Spotlight 2 – P2C and Connectivity for Refugees
Popov Room, ITU HQ, Place des Nations 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
In-Person Meeting with a virtual component
Date and Time: Tuesday, 12 December 2023, 15:25 – 15:45 CET
Session description
At mid-2023, the total number of forcibly displaced people is estimated to be 110 million. Among many other missing resources, forcibly displaced people are also 50% less likely than those not displaced to have an internet-enabled phone. For those forced to flee, meaningful connectivity can bring access to life-saving information, online learning, new sources of income, and more. However, unreliable electricity, unaffordable devices and connectivity, low digital literacy and unfavourable policy and regulatory environments hinder all these opportunities.
The Global Refugee Forum pledge, and the Connectivity for Refugees initiative championed by ITU, GSMA, UNHCR and the Government of Luxemburg, aim to mobilize the expertise, resources, and investments needed to ensure that all major refugee hosting areas have available and affordable connectivity by 2030, advancing the digital inclusion of more than 20 million people and their host communities.
In this segment participants will hear from the initiative partners and pledge makers who are already contributing to this cause.
Panellists
Sulyna Abdullah
Chief, Strategic Planning and Membership Department, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Moderator
Peter Batali
Director of the Community Technology Empowerment Network
H.E. Marc Bichler
Ambassador Permanent Representative of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva
Kimberly Brown
Head of Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation, GSMA
Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Kelly T. Clements
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR
Lisa Felton
Head of External Affairs Strategy & Global Policy and Director of Vodafone Foundation
Shahira Selim
International Relations Director, National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Egypt