2nd Web Dialogue on WTDC Reform
Welcoming Remarks by Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Good morning/good afternoon/good evening,
I hope you are all keeping well and staying safe in this very trying period of COVID-19 confinement.
Many of you began the Ramadan celebrations last week so Ramadan Mubarak to you…
I hope, that despite all the challenges, you are managing to find some unexpected positives -
- lunches and dinners w the kids,
- the sound of birds instead of traffic,
or even just the return of springtime for some of us.. here in Geneva.. 30+days of sunshine and today its finally raining.
This is truly a redefining moment for the world, and our place in it. The global crisis is forcing all of us to re-evaluate our priorities, and the way we set about achieving them.
In so many areas right now, the shape of the future remains an unknown. In a conversation with the Saudi minister on Monday he called it the great re-set.
As we endeavour to prepare ourselves for new realities post-COVID-19, I am heartened to see sustained interest in our WTDC reform discussions.
I am pleased to have such a diverse range of voices from different regions, and I thank you for bringing your thoughts to the table.
Since our last web dialogue, the Secretariat, in collaboration with our moderators and firestarters, has been working to consolidate and augment the views that were put forward during that very rich discussion.
Throughout all these conversations, we have been left in no doubt that there is a real desire for positive change.
Not just a change to the format of our conference, but a true and tangible transformation that will leave behind a legacy of heightened impact in the ICT development sphere.
You will recall from the first dialogue that there were four thematic areas that emerged as the focus for change.
These were:
- The preparatory processes
- The content and structure of the conference
- Stakeholder engagement, and
- Side-events.
This discourse began with us asking ourselves some tough questions. Some are yet to be answered.
So let's not shy away from getting to grips with these tough and complex questions, because it is only through frank and focused exchange that we will arrive at an effective way forward.
Let us be guided in our discussions by the overall objectives of WTDC, and envision what we would want to have achieved, when we look back 5 years from now in 2025 or 2030.
COVID-19 has brought home the stark reality that in today's hyper-connected economies, connectivity is not just important; it is absolutely critical….critical for humanity.
Universal, affordable and accessible connectivity would mean that all the world's children could to continue their schooling; that many economic sectors could continue to function; that many vital services could be maintained.
COVID-19 shows us that we need to make every possible effort to accelerate efforts to deliver that meaningful connectivity to all.
Next year's WTDC is the best chance we have had in decades to mobilize the global community around digital transformation, and reshape the connectivity agenda.
It's our great re-set moment….!!
The success of our efforts begins with the exchanges we will have today.
In the course of this dialogue, we need to try to concretize the reform proposals put up for consideration.
So let us use this opportunity to solidify our ideas, for presentation to TDAG for wider consideration.
As always, we, the BDT Secretariat, are here to facilitate your work and provide you with any support or clarifications you may require.
