Global Gateway Forum
Session on Digital Infrastructure
Opening Remarks
ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin
26 October 2023
His Excellency, President Khachaturyan,
Her Excellency, Prime Minister Brnabic,
Her Excellency, Prime Minister Kallas,
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
It's an honor to join this session, and to be part of this first Global Gateway Forum.
I'm grateful to President von der Leyen and Commissioner Urpilainen for bringing the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) into this conversation, and for recognizing digital as a key driver of sustainable development for people and the planet.
That's what brings us together today. But what is digital infrastructure to you? What's the first thing that comes to mind? Is it a cell tower? A submarine cable? A satellite?
Maybe it's a data centre − a cloud server − or even a digital payment platform.
For me, it's the 2.6 billion unconnected people around the world who are digitally excluded, and the many, many others who struggle to stay online because it's too expensive, not safe enough, or because they don't have even the basic digital skills.
The first point I want to make is that digital infrastructure will be valuable to the digital have-nots, only if we combine it with affordability, safety, literacy — and everything else that makes connectivity meaningful.
For this, we need to approach this challenge holistically and equitably.
We are already building the networks of the future — fast, performant, interoperable. They are the driving force behind the technological revolution we're seeing in AI and other areas. But how can it be equitable when one third of humanity is not even part of the broader digital revolution in the first place?
Second, while we're working to make digital infrastructure secure, affordable and sustainable, we also need to ensure that investors — both public and private — have a stable and predictable environment that allows them to innovate.
Let me share an example.
Next month, ITU Member States will gather in Dubai for our World Radiocommunication Conference, where they will address a series of critical issues — from allocating additional spectrum for 5G — to the expansion of satellite broadband.
The outcomes will offer the stable and predictable environment regulators need, while accommodating the new and innovative technologies users want.
It will also help secure trillions of dollars in long-term investment that governments and the private sector make every day in the network infrastructure that supports our economies and societies.
Which brings me to my final point: We are all in this together.
As President von der Leyen said yesterday: “We are here to move forward together."
ITU is collaborating with the Commission on a number of forward-looking initiatives.
From the Global Gateway project that we launched in April to promote and measure universal and meaningful digital connectivity.
To the Joint SDG Fund's new Window on Digital Transformation led by ITU and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
To our work on Digital Public Infrastructure with UNDP to empower countries with DPI solutions that are safe, accessible, affordable, green, and fully funded.
To the ITU-UNICEF Giga initiative, bringing school connectivity to that last mile.
Excellencies, partners and colleagues,
The time for bold and audacious action has arrived.
This was the resounding message delivered by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed at this forum.
The Global Gateway is all about bold and audacious action for sustainable development, at a time when developing countries face a staggering $4 trillion gap in sustainable development investments.
This forum — and this conversation — is our opportunity to refocus efforts on investments in smart and sustainable digital infrastructure that can drive positive lasting change for our planet and for people and communities everywhere.
Thank you.
