Page 10 - The 4th Global Standards Symposium 2022 - Conclusions

Background Information

– Global Standards Symposia (GSS) provide an ideal platform for high-level standardization policy
debates that explore the evolving dynamics of information and communication technology (ICT),
and associated implications for the expanding technical standardization landscape. Previous global
standards symposia were held in Johannesburg in 2008, Dubai in 2012, and Hammamet in 2016, and
precede ITU's quadrennial World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA).
– The participants of GSS-20 contributed actively to the discussions, exchanged views on what they
perceived to be the key elements to be considered for these frameworks, and also underscored
which of these elements should be assigned priority in terms of ITU’s standardization work during
the next study period (2022–2024). The main discussions during this landmark event covered a
diversity of topics, including smart cities and communities, digital agriculture, digital inclusion, AI for
road safety, autonomous driving, financial inclusion, sustainability, accessibility, and health care, in
the context of technology-centric standardization.
– Welcome remarks were delivered by H.E. Ms Nele Leosk, Ambassador-at-Large for Digital Affairs,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Estonia and Mr Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General, ITU. A series of keynotes
were delivered during GSS-20 by: H.E. Mr Nizar Ben Neji, Minister, Ministry of Communication
Technologies, Tunisia; H.E. Ms Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister, Ministry for Communications and
Digitalisation, Ghana; H.E. Ms Khumbudzo Phophi Silence Ntshavheni, Minister, Ministry of
Communications and Digital Technologies, South Africa (Republic of); H.E. Ms Karoline Edtstadler,
Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution, Austria; H.E. Mr Teodoro Willink, Vice-Minister,
Telecommunications Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications (MICITT), Costa Rica;
Mr Jean Todt, UN Special Envoy for Road Safety; Mr Marcus Shingles, CEO, Exponential Destiny; and
Mr Okan Geray, Strategic Planning Advisor, Digital Dubai.
– The symposium comprised seven sessions dedicated to the theme of “International Standards to
enable the digital transformation and achieve the SDGs” and a U4SSC ceremony with cities.

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