This was the third Web Dialogue of the Partner2Connect Digital Development Series. This Web Dialogue on Focus Area 3 consisted of two segments: The first segment was dedicated to the presentation of the white paper: Achieving universal and meaningful digital connectivity, co-produced by ITU and the UN Office of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Technology. The second segment of the session included an exciting “dive in” into the key pillars and issues driving change for Focus Area 3, as well as initial pledges made under the umbrella of the Coalition.
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Panellists
David Kirkpatrick
Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Techonomy Media
Moderator
Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU
Sulyna Abdullah
Chief of the Digital Knowledge Hub Department, ITU
Amparo Arango
Director, Telecommunications Development Fund, Government of the Dominican Republic.
Pledge Maker
Ted Chen
Co-Founder & CEO, Evercomm Singapore. Generation Connect Visionaries Board. Youth Leader Focus Area 3 of the P2C Digital Coalition.
Pledge Maker
Adeleye Odebunmi
CEO, XRUBICON Solutions Ltd
Björn Richter
Head of Digital Transformation Cluster of Global and Sector Programmes, GIZ, Government of Germany. Interim Leader Focus Area 3
Heidi Schroderus-Fox
Acting High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS)
Maria-Francesca Spatolisano
Assistant Secretary General UN DESA and Acting Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology
Rahul Vatts
Chief Regulatory Officer, Bharti Airtel.
(Representing Gopal Vittal)
Gopal Vittal
Managing Director and CEO, Bharti Airtel. Leader Focus Area 3 of the P2C Digital Coalition. Pledge Maker.
(Video Address)
Maikel Wilms
Partner & Director, BCG.
P2C Knowledge Partner
Kate Wilson
CEO, Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL). Leader Focus Area 3 of the P2C Digital Coalition.
Pledge Maker
Session Description
The digital divide continues to be a challenge particularly for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
As a response to this challenge, in close cooperation with the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, and in line with the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, ITU has launched the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition(P2C). This multistakeholder alliance aims to foster meaningful connectivity and digital transformation globally with a focus on but not limited to hardest-to-connect communities, and to offer a platform for all stakeholders to engage and mobilize resources, partnerships, and commitments to achieve universal and meaningful connectivity. The work of the P2C coalition is built around four Focus Areas:
- ACCESS: Connecting people everywhere
- ADOPTION: Empowering communities
- VALUE CREATION: Building digital ecosystems
- ACCELERATE: Incentivizing investments
This was the third session of the P2C Digital Coalition Web Dialogues Series, and it consisted of two segments: The first segment was dedicated to the presentation of the white paper: Achieving universal and meaningful digital connectivity, co-produced by ITU and the UN Office of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Technology.
The second segment of the session concentrated on the Focus Area 3 of the Coalition, VALUE CREATION: Building digital ecosystems. In this portion, we explored ways that could help accelerate the digital transformation of societies through an inclusive whole-of-ecosystem approach, entrepreneurship, innovation, and job creation, guided by collaborative policy and regulation practices supported by data.
The discussion evolved around the three key pillars of this Focus Area: Digital innovation and entrepreneurship, Applications & services, and Digital economy.