Ms Roxanne McElvane Webber, chair of TDAG,
TDAG Vice chairs,
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU Secretary General,
Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary General,
Seizo Onoe, Director of TSB,
Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen.
It is my pleasure to welcome you to this final meeting of TDAG, in preparation for the 2025 World Telecommunication Development Conference in Baku.
The goal to connect everyone, everywhere is our bearing and what our membership has tasked us to focus on. Therefore, TDAG guidance is key, as we assess progress towards this goal, to help the world realize the connectivity dream.
PP-22 adopted the ITU Strategic Plan with two goals. Namely: universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation. This is where we draw our inspiration from. As we work towards that, we are concerned that 2.6 billion people are still offline. As we celebrate ITU's 160th Anniversary, we are pleased that our organization has demonstrated resilience as it survived two World Wars, major disasters and epidemics. So, we know that we will continue to overcome challenges.
When I took office two and a half years ago, I did so with a vision to focus on:
1. Bridging the digital divide,
2. Bridging the skills divide, and
3. Accelerating sustainable digital transformation.
With the vision resting on three pillars:
1. Investment in resilient infrastructure,
2. Innovation, and
3. Inclusiveness.
This vision has been a catalyst in the implementation of the Kigali Action Plan, taking into account other UN processes such as, the SDGs, Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations.
Our role in development is to ensure that everyone is included in that digital future. I am very proud of the impact we have made in the course of implementing the Kigali Action Plan, and that impact has been made possible by collaboration with you, our membership and partners, so let me remind you of what we have already achieved together.
The first priority under the Kigali Action Plan focuses on supporting Member States in providing affordable connectivity, especially because digital technologies play such a critical role in disaster risk reduction and management. That's why, under the third pillar, which ITU leads, we are carrying out National Consultation Workshops on Early Warnings for All initiative across the world as well as helping countries develop National Emergency Telecommunication Plans to bolster disaster preparedness. We have also pre-positioned life-saving emergency satellite telecommunications equipment to ensure a shorter response time when disaster strikes.
Of course, affordable connectivity is not just about mitigating natural disasters. It is key to all aspects of development, and all depend on reliable ICT infrastructure. Robust network and digital infrastructure is the backbone of inclusive, sustainable development. That's why we are helping Member States better understand the state of their infrastructure and identifying connectivity gaps through broadband mapping systems. We are grateful to the European Commission for its support for the recently launched Africa Broadband Maps initiative with an investment of 15 million Euros. This fund will benefit Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In the past we have supported Albania, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina in developing technical specifications of Broadband Mapping Systems.
Those countries and others like them across the globe are at the beginning of a journey towards Digital Transformation, the second ITU-D priority. Our goal is to enable Member States to integrate digitalization into their national development agendas and to promote innovation through public-private partnerships, including through the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development which I launched in 2023.
Innovation is the driving force behind digital transformation. Around the world, we are creating environments where bold ideas can flourish, by supporting entrepreneurship, strengthening digital ecosystems and building skills needed. We held the Global Innovation Forum in Valletta, Malta last October to promote knowledge sharing, networking and innovation. This complements the ongoing work of the ITU Acceleration Centres and the planned series of foresight reports as endorsed by the Digital Innovation Board.
On the other hand, digital services and applications are transforming lines in remote and underserved communities through connectivity, training and innovative technologies. An excellent example of digital transformation is the ITU's Smart Villages and Smart Islands initiative. This has proved to be a sustainable way to improve the quality of life, economic opportunity and services in rural communities. We have rolled it out in the Pacific region, as well as Pakistan and Niger.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting Gokina, Pakistan's first Smart Village to see how it has blossomed since its inauguration in early 2023. At this mountain village, I witnessed how a small e-health clinic is providing more than 5,000 online consultations, and an online school providing science courses for the first time. The opportunities of digital are immense. It is a motivation for us to double our efforts and to make it available to all.
To facilitate innovation now and in the future, we need to foster the right policy and regulatory environment, as enshrined in the third priority. Technology is evolving rapidly, and it will not wait for us to catch up. A supportive policy and regulatory environment is essential to enable innovation, promote inclusion and unlock the full potential of digital transformation.
This is the reason we are building the human and institutional capacity of the ITU membership through the ITU Academy. In the past two years, 300 courses were delivered to 50,000 new users. Our 14 Academy Training Centres are delivering high-quality courses in all regions with high levels of satisfaction reported from participants. Then there are the Digital Transformation Centres, which since 2020, have benefitted over 482,000 participants in rural and remote communities. 56 per cent of those participants are female, like the women prisoners at the Rafey Rehabilitation and Correctional Center in Santiago in the Dominican Republic, where the local DTC partner is equipping them with basic digital skills so they can reintegrate into society. Other beneficiaries include persons with disabilities. For example, the centres in Ghana and Senegal teach basic digital skills to people with visual impairments, so that no one is left behind.
Capacity building is the core of ITU's mission to equip people with the digital skills they need to thrive in today's connected world. Another is helping Member States enhance their policy, legal and regulatory frameworks, not least through the three-million-euro, EU-funded project 'Promoting and measuring universal and meaningful connectivity'. Workshops have already been held in the Arab States, Asia and Latin America, with Europe to follow next month.
Also key to this work is the Global Symposium for Regulators. This groundbreaking forum helps Member States keep in step with emerging technologies. The 2023 edition in Egypt saw a record-breaking attendance of over 750 participants and 2024 too had equally wide interest. This year's host is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I invite you all to attend the GSR which will take place from 31 August – 3 September in Riyadh.
Effective regulation depends on accurate and timely information, which is why ITU produces the annual Facts and Figures, a go-to publication tracking global connectivity with estimates of key indicators. It is often said that what gets measured, gets done. Data is critical to our goal of connecting the world. It tells us where we were, where we are, what works and what does not. It helps decision-makers take data-driven decisions. Special editions have released on Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States and Landlocked Developing Countries, underlining our commitment to impact where it's needed.
Indeed, this is why I have created a new section for LDCs, SIDs and LLDCs to help us meet the needs of these countries more effectively, and that brings me to our fourth priority: resource mobilization, partnerships and international cooperation. To boost global cooperation, we are building strong partnerships, mobilizing resources and driving digital progress for all. Let me mention that LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS are some of the countries that benefit most from the ITU's Partner2Connect Digital Coalition. Out of the 73 billion USD worth of pledges made to date, 27 billion USD is targeted at these countries.
I am more confident than ever that matchmaking is key to meeting member states' connectivity needs and to implementing ITU-D priorities, which is why we conducted matchmaking sessions at each of the Regional Development Forums held. These are a shining example of the power of partnership, which is key to our success in resource mobilisation.
Since 2023, we have signed a total of 201 partnerships, enabling us to share expertise and mobilize resources for the implementation of the programmes, activities and initiatives of the Development Sector. The total value of these partnerships amounts to 59.6 million USD. I sincerely thank our partners for these contributions.
Over the last two and half years, we have welcomed 111 new members who joined ITU, as sector members, Associates, including several valuable members from Academia. And crucially, we have also strengthened our cooperation and coordination with our sister UN agencies and the secretariat.
Ladies and gentlemen, all our projects are about bringing the benefits of digital technology to the whole world, but if people are to enjoy those benefits safely, it is essential that telecommunications and ICTs are secure, which is our fifth priority. Since 2023, we have supported Member States in developing national cybersecurity strategies and CIRTs, ensuring that users can be confident about online services.
In addition, ITU's Child Online Protection guidelines continue to gain popularity, and have become a global benchmark for child online safety. These have new been translated into over 26 local languages, with increased training opportunities to both adults and children.
The 5th edition of the Global Cybersecurity Index was released in September 2024, and 160 countries have benefited from CyberDrills across all regions. Just last week, I was in Dubai for the 2025 edition of the Global Cyberdrill, which brought together cybersecurity experts from more than 130 countries to work for secure connectivity. With cyberattacks increasing in scale and sophistication, our response must be ever more unified, informed, agile and creative.
Another key initiative is Her CyberTracks, which is empowering women to be cybersecurity leaders. The pilot edition in 2023 involved a hundred women, while the second edition last year had almost twice that number.
Excellent progress is being made on cybersecurity, and indeed, on all five priorities of the Kigali Action Plan. BDT mechanisms for delivering assistance to countries include the operational plan and projects. From 2023 to date, we have signed 70 projects which are either global, regional or national. Great things are happening! Thank you for the part you have all played in that success.
Esteemed colleagues, it is now just six months until we assemble in Baku for the WTDC-25. I would like to thank our two Study Groups for their hard work in preparation for that event. Between them, the two groups have discussed a record number of over 1200 contributions in the current study cycle alone. All the reports approved by the Study Groups are made available on the ITU website in all UN official languages.
Over the past four months, members gathered in Amman, Budapest, Bangkok, Asunción, Nairobi and Bishkek for Regional Preparatory Meetings in preparation for WTDC-25. I was very much impressed by the work being done in all six regions, both in terms of implementing the previous Regional Initiatives, and also, in terms of shaping priorities for the next four years in line with the SDGs, by proposing new Regional Initiatives to present to WTDC-25. This is a major achievement for which I am very grateful.
The day before WTDC-25, Baku will also host a Youth Celebration Day. This follows the successful Global Youth Summit in March. I was blown away by the energy and enthusiasm of participants there from all over the world. Then, in April, over 2,000 people watched online our celebration of International Girls in ICT Day, jointly hosted by the CIS region in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and the Arab States in Nouakchott, Mauritania. Young women and men are the future of digital and it is right that we both engage with them and celebrate them.
Ladies and gentlemen, I look forward to our discussions this week. After that, our attention will turn to the Inter-Regional Meetings in July and September, the Global Symposium for Regulators at the end of August, and of course WTDC itself in Baku in November. I have visited Baku to see the venue and facilities, which are excellent. And we continue to liaise with our hosts there, so you will be updated over the course of this meeting. For now, let me say I anticipate a productive conference.
Until then, there is much for us to discuss. I thank you all for taking the time to be here. Let's get to work!
Thank you.
