World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

  ITU’s vision is an information and digital society , empowered by the interconnected world, where telecommunication/ICTs enable and accelerate social, economic and environmentally sustainable growth and development for everyone . As the specialized UN agency for ICTs , ITU’s mission is to Promote, facilitate and foster affordable and universal access to telecommunication/ICT networks , services and applications and their use for social, economic and environmentally sustainable growth and development. To work towards this vision and mission, ITU has a common strategy and accountability framework, called ‘ Connect 2030 ’. The Connect 2030 Agenda for Global Telecommunication/ICT Development focuses on how technological advances can contribute to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 . With the five goals:  i) Growth,  ii) Inclusiveness,  iii) Sustainability,  iv) Innovation and  v) Partnership. The Connect 203...

  The  AI FOR GOOD PLATFORM , organized by ITU, together with 40 partner UN agencies and coconvened by the government of Switzerland. The goal of AI for Good is to identify practical applications of AI to accelerate progress towards the SDGs and connect AI innovators with public and private-sector decision-makers to help scale up AI solutions globally. The landmark 2017 AIfor Good Global Summit marked the beginning of a global dialogue on The potential of AI to act asa force for good. The action-oriented 2018 and 2019 summits gave rise to numerous AI for Good projects including several ITU "pre-standardization" initiatives investigating the standardization requirements for high-potential AI use cases . The upcoming AI for Good Global Summit 2023 (6-7 July, Geneva) combines 3,000+ participants and online participation from the over 15,000+ members of the AI-powered community platform, the AI for Good Neural Network , making it the world’s most inclusive AI solutions and m...

Data is critical to our Goal of connecting the world . It tells us where we were, where we are, what works and what does not. Data is a key ingredient of empirical research for establishing correlation, determining causality, identifying good practices, and designing effective interventions. ITU leads the global ICTs statistics agenda . It collects, actively uses the Data and Statistics to monitor digital divide , and disseminates vital information and carries out world-class research to Support evidence-based decision making towards universal and meaningful connectivity and sustained digital transformation : e.g., through ITU DataHub , ITU’s annual Facts and figures and ICT price trends , and the Digital Development Dashboard .

  The WORLD TELECOMMUNICATION/ICT POLICY FORUM (WTPF) is a high-level international forum to exchange views on the key policy issues arising from today’s fast changing telecommunication / ICT environment . At the last meeting, held in Dec2021, the Forum approved a set of five non-binding policy guidance documents, known as ‘Opinions’, such as on emerging telecommunication / ICT services and technologies , affordable and security connectivity , Digital literacy and skills , and more, helping shape future technology policy . ITU, together with UNESCO, UNDP and UNCTAD, in collaboration with all WSIS Action Lines (co-) facilitators and partners, is also convening the annual WSIS Forum as a global multistakeholder platform facilitating the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines. With the theme of WSIS Action Lines for ‘ Building Back Better and Accelerating the achievement of the SDGs ’, the WSIS Forum 2023 was held from 13 – 17 March at the ITU HQs in Geneva, followed by virtua...

  While digital technologies are critical tools to respond to the most pressing global challenges of our time and a key for fast-tracking the achievement of the SDGs, responsible innovation and environmental and circular considerations must become integral in the design, deployment and decommissioning of digital technologies . ITU’s unique membership and mandate make it an important player for driving Green digital transformation . This includes it work on green standards and e-waste data and policies , where it guides countries and provides technical assistance to support countries in establishing environmentally sound national e-waste management systems  and regulation. ITU also tracks industry emissions, energy use and climate commitments from the world’s largest technology companies and supports countries in monitoring and tracking ICT sector Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions and energy use (e.g., ITU’s Global E-waste Monitor and the Greening Digital Companies Report...

  CONVENING GLOBAL PLATFORMS FOR CONNECTIVITY : Led by H.E. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Carlos Slim Helù of Mexico, the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development is co-chaired by ITU ’s Secretary-General and UNESCO Director-General and comprises over 50 Commissioners who represent a cross-cutting group of top CEO and industry and policy leaders, with academia and organizations concerned with development. The Commission serves as a foundation for bringing the United Nations Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation to life with its advocacy and thought leadership work and contributing and shaping the Global Digital Compat process (in particular in the pillar of " Connect all people to the internet, including all schools ") and outcomes as the high-level advisory multistakeholder group.

  The UN Inter-Agency Working Group on AI (IAWG-AI), co-led by ITU and UNESCO, is to bring together UN system expertise on AI in supporting system-wide policy coherence and programmatic coordination. It combines the ethical and technological pillars of the UN to provide a solid foundation for current and future AI efforts with a view to ensuring respect for human rights and accelerating progress on the SDGs. The  IAWG-AI , established during the 40th HLCP session in October 2020, focuses on advancing policy and programmatic coherence of AI activities within the UN. It currently has 40 UN agencies and bodies as members, and several workstreams such as capacity development, procurement guidelines, education, justice, industry, foresight, and other areas. UNITED NATIONS HIGH-LEVEL COMMITTEE ON PROGRAMMES (HLCP) INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP ON AI (IAWG-AI) :