The UN Secretary General: ‘ICTs equip people with the knowledge and open up new opportunities for them’

Stakeholders from government, civil society and industry are meeting in Geneva this week to develop strategies to align the global connectivity targets set in Tunis at the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, with a view to harnessing the transformative power of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to accelerate global socio-economic development.

The world’s largest annual gathering of the ICT for development (ICT4D) community, the WSIS Forum is a unique global platform and an integral part of the ongoing WSIS Process. Providing equitable and affordable access to ICTs – especially in the developing world and to marginalized communities – is essential to achieving a truly inclusive digital economy. WSIS is where the real work of ICT4D is done, bringing together multistakeholder groups from all over the world to share best practices and create collaborative partnerships.

“Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the power to help people around the world bridge the digital divide and accelerate innovation as world leaders continue to work towards implementing the United Nations development agenda,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underlined at the opening of a high-level forum of the ICT for development community.

“Information and communication technologies equip people with the knowledge and open up new opportunities for them. They are the drivers of the global economy and have revolutionized how we communicate, interact socially and do business,” Mr. Ban stressed in a video message to the opening of the annual UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum in Geneva, which is hosted by the UN International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

“ICTs also provide innovative solutions to combat climate change, improve health care and education, and empower women and the vulnerable,” the Secretary-General said.

Mr. Ban highlighted that the ICTs will be critical to advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“People are better connected than ever, but we still have to close the gap so that everyone can benefit from ICTs. We have to ensure that everyone has freedom of access to information,” the UN chief said.
He urged participants to continue working to ensure universal access to a more open information society.
“Let us empower people everywhere with these transformative technologies so that they can help build a better future for all,” Mr. Ban said.

Along those lines, ITU Secretary-general Houlin Zhao noted in a separate video message that putting ICTs at the heart of global development will be critical to meeting the SDGs.

“The WSIS process is all about helping to bridge the digital divide so that people everywhere can reap the tremendous benefits of connectivity,” Mr. Zhao said.

“Let us strive to empower individuals with transformative technologies that can change their lives, the lives of their families and their communities, so that we can all share in a more prosperous and more equitable future,” he added.

The forum – whose over-arching theme is ‘WSIS Action Lines: Supporting the implementation of the SDGs’ – is co-organized by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the UN and sister agencies.

This year’s event is being chaired by Daniel A. Sepulveda, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy in the United States State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.

A delegation from Azerbaijan is also taking part in the work of the forum. The forum, which will conclude on Friday, 6 May, is expected to include 1,800 participants, including more than 85 government ministers and 250 high-level representatives. Sessions will focus on, among other things, cybersecurity, promoting peaceful and inclusive knowledge societies, and implementing best practices and addressing challenges.