Your Excellency, Mr. Bagdat Mussin, Minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan,
Ms. Michaela Friberg-Storey, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Kazakhstan,
Mr. Alexey Borodin, Director General of the Executive Committee of the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communication (RCC),
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Greetings to all of you who have made the journey to beautiful Astana, and to those of you participating remotely. It is with great pleasure that I extend a warm welcome to all participants of the Regional Development Forum for the CIS region. This Forum is the sixth and the last one. We successfully held RDFs in Romania, El Salvador, Thailand, Ethiopia, and Bahrain.
Please allow me to convey my sincere appreciation to the Government of Kazakhstan and the Minister of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry for the generous support and hosting our Forum and associated activities this week.
I take this opportunity to also congratulate Kazakhstan on being one of the world’s trailblazers in all things digital! Thank you for your partnership, for sharing your know-how and for your capacity-building leadership in the region!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The RDF is more than a mere gathering; it provides a platform for us to share and exchange, for us to leave this place with implementable plans for impact. Our objective is clear: we are for impact, and we are resolute in our commitment to leave no one offline, especially as acccording to ITU data, 11% of the population in the CIS region still do not have access to the Internet.
As we convene today, our deliberations take place against the backdrop of challenges and opportunities. The world faces the urgent task of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals while contending with issues such as poverty, exclusion, climate change, and persistent digital disparities.
At the same time, technology is evolving very fast bringing new opportunities e.g. Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Space, Metaverse and Big Data. Our role is to ensure that these technologies accelerate our progress towards achieving the SDGs.
The Regional Initiatives for this region adopted at WTDC-22 which include digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, digital skills and accessibility, digital regulation and smart cities provides stepping stones to digital transformation and digital development. As you already know at WTDC-22, we launched the Partner2Connect Coalition that has attracted over 46 billion dollars. As the Development Bureau, our focus is on operationalizing these pledges into bankable results-oriented projects.
This forum is an excellent opportunity for genuine matchmaking between the pledges of the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition, and activities inspired by the Regional Initiatives and the ICT development priorities of the CIS region.
I am confident that the matchmaking roundtables will result in impactful projects in this region that will make a difference in peoples’ lives. Therefore, I encourage all partners to convert their pledges into commitments, that we can follow-up on after this RDF.
I am pleased that we have already made significant strides in this region.
For instance, in the realm of digital infrastructure, we trained over 1000 public sector representatives on 5G in all countries in the region.
In Tajikistan – in addition to fifteen other countries worldwide – ITU launched the Early Warnings for All Initiative to look at last-mile connectivity and to ensure that alerts reach the people at risk in time to take action.
On digital skills and accessibility, we have trained over 120 university students in building and accelerating startup ecosystems in Armenia, Kazakhstan and Russia.
In the area of digital regulation, we helped streamline national statistics and ICT data systems with ITU standards. In Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, we implemented our Connect2Recover initiative assessing digital resilience, analysing ICT data systems, and providing policy recommendations to the authorities.
On cybersecurity, through our Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT) programme, we provided recommendations to strengthen the cyber capacities of Belarus and Azerbaijan, and launched a project in Kyrgyzstan to establish a fully functional CIRT.
Finally, I am proud to say that in September 2023, an organization in Azerbaijan was selected to host one of the seventeen flagship Innovation Acceleration Centres, as part of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development. I launched the Alliance in January 2023 to unlock innovation and entrepreneurship for sustainable digital transformation, recognizing the importance that Member States placed on this topic through one of the four new resolutions they adopted in Kigali, and knowing it offers a unique opportunity to accelerate the achievement of an equitable digital future. Last week the Board of this initiative met for the first time in Geneva and we had exciting forward-looking discussions.
Dear Colleagues,
At this point, I would like to invite you to the Global Symposium for Regulators, to be held in Kampala, Uganda from the 1st until the 4th of July. Later in the fall, BDT will also organize the Global Digital Skills Forum in Bahrain, and the Global Innovation Forum in Oman.
The forthcoming AI for Good Global Summit will be held in Geneva on May 30 and 31 and will see the participation of over 200 robots!
Also in May in Geneva, the World Summit on the Information Society (or WSIS), will celebrate its 20-year anniversary.
Additionally, at the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries in June, we will amplify the need for harnessing the potential of digital in tackling socio-economic challenges. This is of particular relevance for this region, which has seven Landlocked Countries.
Finally, as many of you are aware, in the lead-up to the UN Summit of the Future in September, negotiations are progressing on the Global Digital Compact. The Compact will outline a Common Agenda involving all stakeholders for an open, free and secure digital future for all. We will be present and active.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The CIS region possesses immense potential, with vast markets, strong players, abundant resources, and a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, including active female participation. This week, together, we will chart a course for its future, seeking solutions and forging partnerships that will lead us toward a brighter, digitally enabled tomorrow. I am optimistic about the digital advancement and, most importantly, about the collective efforts of everyone present.
Allow me to once again extend my deepest gratitude to the Government of Kazakhstan for making this Regional Development Forum possible. I believe that this RDF will serve as a catalyst, inspiring unwavering determination within the region. In BDT and ITU, you have a reliable Partner!
Thank you!
