of Union resources, campaigning around official events, and engagement with Member State representatives
Official PP-26 website: https://pp.itu.int/2026/en
Host Country website: https://www.pp26-doha.gov.qa/
Organiser and partners
The Model is organised by the MGIMO AI Centre and the MGIMO–MIPT Master’s Programme in Artificial Intelligence. Organisational and technical support is provided by the MGIMO Digital Department, the Student Research Society and the Council of Young Scientists.
The Model enjoys the academic and organisational support of the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, and the International Telecommunication Union.
The project is implemented under the Priority 2030 academic leadership programme.
The Model enjoys the academic and organisational support of the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, and the International Telecommunication Union.
The project is implemented under the Priority 2030 academic leadership programme.
Contacts
MGIMO AI Centre
press-office: +7 925 476 99 78
Email: itumodel@inno.mgimo.ru
119454, Moscow, Vernadsky Avenue, 76
press-office: +7 925 476 99 78
Email: itumodel@inno.mgimo.ru
119454, Moscow, Vernadsky Avenue, 76
MGIMO Model ITU is an educational project. The Model is not an official event of the International Telecommunication Union and does not confer on its participants the authority to represent states, international organisations or the ITU.
© MGIMO AI Centre, 2026 (Personal data policy)
© MGIMO AI Centre, 2026 (Personal data policy)
