{"id":5512,"date":"2015-05-21T12:46:38","date_gmt":"2015-05-21T12:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/?p=5512"},"modified":"2018-04-22T12:09:49","modified_gmt":"2018-04-22T16:09:49","slug":"in-seoul-ban-spotlights-role-of-young-people-and-technology-in-future-development-agenda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/blog\/2015\/05\/in-seoul-ban-spotlights-role-of-young-people-and-technology-in-future-development-agenda\/","title":{"rendered":"In Seoul, Ban spotlights role of young people and technology in future development agenda"},"content":{"rendered":"

Continuing his official visit to Republic of Korea, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon<\/a> at two forums today highlighted the importance of youth, education and information communication technologies (ICTs) in shaping the future sustainable development agenda.<\/p>\n

\u201cData is the new oil. Data centres are the factories of the 21st century. Data is the lifeblood of decision-making. It provides the raw material for accountability,\u201d Mr. Ban said in his remarks<\/a> at the Seoul Digital Forum.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThe communications revolution touches every aspect of the UN\u2019s work,\u201d the told a conference on \u2018Motivated curiosity- seeking new breakthroughs.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cOur food agency uses mobile phones to help farmers set prices. Our relief operations communicate emergency information over online networks. And our messages go directly to the global public over Twitter and Facebook,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Earlier this morning, Mr. Ban announced that he had been informed the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) had reversed its decision regarding his visit to Kaesong Industrial Complex, which is on the border between DPRK and the Republic of Korea. No explanation was given for this last-minute change.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis decision by Pyongyang is deeply regrettable. However, I, as Secretary-General of the United Nations, will not spare any efforts to encourage the DPRK to work with the international community for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and beyond,\u201d Mr. Ban said.<\/p>\n

Back at the data Forum, the Secretary-General said: \u201cToday, we are reaching out to the world to hear what people want for their future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Globally, six out of every seven people on earth have a mobile phone. There are three billion Internet users \u2013 and that number is increasing fast. In Africa, mobile broad-band penetration jumped from 2 percent in 2010 to 20 percent last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there is still a wide digital divide. Connectivity tends to be better in cities than the countryside. And more men have access to the Internet than women,\u201d the UN chief said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For every 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration in the developing world, gross domestic product (GDP) goes up by almost two percent on average. Advanced technologies are accelerating progress \u2013 but there are also emerging threats. Bullies hide behind screen names and troll innocent victims. Extremist groups are using social networks to spread their hateful ideologies. Entire governments and industries are vulnerable to attacks by hackers, Mr. Ban said.<\/p>\n

Two years ago, some 600 million people were victims of cybercrimes. Experts estimate these crimes will cost the global economy about $400 billion every year.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrust is vital to digital transactions. People deserve to feel safe when they log on to their computers,\u201d he emphasized. \u201cIn the last century, repressive States would check on who was buying typewriters. In today\u2019s world, they shut down the Internet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Ban called for social networks that work for social inclusion and unity \u2013 around a common, global vision for a future of dignity and peace for all people.<\/p>\n

\u201cInspired by this vision, let us harness the power of ICTs to create a new era of sustainable development,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n

Also today, the Secretary-General, in remarks<\/a> at the opening of Academic Impact Forum, that this is a very powerful era for youth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I look at youth, I don\u2019t see peril \u2013 I see potential. I see hope,\u201d Mr. Ban said, calling on young people to raise their voices for peace.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI ask them often why you don\u2019t challenge your leaders, your professors, your congressmen and CEOs. Make this world sustainable. This is the world I will have to leave. Make this situation sustainable. And I am insisting that governments start to listen to the world\u2019s youth \u2013 including giving them a place at the negotiating table,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

What the terrorists fear most is not a weapon \u2013 what they fear most is girls and young people with textbooks.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey tried to kill Malala and her friends \u2013 just because they were girls who wanted to go to school\u2026 Violent extremists kidnapped more than 200 girls in Chibok, Nigeria from their school. Scores of students were murdered in Garissa, Kenya and in Peshawar, Pakistan,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

As the world prepares to adopt a bold new vision for sustainable development, Mr. Ban warned against there being too much emphasis on transferring knowledge without wisdom. Young people should challenge injustice. They should speak out for what they know is right.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you navigate down that difficult road and find your own way, you can open up a better future for all people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

via UN News Centre<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Continuing his official visit to Republic of Korea, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at two forums today highlighted the importance of youth, education and information communication technologies (ICTs) in shaping the future sustainable development agenda.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,4,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-infrastructure","category-news","category-secretary-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5512"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5512\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}