Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR) 2021
Closing Remarks
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director
ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau
25 June 2021
Distinguished colleagues,
We come to the close of a week – and may I say weeks – of rich, regional and global discussions.
Figures from yesterday showed that this week's GSR (core event) was attended by close to 450 participants, with a total of 105 member states and sector members represented, after well-attended regional sessions as well.
And together I think it is fair to say that we achieved a lot. Including the adoption of the Best Practice Guidelines, which give us a needed boost, reset and uplift— a ''Regulatory uplift for financing digital infrastructure, access and use''.
Of course these guidelines are meant to serve as a reference tool for regulators to advance responsive, forward-looking organizations of collaborative regulatory practice.
Collaboration was the word of the week, starting with our Heads of Regulators Executive Roundtable where we spoke about how to make a digital leap.
At our ITU-USTTI training we looked at emerging technologies and how they can accelerate the digital transformation process and strengthen digital resilience.
We then continued with lively exchanges during the Industry Advisory Group for Development Issues and Private Sector Chief Regulatory Officers' meeting (IAGDI-CRO), calling for closer dialogue and cooperation between industry and regulators.
That same message of collaboration and cooperation was carried through to the Regional Regulatory Associations meeting where the focus was on tools and mapping infrastructure and gaps.
The challenges we have seen over these past 15 months have shown us both the urgency and the imperative our mission— our mission to bring affordable, accessible, meaningful, trusted, safe and quality connectivity to all the world's people.
This week we have covered the critical elements to get us there.
- The need to be agile and adapt to changing circumstances, moving from being a regulator of access to being an enabler of digital transformation.
- The need for innovative approaches, not just in regulation but in financing, infrastructure sharing, knowledge sharing, and spectrum management. Co-creation was also a point raised in our Child Online Protection session.
- The need for data— open data, data driven and evidence‑based policy making and regulation, including through crowdsourcing tools. We saw some great examples this week.
- The need to be inclusive, people-centered, listen to the voices of stakeholders (including youth) across the board, and make our decision-making even more transparent.
This GSR was one with many firsts.
Our firsts GSR with a Network of Women where we heard inspiring stories, the call for change and the offer to engage as mentors and mentees to increase women's representation in the ICT ecosystem
Our first GSR Generation Connect event, which featured the voices of young people together with regulators looking at our digital future from different generational perspectives
We also had our Road to Addis event on Leadership this week featured insights on the leadership that we need to shape and connect the world.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We have all the elements we need within our reach, including the transformational leadership qualities that will steer us forward in accomplishing the unimaginable.
Let us channel this through the upcoming World Telecommunication Development Conference, where we will revitalize a connectivity agenda that brings broadband for all.
Connecting 3.7 billion people may seem like a big dream, perhaps an almost impossible dream, but I firmly believe that together in partnership and collaboration, and by using all the tools and practices at our disposal, we can make this dream, this ''digital leap'', a reality for all.
I want to thank Mercy Wanjau, GSR-21 Chair, for her dedication and for her inspiring leadership. Bocar for his good guidance in steering our private sector sessions, Brigit for leading us in the associations meetings, and all of our brilliant moderators and speakers. A special thanks to our friend Sango.
I want to thank our interpreters and captioners for supporting us throughout the week, and finally the ITU team. The technical and logistics teams to the content leaders in RME, well done. After twenty-one editions, the GSR continues to remain a valuable platform.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you again, stay safe and healthy
Thank you.
