Page 168 - FerMUN 2020 - Futurecasters Global Young Visionaries Summit, 8th-10th January 2020

Closing Remarks Doreen Bogdan-Martin Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau,
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

FerMUN Futurecasters

Teachers and professors,

Distinguished colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Well, WHAT a stupendous three days!

At Wednesday’s opening – in the beautiful Human Rights & Alliance of Civilizations Room – your
FerMUN SG asked: Do you dare to?

I have certainly seen how you rose to that challenge. Working via eight Committees and two
Youth Assemblies, you’ve been creative – and you’ve been bold – crafting ambitious

resolutions that seek to harness technology to overcome some of our biggest global
challenges.

I’ve been following your discussions with great interest. In your deliberations you have shown
an impressive level of sensitivity to: cultural and linguistic issues, as well as great insight as to

how technology might be employed to address these issues.

I loved the UNHCR Committee’s discussion around multilingual online learning interfaces that
could ensure refugee children get the chance to continue their education while in transit
camps.

The UNESCO Committee was on a similar wavelength, advocating for ethical frameworks to

govern the way AI platforms could be deployed in learning – to promote education for all.

In our ITU Committees you argued for international codes of conduct for digital financial
services, to ensure we empower more people through mobile money while protecting
vulnerable individuals from unscrupulous conduct. You also took on the very thorny issues

around online privacy.

The exciting, untapped potential of ICTs to help redress and mitigate the global climate
emergency focused the minds of the UN Environment Committee.

The threat of cyberwarfare and the need for international frameworks for de-escalating cyber
conflict topped the agenda in the Security Council.

The ILO Committee considered the future of work in the digital era, and the need to help

developing countries nurture digital skills and boost digital investment, while helping
communities adapt to potential income loss linked to automation.

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