CITEL High-Level Forum
Remarks
Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau
16 February 2022
Excelencias, distinguidos delegados,
Señoras y señores,
Es un placer unirme hoy en este importante Foro de alto nivel dedicado a las Américas.
Para comenzar, permítanme reconocer la buena colaboración
que mantienen desde hace tantos años la CITEL y la UIT.
La CITEL es un actor clave de la región, también de la comunidad internacional, gracias a su papel de facilitador para definir las prioridades regionales en el ámbito de las telecomunicaciones y los servicios digitales.
Me siento muy orgullosa de nuestra colaboración, así como del trabajo incansable de la Comisión en presentar propuestas conjuntas de la region en los múltiples grupos de trabajo de la UIT.
Gracias por vuestro compromiso y vuestro espíritu de trabajo en equipo en buscar soluciones que beneficien a TODOS los miembros y regiones de la UIT, en particular en el ámbito de trabajo del Sector de Desarrollo.
The Americas comprise a highly diverse region facing its own unique challenges when it comes to getting its population connected at the regional and national level.
The good news is that the latest ITU analysis confirms that the Americas is wholeheartedly embracing the transformational power of digital, and has been working effectively to extend access and promote digital inclusion.
The region continues to make progress in adapting and upgrading national regulatory frameworks to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose in a fast-evolving digital landscape with several regulatory agencies already categorized by ITU as 'advanced' in terms of regulatory best-practice.
New ITU data, released at the end of last year, indicate that some 81% of the region is now online.
Even more encouragingly, we are seeing strong uptake among young people, right across the entire region.
And the Americas can also be proud of its achievement of gender parity in terms of access.
These are impressive achievements that we can be proud of.
However, the pandemic has demonstrated how vital connectivity is to social and economic resilience.
We now need to continue working as fast as we can to ensure that this connectivity is put within reach of all.
That means ensuring those still without an internet connection get help to get online.
On our side, one example is our new project with CAF, to identify and promote community network models where viable connectivity solutions are still lacking.
Connecting the unconnected also means ensuring access is supported by the digital skills that enable people to leverage the power of that connectivity.
Our Digital Transformation Centres in partnership with Cisco is a great example where we have trained over the past 2 years more than 100,000 people in marginalized communities in basic digital literacy.
Our work through the EQUALS partnership to bridge the digital gender divide and ITU's Americas Girls Can Code initiative are two more examples – and we are excited to be expanding our coding work with additional support from our partners.
We continue to support the region in building resilient and secure infrastructure, and better disaster preparedness.
This includes the development of national emergency telecommunication plans in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Dominica and Saint Lucia.
And we also supporting disaster response, such as the case in Haiti, with the recent earthquake where we supported response efforts through the provision of satellite equipment.
Thanks to our Connect2Recover initiative, we are currently carrying out a resiliency assessment to help countries be stronger and more resilient for the future.
We are providing support in cybersecurity with our CyberDrills providing practical training and hands-on exercises, and our updated National Cybersecurity Strategy Guide amongst others.
We commend the priority this region has placed on accessibility and have been fortunate to be able to continue (despite COVID) one of our flagship gatherings, Accessible Americas.
Ladies and gentlemen,
With ITU's World Telecommunication Development Conference – the WTDC- just a little over three months away, I believe the clear commitment to digital development demonstrated by the Americas region can serve as an inspirational model for other parts of the world, showing what political will and strategic partnerships can achieve in a very short time.
Since the Americas hosted the first-ever WTDC, back in 1994, information and communication technologies have assumed a mission-critical role in just about every aspect of our lives.
Over the past two very challenging years, the availability of ICTs has conferred an extraordinary level of resilience on both industries, and individuals – for those lucky enough to enjoy fast, reliable, and affordable connections.
But what about the rest?
2.9 billion people have still never once connected to the internet.
And there are hundreds of millions more whose level of connectivity is insufficient to play any significant role in improving their lives, even in my home country the U.S.
That is not just lamentable, it is categorically unacceptable.
Our next WTDC, will be held from 6-16 June. A venue announcement will be made in the coming days with a venue change having been confirmed by the ITU Council and right now being consulted to the wider membership.
This WTDC, offers us the best opportunity we have ever had to change the connectivity landscape.
That's why our WTDC preparations have been extensive, innovative, and comprehensive.
Regional views and inputs have been sought through a wide range of consultations and discussions, ranging from: our Road to Addis roundtables, our TDAG meetings and working groups, our Inter-Regional Meetings (the third and final in March), Regional Preparatory Meetings.
For the Americas, the preparatory process has resulted in a clear set of priorities defined by you that encompass:
- Accelerated deployment of modern, resilient, secure, and sustainable digital infrastructure
- A strong focus on digital literacy, skills and inclusion programmes, especially for vulnerable populations
- Support for digital transformation and innovation ecosystems, and
- Ongoing development of enabling policy and regulatory environments.
These priorities complement CITEL's own strategic direction, with its emphasis on affordability, inclusivity, up-skilling and increased collaboration across the region.
It is vitally important to all of us that our next WTDC delivers – concretely, sustainably, and measurably – on these core priorities.
With the SDGs veering dangerously off-track, we urgently need fresh approaches to old problems.
This next conference can't just be 'business as usual'.
That's why our WTDC will incorporate a number of new elements designed to better harness the power of partnership, stimulate creative problem-solving, and bring new stakeholders to the table.
One of these new elements will be our Generation Connect Youth Summit, which will be held from 2-4 June, just ahead of the main conference.
We want youth from around the world to participate (physically and virtually) as valued partners alongside the leaders of today's digital transformation.
Generation Connect is already achieving impressive traction in the Americas region, with our regional youth group– developing and sharing innovative ideas.
A special thanks to Canada for being the first summit supporter and I encourage our other Member States to follow suit and support their own young people to take part.
Another new element is our new Network of Women for WTDC, aiming to empower more women to engage in our development work and to take up leadership roles in the conference process and beyond.
I encourage all women from across the region to get involved. A special thanks to our regional leaders Elisa Leonel from Brazil and Dr Kim Mallalieu of Trinidad & Tobago.
And finally, perhaps the most important new development of all is our Partner2Connect Digital Coalition.
Partner2Connect is a leadership-level platform to engage traditional and new stakeholders alike.
We are working to mobilize new resources and catalyse new partnerships and commitments, with the aim of rapidly advancing access to meaningful connectivity for under-served communities.
Our focus is on four main areas: connecting people everywhere; empowering communities; building digital ecosystems; and incentivizing investments.
Next month we will be opening our P2C platform, built around a rigorous framework of measurability, sustainability, tracking and reporting.
The commitments will be showcased at WTDC, in results-focused discussion and debate during the WTDC through our Partner2Connect segment.
Dear colleagues,
At this next, landmark conference, the eyes of the whole world will be upon us.
The success of ITU's many partnership initiatives demonstrates how ready and how willing different players in the digital space are to cooperate and collaborate.
Our role, through Partner2Connect, will be to help them forge new ways of working together that accelerate the reach – and the reachability – of the networks and services that will transform people's lives.
I look forward to working with all of you, through Partner2Connect, and at our WTDC in June to bring the power and the potential of affordable, meaningful connectivity to every last corner of this vast, and extraordinary, Americas region.
Thank you.
