The outgoing Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr.
Ban Ki-moon has said that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has
the capacity to deliver smart solutions
to address climate change, hunger, poverty, women’s empowerment and more, reports ITRealms.
Opening the 11th annual Internet Governance Forum in
Jalisco, Mexico, the Sec-Gen expressed optimism that the Internet and ICT can
play important role in efforts to fulfilling the 2030 agenda.
“Indeed, the Internet and information and communication
technologies (ICTs) can play an important, enabling role in our efforts to
fulfill the great promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,”
stated United Nations Assistant Secretary-General Lenni Montiel in a message
from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the opening ceremony of the Forum.
Noting that ICTs can deliver smart solutions to address climate change, hunger,
poverty, women’s empowerment and more, the Secretary-General’s statement urged
delegates to keep working to ensure universal access to a more open information
society.
Ensuring such equitable access is one of the main challenges
of modern society, said Miguel Ruiz Cabañas, Undersecretary for Multilateral
Affairs and Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, who
added his strong support for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. “We are
truly pleased that this event will foster the enabling of sustainable and
inclusive growth and fight climate change with cross-cutting policies that
contribute to access and use of the Internet.”
Alejandra Lagunes, Coordinator of the National Digital
Strategy of Mexico and Chairperson of the 2016 IGF, said, “Clearly we need to
build on our points of agreement and exchange of ideas so that we can make the
most of all of the potential of the Internet.”
Local authorities and other speakers at the opening ceremony
echoed the call for an open and universally accessible Internet while
emphasizing the importance of net neutrality and more international
coordination on cybersecurity issues. As this year’s IGF is the first since its
10-year renewal by the General Assembly, speakers emphasized the importance of
the IGF multistakeholder platform for public policy dialogue.
Delegates from all stakeholder groups including governments,
international organizations, technology companies, civil society and academia
held workshops and meetings Tuesday to address the Internet’s pressing
challenges and build on the enormous advances the Internet has created.
Specifically, attendees discussed how to bring more women worldwide into the
digital economy, better connect developing countries and the Global South, and
implement human rights standards to the ICT sector, among other topics.
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