Switched On and Connected for a Better Future

17.05.2016 - Information and communication technologies (ICTs) entrepreneurs, start-ups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a particularly relevant role in ensuring economic growth in a sustainable and inclusive manner.

They are involved in the development of innovative ICT-enabled solutions with a unique potential to make a long-lasting impact in global, regional and national economies and as an important source of new jobs, especially for youth, in the current knowledge economy.

The ICT sector is amongst the most profitable and successful and has revolutionized the way the world communicates. ICT has played a central role in young people’s rise to prominence on a global scale. It has helped them to mobilize and collaborate, and it has given them a voice where before they had none.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement, “These technologies provide smart solutions to address climate change, hunger, poverty and other global challenges. They are key instruments for providing mobile health care and access to education, empowering women, improving efficiencies in industrial and agricultural production, and safeguarding the environment.”

The purpose of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies. It is a celebration of the role of ICT as a locus for innovation and a driver of progress in achieving international sustainable development goals.

17 May marks the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union - the United Nations specialized agency for ICTs. In a video message, ITU Secretary-General, Houlin Zhao rallied, “Let us put our resources together to harness the catalytic role of ICTs in achieving sustainable development and delivering on economic growth, social inclusion and environmental balance.”

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UNRICs Related Links

· World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 

· Sustainable Development Goals 

Photo: ITU Pictures