Mr. Chairman
Mr. Secretary General of the ITU
Excellencies Ministers,
Ladies and Gentlemen, 

First of all, on behalf of the delegation of Viet Nam, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Government of the United Arab Emirates for the warm welcome and the hospitability extended to all of us.

I wish to share with other Ministers and speakers on the increasingly important role that ITU is playing in fostering the sustainable development of global ICT. With respect to the policies and stragetic plans of ITU in the next 4 years, I would like to highlight some of the essential issues, from the perspectives of Viet Nam, as follows: 

1.     First, on the priorities of ITU:  

  • We appreciate ITU’s effort in supporting Members States in improving policies and regulatory environment, to catch up with the rapid development of new technologies. In response to new challenges, our priorities should be given to:
  • providing more policy directions on emerging trends, particularly on 4IR ecosystem, artificial intelligence, digital transformation and cyber security;
  • promoting collaboration with other interational organizations, such as the ISO, UNESCO… to provide policy guidances in cross sectoral issues on smart cities, digital transformation, data governance…
  • fostering capacity building programs and technical assistance for developing countries, particularly in dispatching experts, consulting on legal and regulatory frameworks.

2.     Second, on the collaboration of ITU members:

ITU is at the heart of the ICT world and in a unique position to promote collaboration among Member States, especially developing countries. I wish to take this opportunity to emphasise the need for ITU members to work more closely, particularly in:

  •  sharing information and experience in bridging the digital divide, promoting digital inclusion and digital literacy;
  •  cooperating in cross-border or regional issues, such as cyber security and cyber wellness; e-commerce; e-certification and recognition of ICT skills;
  • promoting public – private partnership, joint effort in establishing enabling environment for R&D, ICT innovation and digital businesses. 

3.     Third, support and cooperation between Viet Nam and ITU:

Viet Nam is committed to actively participating in ITU programs and work closely with other members to promote ICT development and jointly address common ICT issues.

In supporting the work of ITU, we have nominated a senior official, Mr. Doan Quang Hoan, to be member of the RRB. At this PP, we hope that Mr. Doan Quang Hoan will continue to have your support, with your vote, to be re-elected to RRB for the second term.

Thank you and I wish our PP a great success.