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Information and communication technologies heralded by UN chiefs as critical to fast-forward achievement of Sustainable Development Goals

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Information and communication technologies heralded by UN chiefs as critical to fast-forward achievement of Sustainable Development Goals

Information and communication technologies heralded by UN chiefs as critical to fast-forward achievement of Sustainable Development Goals
Photo credit: ITU

Information & communication technologies (ICTs) now form the backbone of today’s economies – providing individuals with access to such vitally important resources as employment opportunities, online banking and healthcare. As such, United Nations leaders have turned to ICTs to fast-forward efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In the new publication, Fast-forward progress: Leveraging tech to achieve the Global Goals, more than 20 UN heads share their perspectives on how and why “ICTs for SDGs” is critical.

The launch of the publication coincides with the meeting of the United Nations’ High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), taking place in New York City, 10-19 July 2017 – which is the voluntary review process of the 2030 Agenda, including the SDGs.

With the theme “Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world,” the 2017 HLPF is reviewing progress on six of the SDGs, including SDG9, which seeks to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. While ICTs link most closely to this SDG, as the new publication highlights, ICTs are playing a critical role in achievement of all 17 SDGs.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says in his inspiring foreword to the publication: “The impact and implications of the digital revolution are becoming more evident with each passing hour. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the great potential of global connectivity to spur human progress. This report presents evidence of how UN agencies are adopting – and adapting – ICTs to maximize their impact and help communities and people in need. We see concerted efforts to extend telecommunication networks and ICTs into remote areas; train and equip workers with new digital skills; and ensure that schools, hospitals, clinics and whole cities are smarter, more energy efficient and safer.”

There are five key take-aways from the publication:

  • Leave no one offline – Half of the world’s population, 3.9 billion people, are still offline and cut-off from the vast resources available on the Internet. 

    A central promise of the 2030 Agenda is to leave no one behind. At ITU, we are committed to leave no one offline. It is our responsibility to bring the power of ICTs to all nations, peoples and communities.

    Gender equality is a perfect example of where we need to focus our efforts. Men continue to outnumber women in terms of access to mobile phones and Internet usage in all regions of the world.

  • ICTs are an accelerator for innovation and change – A number of contributors to this report cite the impact of big data, sensor networks, autonomous robots, machine learning and artificial intelligence. The technological revolution is now rapidly extending beyond people to objects. It’s changing how we communicate, and it’s an accelerator for innovation and change.

    Farmers use satellite imagery to monitor land use, water scarcity and shifting climate patterns. ICTs improve capabilities to gather, analyse, manage and exchange information in all areas of health, from research on molecular genetics to large-scale humanitarian interventions. All these changes have one thing in common: big data. Its potential for the public good is enormous.

  • Put people first – The need to put people first, be it children, workers or refugees, is a main concern for many of the humanitarian leaders featured in this report.

    Sometimes it’s hard to fully comprehend the scope of a human crisis unfolding before our very eyes. War, violence and persecution continue to uproot millions of men, women and children around the world each year. On average, 20 people were driven from their homes every minute last year, or one every three seconds – less than the time it takes to read this sentence.

    For many refugees Internet and mobile connectivity have a similar level of importance as basic needs such as water, food and energy. Why? Because digital connectivity can mean finding a job and having an income or reuniting with loved ones.

  • There is no room for complacency – Tech innovation is transforming nearly every aspect of how we live. Cyber-physical systems now enable customized products and industrial production in real-time across great distances. E-commerce has reduced trade costs, expanded market access, increased consumer benefits – and offers new opportunities for employment, training and skill improvement.

    Contributors to this report, though, cite the importance of being vigilant – and never complacent – in identifying ways to leverage ICTs. While connectivity and access to ICTs are critical, complementary actions to increase confidence and trust are necessary for people to access greater opportunities and reap tangible benefits. ICTs can reduce learning gaps in unprecedented ways, especially for low-income countries but if access to ICT-enabled services is limited to privileged groups, gaps could increase and hold back the disadvantaged from access to well-paid jobs.

  • Create new innovative partnerships – One of the main lessons of this report is that strong partnerships are crucial to realize the SDGs. The international community has a responsibility to promote more effective collaboration, to avoid widening the divides between those positioned to reap the rewards of technological change and those that risk being left behind.

    The private sector also has a critical role to play. Now more than ever, we need fresh investment and collaboration models to unlock the power of ICT connectivity and fast-forward progress to achieve the SDGs.

“As the UN’s specialized agency for ICTs, ITU has a crucial and unique role to play in the achievement of SDG9 – and in connecting the world’s 3.9 billion unconnected,” said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. “But, as UN leaders have identified in Fast-forward progress: Leveraging tech to achieve the Global Goals, ICTs must be leveraged to advance achievement of all 17 of the SDGs – and we at ITU look forward to partnering with other UN agencies to facilitate this.”

ITU has developed an online platform that outlines the opportunities for ICTs to be leveraged in support of the SDGs at: itu.int/ict4sdg. Here you can find all of the latest resources and information, and engage in the ICTs for SDGs efforts.

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