ITU works to advance progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. ICTs are enablers for all 17 SDGs, and play an important role on at least ten of them.
To this end we forge strategic partnerships that deliver – showing tangible results that benefit governments, industry and users:
- The joint ITU/UNESCO initiative, the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, publishes annually the State of Broadband report a respected and authoritative analysis that puts broadband firmly on the international policy agenda.
- Recent Commission reports include the Universal Connectivity Manifesto, Special Edition State of Broadband Report and The State of Broadband – People Centred Approaches for Universal Broadband, setting out a roadmap to achieving universal connectivity by 2030.
- The Commission’s Digital Infrastructure Moonshot for Africa proposes a roadmap and action plan to achieve Africa’s digital transformation by 2030.
- We partner with UNICEF on Giga, a global initiative to connect every school to the Internet and every young person to information, opportunity and choice:
- The initiative is active in 19 priority countries, and with focus on Central Asia, Eastern Caribbean and Africa, Asia Pacific and South and Central America.
- The programme has mapped more than 1 million schools in 41 countries, with more mapping under way.
- Giga has connected over 3 000 schools in Kenya, Rwanda, Kazakhstan.
- Raised over USD 22 million from global partners.
- ITU’s Last Mile Connectivity Toolkit will support Giga countries in achieving affordable school connectivity.
- Developed models for finance, including an assessment of sustainable business models.
- Working with UNICEF’s Venture Fund we help identify digital public goods to make digital content, information and skills available to children, teachers, and administrators.
- The first Giga Ministerial Roundtable in Africa (2021) with the Government of Rwanda focused on closing the digital divide in Africa.
- Giga’s work was highlighted in the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation Action Plan and in Our Common Agenda Report.
- ITU is a key player in the UN Secretary-General’s activities on digital cooperation, participating in the Secretary General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation and contributing thinking on topics such as global connectivity, digital public goods, digital inclusion, artificial intelligence, digital trust and security.
- ITU and UNDP launched an online platform matching outstanding demand to training offers across the organizations.
- ITU provided expertise to G20 leaders on accelerating ICT growth, development and innovation.