Secretary-General's Corner: Speeches

It's my honor to welcome you to the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference.  

It's my first as ITU Secretary-General.

This is a special moment after four intensive years of preparation, including in the face of a global pandemic. 

We have gone through a lot together.

We've addressed challenges head-on — and we have emerged stronger.

And the times are once again calling for unity.

Unity in a world in turmoil, including in the crisis happening in Gaza and Israel.

Where we have seen a staggering and unacceptable number of civilian casualties.

It's a moment to remember what brings us together as one human family.

What we cherish most — starting with our children — especially today, on World Children's Day.

It's a moment to reaffirm the importance of telecommunications for the preservation of peace enshrined in the ITU Constitution.

But most of all, it's a moment to pause.

And it's a moment for us to honor those that have been lost.

I would like you to join me in a moment of silence for all the innocent civilian victims in the crisis in Gaza and Israel, and around the world — wherever peace is threatened.

Please rise.

(Moment of silence)

I thank you.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

This is a moment where we have an opportunity to show that we stand together. 

That we're here to build a better future together. 

And to do this, we have to harness the potential of radio technology and radio services — from terrestrial to space-based communications — to the fullest.

This potential is enormous. 

Game-changing digital solutions rely on these radiocommunication services and can accelerate progress in climate action, in education, in hunger, in poverty — and 70% of all the UN Sustainable Development Goal targets.

This is within grasp.  

A better future is possible. 

And that's why I've seen so much hope placed in digital since I took office at the beginning of this year.

It's the hope that we're witnessing among new space-faring nations, when 40% of the SDGs rely on Earth observation and global navigation satellite systems. 

It's the 5G roll-out, when it's estimated that this technology will add almost 1 trillion US dollars to the global economy by 2030.

It's the amateur radio operators who were able to send damage reports in the epicenter of an earthquake when all other communication channels were down.

It's the girls that I met in Victoria Falls when we celebrated Girls in ICT Day earlier this year, whose dreams depend on a STEM education.  

It's the refugee camp that I visited recently, where there was no signal but there was so much hope for digital.   

It's the environmental scientists and meteorologists who are using Earth observation data for climate monitoring and weather prediction in an effort to better understand our planet.

These people come from different countries — from all walks of life. 

But they have one thing in common: the significant role played by radio-frequency spectrum and associated satellite orbits in their lives — often without them ever realizing it.

I think we need to keep three things in mind during this Conference.

First, these finite natural resources are the building blocks of advanced global communications. They are the heart, they are the core of our digital society.  

And they are increasingly in demand.

As the global digital economy continues to expand, every single radio service is competing for spectrum to support new and existing applications, skyrocketing user numbers, and exploding network traffic.

Second: sharing.

Sharing those resources equitably for all humanity requires international coordination and stewardship. 

That's what brings us here today.  

And it's where the Radio Regulations come into play.

These Regulations offer stable and predictable environments for regulators, while accommodating new and innovative technologies that users want. 

And that brings me to my third point: consensus.

Consensus is more important than ever before.

And you demonstrated that last week when we concluded the Radiocommunication Assembly.

Of course, balancing the needs of over 190 Member States is no mean feat.

But you did it.

You did it last week, and I think we will do it again at the WRC.

The entire WRC process is a testament to the power of collaboration in setting high goals and being able to follow through on them.

Delegates, we've talked about the “HOW." 

How to have a robust and reliable global communications system. 

How to prevent harmful interference. 

How to address the challenges of the digital world — no matter how quickly it evolves or how complex it might get.

But the “WHY" is equally important. 

It relates to our two strategic goals: universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation.

Universal connectivity because today, one-third of humanity is still offline.

If we want to build a better digital future, we can't do it without them.

And sustainable digital transformation because we need to lead by example.

We must lead by example.

And that's why I was so excited last week at the Radiocommunication Assembly when we adopted a new resolution on space sustainability.  

I think it was a real milestone in answering the call of the Bucharest Plenipotentiary Conference.

That's why I was also glad to see energy efficiency and environmental sustainability part of the specifications for IMT-2030 (6G). 

It's also why ITU will have a strong presence at COP28 when we roll out our Green Digital Action track.

Before I conclude, I want to thank our incredible host, the United Arab Emirates, for welcoming us once again in Dubai: one of the world's leading innovation and technology hubs.

WRC-23, as His Excellency has just mentioned, is the sixth ITU major conference in Dubai. 

And I've actually been to all of them.

I was even here for the first one and organized it, which was the Global Symposium for Regulators back in 2007.

Some of you will also remember that it's the second time the United Arab Emirates is actually chairing a World Radiocommunication Conference; the UAE chaired the WRC in 2012.

The UAE is one of a handful of countries to have a space program. 

It's the first country to actually have an AI Minister. 

And it's all part of the “We the UAE 2031".

This year, with COP28, the UAE is hosting not one but two major UN conferences at the same time. 

It's a testament of UAE's role on the world stage, as we're about to celebrate your National Day on the 2^nd of December.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are at an inflection point in tech history. 

All around us, technologies are poised to transform the way that we do just about everything. 

Radiocommunications are at the top of the global agenda.

And these are no ordinary times. 

But then, the ITU is no ordinary organization. 

In the lead-up to next year's UN Summit of the Future, we have an important role to play in helping to shape a better digital future. 

And let's not pit digital technology against sustainable development.  

The case is clear: we need both.

Let's choose universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation — the strong mandate that ITU Member States gave us.

But most of all, let's build a digital future that works for everyone — and for our planet.

Equitably-managed spectrum and satellite orbits are among the best tools in our toolbox to make good on this commitment. 

And achieving this will profoundly impact the lives of millions, and it will take us one step closer to connecting the unconnected.

Outside the doors of this very conference center, we can see the Museum of the Future.

The Museum of the Future shows a journey that takes us to 2071.

Reimagining the future, as the museum describes, begins with opening to new possibilities to shape today's world for a better tomorrow.

Ladies and gentlemen,

what we do next — what we do together — will matter for generations to come.

I thank you very much. 

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