Opening Remarks by Malcolm Johnson, ITU Deputy Secretary-General
Side Event of the 6th Annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science Technology and Innovation
ICTs for Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable Societies and Economies (WSIS Action Lines for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals)
3 May 2021 - Virtual Session
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening to all my friends, colleagues and participants wherever you happen to be and let me add my welcome and thanks for joining us.
This session is organized with the United Nations Group on the Information Society (UNGIS) which ITU is currently a Vice-Chair together with UNESCO, UNDP and UNESCAP. This is an opportunity for me to thank UNGIS and the more than 30 UN Agencies participating in it for their dedication to the WSIS Process and their contribution to the objectives of the (WSIS) - the World Summit on the Information Society - which are directed at the achievement of the SDGs.
One of the core objectives of the WSIS held more than 15 years ago was “to build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society, where everyone can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge”.
Unfortunately, we are far from this aspiration with two-thirds of children and young people worldwide still not having an Internet connection at home and so unable to continue their studies due to lockdown, and especially those in rural and remote communities unable to afford connection and benefit from health advice or keep in touch with friends and relatives.
One thing the pandemic has proven is that ICTs have a huge role to play in helping the world rise to the pressing challenge of building back better in the aftermath of COVID-19. The gains that have been made have unfortunately been reversed in many areas.
Our task, at ITU and through UNGIS, is to ensure that ICTs and the WSIS Action Lines can help put us back on track to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The pandemic has shown interconnected and interdependent we are. The WSIS Action Lines serve as a reminder of the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation – the very kind of cooperation that has been on display throughout this year’s WSIS Forum, which has brought together thousands of participants from 170 countries around the world. Now, more than ever, the key words are “collaboration, coordination and cooperation”, bringing our own specific competencies to the table and avoiding duplication of effort!
Before closing, I would like to thank UNCTAD for its chairmanship of UNGIS this past year and wish our next Chair, UNESCO, the best for the new period 2021-2022. I hope together we can continue to strengthen the impact of the WSIS Action Lines on the SDGs, to tackle urgent global challenges such as COVID-19 and to deliver the 2030 Agenda without leaving anyone behind.
Thank you very much.
I look forward to our discussion and our cooperation.