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ITU Council reviews progress and charts future course
Future vision embraces ICTs to leverage sustainable development
Geneva, 2 June 2016 – ITU’s governing Council ended its
deliberations today, reviewing progress since it met last in 2015 while charting
future developments.
ITU Council 2016 met from 25 May until 2 June under the chairmanship of
Ms Julie Zoller, Senior Deputy
Coordinator for International Information Communications and Information Policy
at the U.S. State Department.
Over 350 delegates attended Council 2016 representing 47 Member States,
including several Ministers, vice-Ministers and ambassadors.
“I am very pleased with the excellent results of the 2016 session of ITU
Council which takes us forward in our collective and unwavering commitment to
connect the world’s people,” said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. “ICTs have
a transformative role to play in achieving the three pillars of sustainable
development – economic development, social inclusion and environmental
protection.”
On the opening day, ITU Deputy Secretary-General Malcolm Johnson presented
the "ITU
Annual Progress Report for 2015", which focuses on the Strategic Plan and
Activities of the Union during 2015-2016 supported by a comprehensive set of
performance indicators confirming ITU's commitment to being a forward-looking
results-oriented organization.
Looking back over the landmark celebrations of ITU’s 150th anniversary in
2015, the Council Committee on the preparations for the anniversary presented
its report. An interactive, multimedia
150th
Anniversary e-book, which provides a window on the celebrations and ITU’s
achievements, was also launched. Additionally, ITU Council approved the theme 'Big
Data for Big Impact' for World Telecommunication and Information
Society Day 2017.
The Secretariat reported to Council on key events, such as the
World
Radiocommunication Conference 2015 and Radiocommunication Assembly, which
preceded it, as well as ITU Telecom World,
which took place in Budapest in October 2015 and which will be held in Bangkok,
14-17 November 2016.
ITU Council also confirmed the continuing presence of ITU headquarter
premises in Geneva with the decision to replace the current Varembé building by
a new building. “With this decision we can start down the road which will
hopefully deliver ITU a new building by 2023,” said ITU Deputy Secretary-General
Malcolm Johnson.
Looking ahead, the host country agreement was signed with Tunisia for the
upcoming
World
Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-16). Council was also
informed that Argentina had offered Buenos Aires to host the
World
Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) from 9 to 20 October 2017.
The proposed theme for WTDC-17 is 'ICT for the Sustainable Development Goals'
(ICT4SDGs), sending a clear message to the world about ITU's alignment with the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Agenda.
Sustainable Development Agenda and gender equity in focus
On 1 June, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, Dr David Nabarro, addressed ITU Council. He emphasized
that ICTs are cross-cutting tools which are key to achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals and urged the representatives of government attending ITU
Council to make ICTs the centre of their development agenda. “The 2030
Sustainable Development Agenda will not be achieved by 2030 without connectivity
and people being connected,” Dr Nabarro said. “ITU is at the centre of all the
sustainable development goals and we count on you to help ensure that these
goals are fulfilled everywhere.”
Noting that ITU is a global institution that combines regulation, standards
setting and development, Nabarro said ITU can apply its expertise to bridge the
digital divide to give the SDGs the momentum they need and ensure no one is left
behind.
“While ICTs are recognized as an enabling and implementing tool across all
the SDGs, it will be up to us to ensure that ICTs are an integral part of all
our development policies and plans,” Mr Zhao said. “Let us work together to
create the enabling environment to make these aspirational goals a reality,
especially on the critical issue of global telecommunications and broadband
infrastructure, essential for digital inclusion and the creation of a knowledge
society, and crucial if we are to provide a platform for success in the SDGs by
2030.”
Gender equity and mainstreaming was prominent too at the ITU Council. U.S.
Ambassador Pamela Hamamoto and Director General of the UN Offices at Geneva
Michael Møller highlighted the International Geneva Gender Champions initiative.
Mr Møller observed that "ICTs are among the main factors shaping our future and
everyone should have full access to their benefits". Ambassador Hamamoto noted
that "technology is critical to social and economic development, and that's
exactly why it is also critical that women and girls have equal access to ICTs
and to opportunities to develop 21st century skills".
Video of ITU Council 2016 Highlights
For more information, please contact:
Sanjay Acharya
Chief, Media Relations and Public Information, ITU
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