Today there was a meeting organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) about the enablement of a trusted, connected world. The ITU is a United Nations committee created to connect the world through information and communication technologies. They develop methods of quality access to ICTs for countries in which they are less available, and distribute satellite orbits and radio networks to ensure all people’s rights to communicate. The agency is committed to ending poverty, aiding people, helping the planet environmentally, foster peace, and create partnerships between countries with their Sustainable Development Goals and the necessity of the promotion of ICTs in maintaining such an agenda.

The meeting was opened by Mr. Johnson, who made an open invitation for an upcoming ITU forum at Geneva on May 2nd-6th. Ms. Ahmad spoke of how the implementation of ICTs in Pakistan was originally 2.3-2.8%. In less than a year, it is now at 15%+, jumping five times in 11 months. She said it is essential to proliferate broadband and taking data from the government, not from nonpublic sources. The other panelists discussed the developing standards, which they regard as important to identify, such as making open source communities, representatives to supervise implementation, and having workshops and disciplines. Because the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development acknowledges that global interconnectedness has great potential to accelerate human progress, the Information and Communication Infrastructure is indispensable, especially for developing countries and countries with economies in transition. As global Internet penetration grew from 6.3% to 43% in the recent 15 years, ITU presented how they want to further increase this number, as this number is leaving 4 billion people from developing countries offline. This session was an opportunity to learn more about how the ITU plays a key role in the WSIS Process outcome.

Meeting: Enabling a Trusted Connected World

Date/Location: Wednesday, December 16th, 2015; 13:15-14:30; Conference Room 7

Speakers: Mr. Jaroslaw Ponder, Strategy and Policy Advisor, and Coordinator for Europe Region, ITU, Moderator; Malcome Johnson, Deputy Secretary General, ITU; H.E. Ms Anusha Rahman Ahmad Khan, Minister of State for Information Technology, Pakistan; H.E. Mr Noomane Fehri, Minister of Communication Technologies and Digital Economy, Tunisia; H.E. Ms Magdalena Gaj, President of the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE), Poland; Ms Anne Sofie Vandevelde, Legal Affairs Advisor, Cabinet of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation, Digital Agenda, Telecom and Postal Services, Belgium; Mr Cyril Ritchie, President, Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations; Mr Giacomo Mazzone, Head of Institutional and Members Relations, European Broadcasting Union

Written By: WIT Representative Jin Yoo   

Edited By: WIT Representative Alex Margolick   

Photo Credit: http://www.taylorchandler.com