By Foster Obi
The 15th annual World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum concluded today following 11 weeks of virtual events that saw attendees from UN agencies, private sector, governments, academia and civil society joining together online to review their progress on using information and communication technology (ICT) to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
A press statement by the UN agency quotes Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as saying, “This year marked our 15-year milestone and we celebrated the remarkable way digital technologies have transformed people’s lives for the better around the globe.
“The WSIS Forum was a pioneering summit when it was first launched. We anticipated a time when pupils would enhance their studies online, agriculture would be more productive thanks to satellite imaging, health care would benefit from better patient diagnosis and treatment and climate change could be monitored through remote sensing. Technology advances have exceeded our expectations and we believe the next 15 years will show even more progress in the use of ICTs to achieve sustainable development and improve the lives of the world’s citizens.”
The statement noted thatfFor over a decade and a half, the pioneering WSIS Forum has brought together many different players involved in shaping an Internet beneficial to society and empowering individuals, adding, “This ‘multi-stakeholder model’ became accepted as the main way forward for the information and knowledge societies.”
It also noted that the Forum’s commitment to connect the unconnected has spearheaded many initiatives to enable everyone to benefit from digital technologies, wherever they are, and however they live.
“The many announcements, launches, agreements and commitments at this year’s summit highlighted the progress relating to e-Government, cybersecurity, environmental impact, digital accessibility, COVID-19, education, gender equality and youth and older persons, ethics and wellbeing…,” the statement noted.
WSIS Prizes 2020 Winners & Champions
Over 800 projects from around the world were submitted for the 2020 contest. View the 90 projects that were selected as Champions and the 18 selected as winners for best leveraging the power of ICTs to advance sustainable development.
About the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the specialized United Nations agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), driving innovation in ICTs together with 193 Member States and a membership of over 900 companies, universities, and international and regional organizations. Established over 150 years ago in 1865, ITU is the intergovernmental body responsible for coordinating the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoting international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, improving communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishing the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems. From broadband networks to cutting-edge wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy, oceanographic and satellite-based earth monitoring as well as converging fixed-mobile phone, Internet and broadcasting technologies, ITU is committed to connecting the world. For more information, visit www.itu.int
