New UN targets chart path to universal meaningful connectivity
The Office of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have identified a new set of targets for universal and meaningful digital connectivity to be achieved by 2030. As part of the work of the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation Roundtable Group on Global Connectivity, co-chaired by ITU and UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the 15 aspirational targets focused on universality, technology, and affordability to safeguard the benefits of connectivity for everyone. The roadmap further aims at establishing a connectivity baseline and targets to aid in advancing a safer, more equitable digital world and a brighter and more prosperous future for all. ‘Universal connectivity alone is not enough to achieve the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) and ensure that every person has safe and affordable access to the Internet by 2030. These targets will help countries guide their efforts towards effectively ensuring we meet our goal of universal and meaningful connectivity by the end of the decade,’ said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. A first assessment of how the world currently stands in relation to the targets will be reported in the Global Connectivity Report 2022, set for release in June at ITU’s World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC).
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