ITU urges countries to strengthen strategies for ICT devt

The  International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has called on member countries to strengthen national strategies on ICT development, implement smart policies and effective measures to encourage investments in ICT and digital skills.

The Secretary-General of ITU, Houlin Zhao made this known In a statement as the World celebrates World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, 2021.

Zhao emphasised the need for countries to upgrade services with new technologies ranging from Artificial Intelligence to 5G that is central to the digital economy.

According to Him, the information society has emerged as one of the main lines of defence against COVID-19.

The ITU Secretary-General added that the organisation will use the Day to unite the world in pursuit of digital transformation in every area of business and all parts of life.

“In this decisive year, ITU will use World Telecommunication and Information Society Day to unite the world in pursuit of digital transformation in every area of business and all parts of life.

“It will be an opportunity to strengthen national strategies on ICT development, implement smart policies and effective measures to encourage investments in ICTs and digital skills, and upgrade our services with new technologies ranging from AI to 5G that is central to the digital economy”.

“This moment in history calls for cooperation and partnerships. I am calling on our members and other stakeholders to continue our efforts to harness the power of ICTs to advance the WSIS Action Lines, ITU’s Connect 2030 Agenda, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the theme “Connecting the unconnected to achieve sustainable development” of the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference 2021, so that the accelerating digital transformation we are witnessing leaves no one behind, no one ​​offline”

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is observed every year on May 17 to raise awareness about the possibilities of the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) in bringing societies and economies together by the ways to bridging the digital divide.

The theme for this year is “Accelerating digital transformation in challenging times” focusing on the critical role of information and communication technologies for the continued functioning of societies during the COVID-19 pandemic.