BDT Director Doreen Bogdan-Martin delivered a keynote opening address to the 2021 Internet Governance Forum USA.
She recalled that when the multistakeholder community came together to formulate the WSIS principles, it was with the belief that something special needed to be protected and nurtured through multistakeholder cooperation – 'one Internet, without boundaries, connecting us all'.
As the Internet becomes an increasingly critical part of our lives and economies, and as we face new challenges around security and privacy, online hate speech, and even the potential fragmentation of the Internet, Ms Bogdan-Martin urged the need to continue advancing and advocating for the principles established by the international community in 2005.
She expressed commitment to work with all stakeholders towards the goals of digital inclusion and universal affordably connectivity, as envisioned in the UN Secretary General's Roadmap for Digital Cooperation— ''With our exceptionally diverse membership, ITU embodies the WSIS principles of multistakeholderism, and I can assure you we are not going to step back from that commitment to inclusivity.''
Recognizing the strong support that ITU has received from the IGF-USA and other U.S.-based members of the digital community, Ms Bogdan-Martin stated her hope for continued collaboration towards ''a world where everyone has digital access that is safe, attractive, and affordable, and where everyone is digitally empowered to build a better future for themselves, and their communities.''
Read the Director's full address here.
