BDT Director Doreen Bogdan-Martin participated in the Global Digital Development Forum 2021 organised by USAID, Chemonics, Save the Children, TechChange, IREX, IntraHealth International, and the Digital Impact Alliance.
In a session focused on “Digital Inclusion for All'', Ms Bogdan-Martin reflected that we have reached an inflection point in our mission to connect the unconnected, and that ''business as usual'' simply won't work.
''Constructive cooperation is the name of the game when it comes to pushing networks out into rural areas where, at first glance, it might not seem profitable to go – because the bottom line is that we all profit from bringing those still unconnected into our global community,'' she said.
While closely considering the notion of inclusivity, Ms Bogdan-Martin underscored that around the world, certain communities – women, persons with disabilities, the elderly, refugees and those with poor literacy –are victims of the most acute forms of digital exclusion.
She urged, ''We need their voices, their participation, and their engagement, if we are truly to harness the potential of digital to achieve our SDGs.''
Noting the strong focus of ITU's upcoming World Telecommunication Development Conference on ''partnerships for development'', Ms Bogdan-Martin invited all stakeholders in the field of digital development to join ITU in ''building back better''' and delivering on the vision of ''digital inclusion for all.''
