WSIS Forum 2023: Afternoon Sessions

High-Level Policy Session 1 : Bridging Digital Divides
Globally, over 1 billion new Internet users have been added over the last five years. Yet under half the world’s people (3.7 billion) do not use the Internet. Many of them live in least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), and small island developing states (SIDS).

According to the latest ITU data, 87% of people are using the Internet in developed countries, compared with 44% in developing countries. While virtually all urban areas in the world are covered by a mobile-broadband network, worrying gaps in connectivity and Internet access persist in rural areas. Globally, 72% of households in urban areas has access to the Internet at home, almost twice as much as in rural areas (38%).

Connectivity gaps in rural areas are especially serious in LDCs, where 17% of the rural population live in areas with no mobile coverage at all, and 19% of the rural population is covered by only a 2G network.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing digital divides between and within countries related to age, disability, gender, geography and socioeconomic status. With many essential services pushed online, there is a real and present danger that those without broadband Internet access could be left ever further behind.

For many people in the developing world, especially in LDCs, mobile telephony and Internet access remain unaffordable. The cost of broadband Internet access remains above the affordability target set by the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development – namely, 2% of monthly gross national income (GNI) per capita for a number of LDCs.

According to ITU’s latest data, in 84 or nearly half of the analysed set of countries, the cost of the data-only mobile-broadband remains above the 2% target, while fixed broadband access is unaffordable in 111 countries (56%).

This means that children and young people from the poorest households, rural and lower income states are falling even further behind their peers in terms of digital inclusion and are left with fewer opportunities to catch up, facing disproportionate exposure to poverty and unemployment.

Assessing investment requirements to bring about affordable universal connectivity is important to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In some regions, bridging the connectivity gap means mainly upgrading existing coverage and capacity sites. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and East Asia/Pacific, nearly half of the necessary radio access network (RAN) infrastructure investments will be greenfield. [1]https://www.itu.int/en/mediacentre/backgrounders/Pages/digital-inclusion-of-all.aspx

We are also fully aware that the benefits of the information technology revolution are today unevenly distributed between the developed and developing countries and within societies. We are fully committed to turning this digital divide into a digital opportunity for all, particularly for those who risk being left behind and being further marginalized. https://www.itu.int/net/wsis/docs/geneva/official/dop.html

First Phase of the WSIS (10-12 December 2003, Geneva) Geneva Declaration of Principles

ICTs and Gender Mainstreaming

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are tools through which gender equality and women’s empowerment can be advanced and are integral to the creation of societies in which both women and men can substantively contribute and participate.[1]

The WSIS Forum had launched a 50/50 gender balance challenge in the wake of call for realising equal participation at the WSIS Forum. The WSIS Stakeholders are all invited to mainstream a gender equality perspective and use ICTs to accelerate progress towards gender equality.

This year, the WSIS Forum 2023 will feature ICTs and Gender Mainstreaming track, comprises interactive sessions with different topics covering gender and ICTs issues. This effort is also part as an initiative inaddressing the gender gap in ICT that aligns with SDG Goal 5 “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. The cross-cutting commitments on gender equality are further echoed across all WSIS Action Lines.

[1] Women’s Empowerment in the Digital Age: Implementing WSIS Outcomes and Agenda 2030
https://www.itu.int/en/action/gender-equality/Documents/WSIS-Women-Empowerment-
Background.pdf)

High-Level Policy Session 3 : Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs
n this digital age, trust is everything. Cybersecurity is crucial to ensuring universal, trustworthy, and equitable access to connectivity. While the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) enables better management and increased productivity, the use of digital systems also generates risks. In fact, cyberthreats and cyberattacks give rise to ever-growing security challenges for both the public and private sectors in all countries. Enhancing cybersecurity and protecting critical information infrastructures are essential to every nation’s social and economic development. Cybersecurity-related incidents can compromise the availability, integrity and confidentiality of information transiting on networks and disrupt the operations and functioning of critical infrastructure, digital and physical. They can also compromise the security of people and whole countries. [1] [1] https://www.itu.int/en/mediacentre/backgrounders/Pages/role-of-ITU-in-building-confidence-and-trust-inthe-use-of-ICTs.aspx#cyberthreats

“Strengthening the trust framework, including information security and network security, authentication, privacy and consumer protection, is a prerequisite for the development of the Information Society and for building confidence among users of ICTs. A global culture of cyber-security needs to be promoted, developed and implemented in cooperation with all stakeholders and international expert bodies. These efforts should be supported by increased international cooperation. Within this global culture of cyber-security, it is important to enhance security and to ensure the protection of data and privacy, while enhancing access and trade. In addition, it must take into account the level of social and economic development of each country and respect the development-oriented aspects of the Information Society. While recognizing the principles of universal and non-discriminatory access to ICTs for all nations, we support the activities of the United Nations to prevent the potential use of ICTs for purposes that are inconsistent with the objectives of maintaining international stability and security, and may adversely affect the integrity of the infrastructure within States, to the detriment of their security. It is necessary to prevent the use of information resources and technologies for criminal and terrorist purposes, while respecting human rights.”

Geneva Declaration of Principles, https://www.itu.int/net/wsis/docs/geneva/official/dop.html

High-Level Policy Session 5: Bridging Digital Divides
Bridging Digital Divides

Globally, over 1 billion new Internet users have been added over the last five years. Yet under half the world’s people (3.7 billion) do not use the Internet. Many of them live in least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), and small island developing states (SIDS).

According to the latest ITU data, 87% of people are using the Internet in developed countries, compared with 44% in developing countries. While virtually all urban areas in the world are covered by a mobile-broadband network, worrying gaps in connectivity and Internet access persist in rural areas. Globally, 72% of households in urban areas has access to the Internet at home, almost twice as much as in rural areas (38%).

Connectivity gaps in rural areas are especially serious in LDCs, where 17% of the rural population live in areas with no mobile coverage at all, and 19% of the rural population is covered by only a 2G network.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing digital divides between and within countries related to age, disability, gender, geography and socioeconomic status. With many essential services pushed online, there is a real and present danger that those without broadband Internet access could be left ever further behind.

For many people in the developing world, especially in LDCs, mobile telephony and Internet access remain unaffordable. The cost of broadband Internet access remains above the affordability target set by the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development – namely, 2% of monthly gross national income (GNI) per capita for a number of LDCs.

According to ITU’s latest data, in 84 or nearly half of the analysed set of countries, the cost of the data-only mobile-broadband remains above the 2% target, while fixed broadband access is unaffordable in 111 countries (56%).

This means that children and young people from the poorest households, rural and lower income states are falling even further behind their peers in terms of digital inclusion and are left with fewer opportunities to catch up, facing disproportionate exposure to poverty and unemployment.

Assessing investment requirements to bring about affordable universal connectivity is important to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In some regions, bridging the connectivity gap means mainly upgrading existing coverage and capacity sites. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and East Asia/Pacific, nearly half of the necessary radio access network (RAN) infrastructure investments will be greenfield. [1]https://www.itu.int/en/mediacentre/backgrounders/Pages/digital-inclusion-of-all.aspx

We are also fully aware that the benefits of the information technology revolution are today unevenly distributed between the developed and developing countries and within societies. We are fully committed to turning this digital divide into a digital opportunity for all, particularly for those who risk being left behind and being further marginalized. https://www.itu.int/net/wsis/docs/geneva/official/dop.html

First Phase of the WSIS (10-12 December 2003, Geneva) Geneva Declaration of Principles