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BYND2015 Global Youth Summit sets course for Future We Want
World’s youth lend voice to define sustainable
development agenda
San José, Costa Rica, 9 September 2013 – The
BYND2015 Global Youth Summit kicked off this morning with an intergenerational
dialogue on what the future holds in the post-2015 era. As world leaders begin
to set priorities for sustainable development in the years ahead, young people
from around the world have gathered in San José, Costa Rica, to share their
views on how technology can drive socio-economic development. It is their aim to
influence the priorities of global leaders and decision-makers as they set the
future agenda for sustainable development that will build on the Millennium
Development Goals beyond 2015.
The
BYND2015 Global Youth Summit,
being held in San José, 9-11 September 2013, is an initiative of
ITU,
specialized agency of the
United Nations
for information and communication technologies, and the Government of Costa
Rica.
While some 500 participants have assembled in Costa Rica, over 3500 young people
around the world are involved virtually in the discussions from 47 hubs or
workshops in 27 different countries using a unique crowd-sourcing platform and
other social media channels where they can actively contribute their ideas. Many
of the young people participating from remote hubs are not connected to the
Internet and do not own a computer, demonstrating emphatically that the Summit
is serious about digital inclusion.
BYND2015 will conclude on 11 September with a declaration delivered to the
President of Costa Rica Laura Chinchilla, who will take the collective message
of the world’s youth to the United Nations General Assembly later this month.
Addressing young people at the opening ceremony last evening at the National
Centre for Art and Culture in San José, President Chinchilla said, “Regardless
of language, ethnicity or geography, you come to this meeting to speak in a
common language: The language of hope for a more prosperous, fair and free
world, thanks to the incorporation of ICTs as an instrument of change.”
Stating that the Global Youth Summit will provide fundamental contribution to
the redefinition of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations
beyond 2015, President Chinchilla told the young participants: “Each and all of
you will tell us how definitive is the contribution of the Internet and ICT to
build a more prosperous world, a more just world and a world of greater freedom
and responsibility. You have the initiative, you have the floor. We nurture our
proposals with recommendations. We listen.”
Greeting participants, both onsite and online, at the BYNND2015 Global Youth
Summit, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “Young people, perhaps more than
anyone, understand how ICTs can help make a difference in people’s lives. In
recent years we have seen how youth-driven social media platforms can help
disseminate ideas and generate momentum for change.”
As the first UN Secretary-General to use social media platforms such as Weibo,
Facebook and Twitter, Mr Ban stated, “ICTs will play a central role in our
efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and define and pursue a
post-2015 sustainable development agenda. They give us immense power to
accelerate progress on education, employment, poverty reduction, access to
health care and the empowerment of disabled persons, women and youth.” The UN
Secretary-General’s message was delivered by his special envoy for youth, Ahmad
Alhendawi.
“In a connected world, everyone has a voice,” ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun
Touré said, addressing youth participants at the launch of BYND2015, “so it is
now up to you – the youth delegates here – to take the process forward and to
make your voices heard.” Referring to the catalysing power of digital
technologies in shaping the global development agenda, Touré noted, “The
BYND2015 Summit is a showcase of the power of technology to connect and empower
people and to bring them together around a common cause; to collaborate and
create solutions for their future.”
Dame Patience Jonathan, First Lady of Nigeria, recently appointed Champion of
Child Online Protection by ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré, has founded
many philanthropic and empowerment projects for children and women. As BYND2015
falls within the framework of ITU’s Child Online Protection (COP) initiative,
Dame Patience highlighted the importance of ensuring a safe and secure online
experience for children around the world.
Also present at the ceremony was Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani,
Chairman of Ooredoo. “Young people bring with them the promise of a better
future,” noted Sheikh Abdullah. “The ideas and aspirations of the young
generation will help solve the problems of today, and build the solutions of
tomorrow. We need to look at real-life social problems, and find technology
solutions.” Sheikh Abdullah added: “I often feel that – as companies and as
societies – we need to do a better job of listening to young people, and
understand their wants and needs.”
Ooredoo, Intel and Claro are sponsors of the BYND2015 Global Youth Summit along
with some 40 business entities as supporting partners. Their contribution has
been invaluable in bringing hundreds of young participants to Costa Rica. The
Telecentre.org Foundation, with a network of over 100,000 telecentres worldwide,
has been instrumental in mobilizing the telecentres community to participate
actively in BYND2015. Over 900 unique ideas have so far received around 14,000
votes along with 11,500 comments. Thousands of people are contributing via
social media with a combined reach on Twitter alone of over 15.6 million.
The BYND 2015 Hackathon will look at how the use of apps and ICTs can help
define future post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.
The Global Youth Summit will debate the role that governments, the private
sector and international organizations need to play to support innovation, while
focusing on key areas such as the environment, health care and education as well
as youth employment and citizen participation. The Summit agenda was defined by
the youth themselves, while ITU, the Government of Costa Rica and the many
sponsors and partners have acted as facilitators to set up the BYND2015
platform.
Social media channels:
http://www.itu.int/en/bynd2015/Pages/social-media.aspx
For more information, please see
www.itu.int/en/bynd2015/Pages/newsroom.aspx
or contact:
Sanjay Acharya
Chief, Media Relations and Public Information
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Caterina Elizondo Lucci
Periodista,Oficina de Comunicación
Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología y
Telecomunicaciones
Costa Rica
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+506 8311 8725 |
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