Asia Pacific WSIS Review Meeting

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Good morning, my warmest greetings to all of you !

I am pleased to join you today for this Fourth session of the Asia Pacific Information Superhighway Steering Committee meeting and the WSIS Asia Pacific Review meeting. 

I would like to thank the ESCAP for organising this meeting and for its continuous support in implementing the WSIS Action Lines in the region, so important for the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic ICTs are more important than ever. Never before has so much reliance and appreciation been placed on the technology. In the midst of COVID-19 lockdown, Cyclone Harold hit Vanuatu and other Pacific countries. The satellite capabilities ITU provided have been the only communication channel to mount disaster responses among the communities and ensured the continuation of vital societal functions. ITU has assisted 8 Pacific countries with satellite connectivity and terminals to help connect remote island communities and has assisted, together with UNICEF and UNESCO, to support Thailand in mapping the digital divide and identifying the unconnected communities and schools so that online services, such as e-learning, could reach all, especially important during this pandemic. 

 

ESCAP is an essential partner for ITU and I would like to thank you for our increased collaboration in recent years in a range of areas such as aging, gender, education and entrepreneurships, amongst others. ESCAP is the only regional commission which is mandated to coordinate the WSIS regional review via a commission resolution and so we look forward to our continued collaboration and cooperation to narrow the digital divide and accelerate the achievements of SDGs through this WSIS regional.

Today, the WSIS Process is more relevant than ever as it is now aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. WSIS Action Lines as a key framework for progress on the achievement of SDGs which are so dependent on ICTs for their implementation. 

As you are aware, the WSIS Forum 2020 has gone virtual this year for the first time and this year is special because it marks 15 years since the second phase of the World Summit in 2005. 

The WSIS Forum 2020 was launch on the of 22 June and to date we have welcomed around 8000 participants, with over 1300 participating in the High-Level Policy Sessions, from around 150 countries. We have conducted more than 98 virtual workshops and have had a good balance both geographically and between the different stakeholder types.

Last year we launched the 50-50 Gender participation challenge and due to our collaborative movement we have been able to meet the goal this year. 

Let me thanks all stakeholders who have contributed so far to this remarkable virtual WSIS Forum success. 

The WSIS Forum is now the leading multi-stakeholder event addressing ICT for development worldwide. This unprecedented situation and the resulting virtual programme, has given us an opportunity to further increase participation and make WSIS Forum even more inclusive. We have also hosted very successful regional WSIS Forum workshops conducted in the appropriate UN language for the region at a time convenient for the region.

The WSIS Stocktaking, the international repository of good practices now has more than 13,000 entries. It plays a crucial role in understanding how ICTs are contributing to economic, social, and environmentally sustainable development around the world. The global WSIS Stocktaking 2020 Report, and the six Regional WSIS Stocktaking Reports, will be launched during the final week of the WSIS Forum 2020 in during the last week 7 to 11 September.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic this online platform has been collecting ICT projects and activities that can assist stakeholders meet the challenges it presents to their everyday life and work. 

I look forward to welcoming you to the WSIS Asia Pacific Regional Review later today at 14:00 - 15:30 (Bangkok Time).

In closing, I wish you a very productive meeting. I am sorry we cannot be with you in person as in previous years  but hopefully we will be back to normal next year. In the meantime let us reaffirm our commitment to the alignment of the WSIS process with the SDGs and ensure that people everywhere have access to affordable ICTs and the benefits they bring.