Good morning, good afternoon, good evening wherever you happen to be and thank you for joining us, especially the honourable ministers from Bhutan, UAE and UK, and the expert panellists. Many thanks and welcome!
Well-being and Happiness is a new special track for the WSIS Forum but clearly one which comes at a time which is probably the most challenging ever for people all around the world. The pandemic has resulted in death, illness, isolation, anxiety, uncertainty, unemployment, domestic violence and severe depression. A truly horrific time!
The WSIS Forum has always been at the forefront of conversations that shape the use of the technology for good in the world, and so today’s timely launch of this new special track on ICTs for Well-being and Happiness is to help share experiences and success stories on how we can use the technology to help alleviate the challenges faced by people in this pandemic and promote healthy lives, happiness and well-being for everyone at all ages, now and in the future.
COVID-19 has taken a heavy economic and social toll across the world. But one year into the pandemic, it is undeniable that ICTs have contributed to our well-being and happiness by helping us to stay connected to loved ones, keep abreast of health advice, and continue working and studying – that is, of course, if you are not one of the 3.7 billion people who are still unconnected.
As we look to recovery, our approach to well-being must be holistic and involve all stakeholders, and that is why the WSIS Forum, open to anyone, looks at this issue from all angles: economic, emotional, physical and social. The use of the word ‘holistic’ is important as it is referenced in the UN Resolution on Happiness and Development introduced by Bhutan exactly 10 years ago.
This is why we are delighted to have with us today His Excellency Karma Donnen Wangdi, Minister for Information and Communications in Bhutan, a country that has for many years now used gross national happiness rather than gross domestic product as a marker of success. Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index is an idea for development with substance, and extremely relevant to tackle today’s most pressing challenges.
We are also honoured to have with us Her Excellency, Hessa Bint Essa Bu hu maid, Cabinet Member, Minister of Community Development in the UAE, and Baroness Barran the UK minister for civil society whose responsibilities include loneliness. They will tell us about how ICTs are being used in their country to help tackle the challenges we face.
The UAE has been kind enough to host a number of ITU world conferences over the last few years which allowed ITU delegates to enjoy the wonderful sights and facilities of Dubai. The last conference was the Plenipotentiary Conference in 2018 – a particularly happy one for me!
My own country the UK, is a country that has suffered more than many in this pandemic, but is now in the forefront of rolling out vaccinations to its population, which is giving everyone a ray of hope for the future.
So going my alphabetical order, we will hear first from the minister of Bhutan on why and how Bhutan set down its Gross Happiness Index and what impact that has had, especially in dealing with the challenges of today.