Virtual session on “Confidence and Security in the Use of ICTs” held

The first high-level political session on the topic “Building Confidence and Security in the Use of ICTs” was held as part of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS-2020) organized virtually this year by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The purpose of the virtual session was to discuss expanding access to information and communication technologies, in particular, issues of confidence and security in using these means during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as the work done in this area.

Azerbaijan at the event was represented by Deputy Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies Elmir Velizade.

Elmir Velizade, who took part in the session as one of high-level speakers, said in his speech that information and communication technologies are now widely used to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, to organize the lives and activities of people, business and government agencies.

The Deputy Minister provided detailed information on the steps taken to introduce ICT in the fight against the pandemic in Azerbaijan: “First of all, the sustainability of the telecommunications infrastructure was increased. Telecommunications operators, mobile operators and internet service providers, along with improving the quality of their services, have switched to a shift-based working hours and remote working regime to protect their staff from infection. New information systems were created in government agencies, services were provided on the basis of the existing systems in accordance with the conditions of the pandemic.”

Elmir Velizade added that the existing systems in our country made it possible to provide economic support to business entities and social assistance to the population in the shortest possible time. To educate and promptly inform the population, along with special websites, a mobile application was developed.

Noting that an interclinical videoconference system was launched to support doctors, the Deputy Minister stressed that the videoconferencing platform created in the country allows holding meetings even at the presidential level. “Thanks to this system, summits of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) dedicated to the pandemic were organized under the chairmanship of Azerbaijan at the level of presidents and heads of government.”

“Holding of such high-level meetings is the best example of confidence in technologies and their safety,” Elmir Velizade said at the end of his speech.

The session, along with Azerbaijan, was attended by heads of sectoral structures of Turkey, Oman, Qatar, Indonesia, ITU representatives and heads of two international cybersecurity organizations. At the session, moderated by the official representative of the European Broadcasting Union, opportunities were provided for 130 participants connected online to ask the speakers questions.