BDT Director's Corner: Speeches

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Good afternoon!

• It is a great pleasure to connect with you from ITU Headquarters in Geneva and welcome you all to the Global DTC Workshop.
• I would like to thank Cisco for co-organizing this event.  I would also like to thank the Government of the Republic of the Philippines for hosting us in the city of Cebu and for providing the opportunity to come together.
• I hope that you are enjoying Cebu and the first day of the workshop.
• What you do is important and impactful. The Digital Transformation Center Initiative is entering its fourth year from its launch in September 2019. The initiative reminds us of the importance of accelerating digital skills development and connecting the unconnected, from underserved communities to rural populations, including women, youth, and Persons with Disabilities.
• Strengthening digital skills underpins everything we have as our ambition at BDT. It means potentially life-changing empowerment for individuals at citizen and professional levels. But it is also the root of the digital transformation that we are aiming to achieve for communities and nations.
• ITU statistics show that many countries suffer from a background of inadequate digital skills development in basic areas, from digital literacy to collaboration and online safety.
• Without concrete action, already marginalized groups become further marginalized if they are excluded from the digital world because they lack key digital skills. Therefore, your work is essential in addressing this skills gap.
• I would like to thank you for your great efforts in doing the hard work on the ground.
• I am committed to this Initiative. I am convinced that through the Digital Transformation Initiative we can reach citizens most in need of digital skills and contribute towards closing the digital divide.
• I am very pleased to see that you all came together in Cebu to meet and discuss how we can make the work of the DTC initiative more impactful, and, most importantly, how we in ITU can support you in this effort.
• Please share your ideas and feedback with my colleagues who are there.
• In recovering from the pandemic, our greatest learning has simply been: collaboration is key. The importance of cooperation and multi-stakeholder partnerships to achieve the Initiative's mandate has never been greater or more valued.
• I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Cisco, the founding partner of this Initiative, for their continuous and ongoing support to the DTCs and engagement in mobilizing other industry partners, including telecommunication companies.
• We are continuously reaching out to new partners. I would like to assure you that my door is always open for engagement and discussions.
• I take this opportunity, with great pleasure, to announce that we have just signed an agreement with the STMicroelectronics Foundation, a non-profit organization created to promote projects and activities that help bridge the digital divide. The Foundation has a programme with a similar ambition, which complements very well the DTC programme.
  
   
  Ladies and gentlemen,
• In joining our efforts, we will increase our impact on the ground. I believe you will hear more details about this new partnership, and how you can benefit from it, during the workshop. I must say, we are open to more partnerships and invite others to joint us for a transformative initiative and a transformative future!
  
• In closing, let me wish you a successful workshop and I look forward to continuing this important partnership with all of you.

Thank you!