The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) marked its 159th birthday on 17 May with a fast-paced online event celebrating the power of technologies to build a better future for humanity.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) marked its 159th birthday on 17 May with a fast-paced online event celebrating the power of technologies to build a better future for humanity.
This latest World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (#WTISD) highlighted the promise of digital innovation to advance sustainable development for all.
“ITU has been instrumental in shaping technologies that have transformed the world in ways unimaginable when we started 159 years ago,” said ITU Secretary-General.
“The glue between these technologies is innovation.” But she warned about the dangers of the persistent global digital divide, underscoring that innovation and inclusion must go hand in hand.
“Innovation is nothing without inclusion,” he said. “At a time of incredible technological innovation, 2.6 billion people are still offline around the world”.
Fuelling ambitions and building skills
“Young minds fuel digital transformation,” concurred , a member of the new ITU Youth Advisory Board and co-founder of Copianto AI, a conversational artificial intelligence (AI) platform. “Let’s empower them to shape a more connected future,” she added.
Establishing the infrastructure for connectivity is inseparable from building people’s digital skills and readying whole communities for the future.
“Connected schools can benefit not only students, but also the wider community by acting as a hub for digital connectivity, spurring economic development and social inclusion,” explained she Mapping and Product Lead for Giga – the ITU-UNICEF initiative aiming to connect every school in the world to the Internet.
Building resilience
“Building a better world demands vision and ambition – with tech protecting rather than damaging the environment,” ITU Deputy Secretary-General, said “Digital solutions will be key to tackle climate change and safeguard the planet’s and humanity’s future.”
“For us digital innovation in the last 20-plus years has been instrumental in changing multiple faces of industries,” said Minister of Information, Communication and Technology. “Where the planet stands now, we should use every tool at our disposal to ensure the planet survives and that we are able to sustain the development we have put together these past few years.”
ITU began with the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865, setting in motion its long history developing international technical standards, and became the key coordinator for international wireless communications starting in 1906.
“International standards help us share and sustain innovation worldwide,” said, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau. “ITU standards work is powered by collaboration and consensus. Breakthroughs in fields like AI and quantum information tech make this more important than ever.”
Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, added: “Innovation and entrepreneurship are the backbone of economies, and they offer a unique opportunity to accelerate progress towards the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
Innovation to empower people and communities
Ongoing digital innovation will be crucial to overcome pressing socio-economic and environmental challenges.
“Digitalization and enhanced connectivity are key to environmental, social and economic welfare,” added, Chief Strategy and Technology Officer at Nokia. “They can enable inclusive access to education, healthcare and opportunity – and help industries decarbonize and improve efficiency and safety.”