Abdurahman M. AL HASSAN, TSAG Chair,
Vice Chairs of TSAG,
Fellow Elected Officials,
Seizo Onoe, Director of the TSB,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We meet during interesting times. Times where artificial intelligence is at everyone's lips. At the same time, there are still 2.6 billion people that are still off-line.
In the Development Sector, we are focusing on five key thematic topics that include affordable connectivity, enabling environment, digital transformation, resource mobilization and international cooperation, and finally inclusive and secure telecommunications/ICTs for sustainable development.
For us to succeed, we need sound standards – resulting from your splendid work that ensures that devices and networks from different manufacturers can work together seamlessly. This is why we have provided a platform through the ITU Academy to allow the TSB to carry out training and strengthen skills development for countries especially developing countries to be able to apply ITU-T recommendations.
I would like to highlight that bridging the standardization gap between developed and developing continues to be the pinnacle of our joint efforts towards a more sustainable and equitable world. As mandated by the Plenipotentiary Conference in Resolution 123 and relevant WTDC and WTSA resolutions we need to work together “to ensure that we enhance the ability of all countries, in particular the developing countries, to draft, access, implement and influence ITU-T recommendations" to “ensure universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation."
I am pleased that ITU-T and ITU-D are already working closely together. Let me give you some examples of our joint work and the impact we are making together.
- Based on the work of ITU-T, we have been able to save lives by strengthening early warning systems and ensuring harmonized alerting messages reach those at risk. Standards and recommendations, such as the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), for which BDT provides training to our Member States, have been implemented in 133 countries and have reached 82% of the world's population.
- Our joint work on digital transformation of government services is appreciated by membership. One of the BDT initiatives in this regard – GovStack – is a leap forward in this direction.
- In cybersecurity, beyond setting standards you have also shaped robust strategies and policies for global cybersecurity resilience. We are proud of our joint key initiatives which include establishing National CIRTs, conducting regular CyberDrills, and developing National Cybersecurity Strategies and Action Plans.
- Finally, through your work on standards, you have helped to reinforce digital inclusion. By mainstreaming digital accessibility and online safety requirements we have ensured that the benefits of technological advancement are shared broadly across society without any discrimination in a barrier-free digital environment.
We also cooperate in the work of our Study Groups. You will be pleased to note that ITU-D's Study Group 2, Question 4/2 on “conformance and interoperability (C&I) programmes," from the previous study period continues to be discussed today. I invite you to browse the ITU-D Study Group web pages to familiarize yourselves with the progress of these discussions.
Additionally, through the ITU-D Study Groups and their existing mechanisms, such as liaison statements and workshops, we facilitate each other's work. The capacity building workshop on the Future of TV, organised jointly by Study Groups from all three sectors, in Bogotá and Bangalore last year, is a case in point.
I want to wish you great preparations for WTSA-24. As we will hold our World Telecommunication Development Conference in 2025, we look forward to applying good, efficient working methods and organizational aspects drawn from WTSA. We hope to join hands in streamlining resolutions to avoid duplications.
Thank you for your attention.
