ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DIGITALISATION
Digital: the greatest force redefining development
Acting boldly on universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation can unlock the power of digital to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and they are top priorities for the International Telecommunication Union
What is your vision as secretary- general of the International Telecommunication Union? I was elected secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations agency for digital technologies, on a platform that called for the ITU to be at the forefront of global efforts to meet connectivity needs and expand digital opportunities for people everywhere. Our members gave us a clear mandate to act boldly on universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation. These two strategic goals are at the top of my priorities. They are catalysts for progress and can unlock the power of digital to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
transformation. World-wide, 2.6 billion people are still offline – not to mention all those on the wrong side of the digital divide because 3G is their only way to connect to the internet or they don’t feel safe online, don’t have the skills to use the latest tools or cannot afford them. The second is to strike the right balance between the benefits and risks of digital and emerging technologies, to foster responsible development, deployment and use of these technologies without stifling innovation. The third challenge is to ensure that the radio-frequency spectrum and associated satellite orbit resources are shared equitably and sustainably for all humanity. These finite resources are the building blocks of advanced global communications, on Earth
Interview with Doreen Bogdan-Martin, secretary-general, International Telecommunication Union
What are the major needs and challenges confronting the ITU? In a world where digital is moving at warp speed, I see three major challenges. The first, and perhaps defining one, is to align digital inclusion with the pace of digital
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G7 ITALY: THE APULIA SUMMIT — 2024
globalgovernanceproject.org
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