Arab Regional WTDC-21 Preparatory Web Dialogue
Web Dialogue
23 June, 14:00 - 16:00 EET/ CET
Doreen Bogdan-Martin,
Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU
Opening remarks
Thank you, Dr Wali, for sharing your opening remarks with us.
Excellencies, distinguished guests, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
·Most of you know that when I took office in January 2019, it was with a pledge to transform the BDT into a fit-for-purpose organization, well-positioned to:
- identify and leverage new opportunities,
- build new alliances,
- more effectively engage with traditional partners,
- and attract and cultivate new partners and ensure that they see real value from their collaboration with us.
On the road to implementing that vision, we are advancing well on implementing a new Results-Based Management system.
This has entailed a series of training sessions, including training of our regional staff. The ITU Regional Office for the Arab States received this training in April.
One step in transitioning to this new Result Based Management framework has involved a focus on our delivery and how we can make it more efficient the regrouping of our work around a new thematic cluster approach. I would like to explain briefly what this means. We have 11 programmes, 30 initiatives, 14 study group questions and lots of resolutions.. all of that work is interlinked.
We currently have 10 clusters in place, spanning themes corresponding to the objectives of the Buenos Aires Action Plan. (explain)
In each of these clusters, and in line with the Results-Based Management frameworks outlined in the training, theories of change have been developed aimed at increasing our global impact.
They incorporate outputs and outcomes that include operational plan activities, projects and regional initiatives, all geared to enhancing impact at the regional and global level.
We will further build on this work by developing theories of change for the different regional offices, in line with the anticipated recommendations of the Regional Presence study.
It is important to note that our work around RBM is a continuous reform process that will extend into the coming months and years, as we strive to constantly improve our working methods.
Those of you who followed the 26th session of TDAG earlier this month will also know that we are currently deeply engaged in a comprehensive review of the WTDC, designed to make this global conference a landmark/action oriented event for the global ICT development community, a solutions-based conference that addresses the real challenges in the development of telecommunications/ICTs.
This review process kicked off with a survey and then a series of web dialogues in March and April, where members were encouraged to exchange ideas and views around four topics:
- the WTDC preparatory process;
- the content and structure of the conference;
- stakeholder engagement;
- and WTDC side events.
We pursued these important discussions in our first fully virtual TDAG at the start of this month.
At that meeting, members agreed to form two working groups to dive deeper into two topics: WTDC Preparations, and our WTDC Resolutions and outcome Declaration.
The purpose of today's meeting is to hear from you and consult with colleagues and stakeholders from across the Arab region on these proposed WTDC improvements, and especially on the issue of the preparatory process.
In that regard, I would like to echo something that TDAG members emphasized regarding the vision for a new preparatory process, and that is the importance of adequate regional coordination, consultation and consensus-building on important issues and priority areas before WTDC, including Resolutions and the conference Declaration.
I cannot over-stress the need for inclusive multi-stakeholder, multi-sectoral engagement in our regional coordination processes, including not just BDT Sector members but other important stakeholders from right across the ICT ecosystem and the global development community - stakeholders who could potentially become key contributors and partners for WTDC outputs.
As we informally initiate the preparatory process for the Arab States region through this meeting today, I invite you to consider new mechanisms that could help us broaden our conversation and bring in new voices and collaborators.
In the wake of the COVID crisis and the intense focus it has placed the importance of connectivity, I believe our next WTDC has the potential to be a game changing global development event marked by an unprecedented level of public and private sector commitments aimed at finally bringing the power of digital networks and services to all the world's unconnected communities.
Thank you, and I look forward to your very fruitful discussions.
I am joined today by Adel Darwish, Stephen Bereaux, Antoine Dore and Rachel Alwala.
