Excellencies,
Esteemed Board Members,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon and welcome to the very first meeting of the Digital Innovation Board!
When we met at the World Telecommunication Development Conference in Kigali two years ago, Member States highlighted the importance of innovation through one of the four new resolutions they adopted. Resolution 90 noted the importance of fostering telecommunication/ICT-centric entrepreneurship and digital innovation ecosystems for sustainable digital development to create a thriving environment for entrepreneurship and digital innovation ecosystems to help accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Further, each of the regions adopted innovation as one of their Regional Initiatives.
Recognizing that innovation and entrepreneurship are the backbone of Member States’ economies, and that they offer a unique opportunity to accelerate the achievement of an equitable digital future, I immediately set out to give life to this important mandate. On 25 January 2023, I launched the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development, with the mission to bridge the digital innovation divide and accelerate ecosystem impacts across all sectors for inclusive digital sustainability.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am pleased that we are meeting today as a Board of the Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance. I am honoured and pleased to see all of you here.
I want to pause and congratulate each and every one of you for accepting to serve on this results-oriented Digital Innovation Board of the Alliance.
You were all selected in your individual capacities based on your rich experience and expertise. For your information, I received requests from across the globe. However, as a start I thought that the priority had to be given to those from the public policy area. Then together with the Board we could add others to ensure diversity. Additions could come from industry, academia and civil society, while we also avoid making the Board too big.
Distinguished Board Members,
I encourage you to generously share your experiences and ideas, engage in advocacy, and act as goodwill ambassadors to promote the Alliance’s programs and initiatives in the area of digital innovation and entrepreneurship. This initiative has the potential to transform lives in a tangible way. We intend to engage in a meaningful way with industry, private sector and academia who have all shown keen interest.
As the Board of the Alliance, you will actively shape the overall direction of the Alliance and guide the development of innovative, resilient, and forward-thinking approaches to scale digital transformation and digital innovation.
You will provide strategic expertise and advocacy in support of the Alliance’s mission to build critical local enablers and foster innovation and entrepreneurship in digital development. And, I have no doubt that you will contribute to the global dialogue on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in digital transformation with relevant stakeholders and partners, including UN agencies, governments, and the private sector.
Our aim is to use the Alliance to accelerate innovation capacities and create linkages at the national, regional, and global levels. For instance, one of these linkages can already be created at the Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-24), which will take place in Kampala, Uganda from 1 to 4 July 2024. Under the theme regulation for impact, this edition will discuss, inter alia, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. A side event on that topic will provide young innovators a unique opportunity to showcase their innovative solutions and projects. I hope you will be joining us in Kampala, and I welcome your support in identifying and supporting the participation of young innovators at this important event.
Ladies and gentlemen,
To achieve its goal, the Alliance will work through a Network of Acceleration Centers. One of the strengths of the Network will be to enhance the transfer of knowledge and promote South-South cooperation. Concretely, the Acceleration Centres will provide a platform for policy experimentation, research, open technology innovation, scaling up innovation, driving entrepreneurship for economic growth, and igniting creativity and talent.
I am proud to announce that through a competitive process, we selected 17 organizations to serve as Acceleration Centres. Two weeks ago, these Acceleration Centres had their first inaugural meeting in Dubai, followed by a workshop, where they kicked off their activities, and built a shared understanding of the new institutional and human capacity-building framework to accelerate digital innovation across the globe. At this point, I want to thank the Government of India for hosting the only ITU Global Innovation Centre in New Delhi. That centre will be an integral part and driver of the rest of the centres.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Excellencies,
The Innovation Alliance has the power of strengthening international cooperation and making South-South and North-South cooperation a reality. Through this Board, we have an opportunity of putting innovative thinking into practice. Innovative thinking is key to unlocking new possibilities, enabling individuals and organizations to find creative solutions to complex problems and to drive growth. Adding entrepreneurship, we will empower people to create something that is uniquely their own, from a product or service to a business culture that aligns with their local values.
With this, welcome to Geneva where we are marking the first day of Spring. In Spring, the garden is a feast of blossom. I am sure our Vice Minister from Japan can tell us more about the Cherry blossoms of Sakura. May our Alliance blossom!
