Doreen Bogdan-Martin underscored ITU’s wide-ranging brief, emphasizing its pivotal function in fostering connectivity throughout the globe.
Based in 1865 as a global telegraph affiliation, as we speak ITU champions two paramount objectives: common connectivity and sustainable digital transformation.
The primary lady within the publish, Secretary-Normal Bogdan-Martin highlighted the stark digital divide impacting girls and marginalized communities. Ladies nonetheless account for a disproportionate share of these offline, outnumbering males by some 20 per cent.
Ladies dropping out
In Least Developed International locations, solely 30 per cent of girls have entry to the web, she added.
“I’ve seen girls who can’t afford a smartphone, girls in nations the place entry-level handsets can exceed 70 per cent of the typical family’s month-to-month earnings,” she stated reflecting on the time spent in workplace, on the eve of the International Women’s Day.
© UNICEF/Srikanth Kolari
Ladies nonetheless account for a disproportionate share of these offline, outnumbering males by some 20 per cent.
Talking about generative synthetic intelligence (AI) – an space the place ITU holds a number one function among the many UN-family companies – the Secretary-Normal careworn there are clear professionals and cons.
Citing AI’s potential to mitigate greenhouse fuel emissions by 10 per cent and advance progress throughout the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, she cautioned in opposition to the risk AI poses, together with cyberattacks and erosion of belief attributable to dis and misinformation.
A number of threats
“Rising applied sciences, like AI, can be utilized to erode belief in our elections, in our establishments, and it may well threaten our jobs, our privateness, and I feel additionally our very future,” she stated including that greater than 2200 cyberattacks occur every day. An ITU examine signifies, that assaults are rising by some 80 per cent 12 months on 12 months.
Amidst the challenges, Ms. Bogdan-Martin exuded optimism, citing latest commitments by the private sector and multilateral institutions totalling$46 billion in the direction of accessible community connectivity, certain to achieve the aim of $100 billion in total investments by 2026.
Furthermore, in sure areas some optimistic tendencies are noticed. A recent ITU report exhibits that Web use on the planet’s 57 small island creating states and territories – or SIDS – has outpaced the world common of 6.7 per cent over the previous decade, rising by 8.4 per cent yearly between 2014 and 2023.
Correct investments, coupled with initiatives and selections made at ITU’s venues such because the AI for Good Global Summit and the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly may help bridge the digital divide, the company chief stated.
