{"id":17229,"date":"2016-05-03T20:37:59","date_gmt":"2016-05-03T20:37:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/?p=17229"},"modified":"2018-04-22T12:00:17","modified_gmt":"2018-04-22T16:00:17","slug":"at-high-level-forum-un-spotlights-power-of-it-in-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/blog\/2016\/05\/at-high-level-forum-un-spotlights-power-of-it-in-development\/","title":{"rendered":"At high-level forum, UN spotlights power of IT in development"},"content":{"rendered":"

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the power to help people around the world bridge the digital divide and accelerate innovation as world leaders continue to work towards implementing the United Nations development agenda, Secretary-General<\/a> Ban Ki-moon underlined today at the opening of a high-level forum of the ICT for development community.<\/p>\n

\u201cInformation and communication technologies are the drivers of the global economy and have revolutionized how we communicate, interact socially and do business,\u201d Mr. Ban stressed in a video message<\/a> to the opening of the annual UN World Summit on the Information Society<\/a> (WSIS) Forum<\/a> in Geneva, which is hosted by the UN International Telecommunications Union (ITU<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cICTs also provide innovative solutions to combat climate change, improve health care and education, and empower women and the vulnerable,\u201d the Secretary-General said.<\/p>\n

Mr. Ban highlighted that the ICTs will be critical to advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development<\/a>, implementing the Paris Agreement<\/a> on climate change, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (<\/a>SDGs<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are better connected than ever, but we still have to close the gap so that everyone can benefit from ICTs. We have to ensure that everyone has freedom of access to information,\u201d the UN chief said.<\/p>\n

He urged participants to continue working to ensure universal access to a more open information society.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet us empower people everywhere with these transformative technologies so that they can help build a better future for all,\u201d Mr. Ban said.<\/p>\n

Along those lines, ITU Secretary-general Houlin Zhao noted in a separate video message<\/a> that putting ICTs at the heart of global development will be critical to meeting the SDGs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe WSIS process is all about helping to bridge the digital divide so that people everywhere can reap the tremendous benefits of connectivity,\u201d Mr. Zhao said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet us strive to empower individuals with transformative technologies that can change their lives, the lives of their families and their communities, so that we can all share in a more prosperous and more equitable future,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The forum \u2013 whose over-arching theme is \u2018WSIS Action Lines: Supporting the implementation of the SDGs\u2019 \u2013 is co-organized by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO<\/a>), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD<\/a>) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP<\/a>), in collaboration with the UN and sister agencies.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s event is being chaired by Daniel A. Sepulveda, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy in the United States State Department\u2019s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.<\/p>\n

The forum, which will conclude on Friday, 6 May, is expected to include 1,800 participants, including more than 85 government ministers and 250 high-level representatives. Sessions will focus on, among other things, cybersecurity, promoting peaceful and inclusive knowledge societies, and implementing best practices and addressing challenges.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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