Global ICT Capacity Building Symposium (CBS-2018)
18 June 2018, Santo Domingo
Opening Speech
Brahima Sanou
Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau
- H.E. Dr Margarita Cedeño de Fernandez, Vice-President of the Dominican Republic
- Mr Luis Henry Molina, President of Indotel
- Ministers and other high dignitaries here present
It is indeed my great pleasure to welcome you to the 2018 Global ICT Capacity Building Symposium. On behalf of all the participants, the ITU and on my own behalf, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Government and the people of the Dominican Republic for hosting this Symposium and for the warm hospitality extended to all of us.
Excellency Dr Margarita Cedeño, your presence here today, is testimony of the Dominican Republic's commitment to using ICTs for sustainable development. Congratulations for Republica Digital, the new vision for the future of the Dominican Republic.
Congratulations also for your strong commitment and actions to empower girls and women through ICT, particularly in rural areas. The ITU Tech Needs Girls Patron award you received in 2013 was a reaffirmation of your successes and achievements.
I would also like to thank Mr Luis Henry Molina, the President of Indotel, and all the staff of Indotel for the perfect organization this Symposium.
Ladies and Gentlemen
We live in a connected world characterized by the unprecedented transformative power of ICTs.
ICTs impact the way we live, the way we work, the way we play, the way we socialize and learn.
ICTs are deeply transforming our society.
Emerging technologies such as Big Data, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence are definitely creating a strong demand for new types of digital work. They will eliminate some other forms of today's labour in the long run. It is therefore our responsibility to rethink the educational system to cope with the new demand.
It is equally our collective responsibility to transform the workers of today into the work force of tomorrow through institutional and human capacity building. In doing so we will ensure that no one is left behind by technological advances. In doing so, we will put the human being at the center of the technological evolution. We will make technology work for people, and we will put a human face to ICTs.
The challenges we face in capacity and skills development require a collective response by all concerned: governments, private sector, academia and international development agencies and civil society.
ITU is cooperating with many partners in the framework of the ITU Academy, including the ITU network of Centers of Excellence. ITU and ILO are leading the Digital Skills for Decent Jobs for Youth Campaign as part of the Decent Jobs for Youth global initiative.
Distinguished participants,
This Symposium gives us the opportunity to share experiences and learn from each other.
I have no doubt that with this collective wisdom, we will find sustainable solutions to equip people with the digital skills they need today and tomorrow.
H.E. Dr Margarita Cedeño. Thank you very much for honouring this Symposium with your presence.
Muchas gracias.
