IGF Parliamentary track

Summary

This discussion at the IGF 2024 parliamentary track focused on navigating the era of digital transformation through global cooperation. Key speakers included Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union, who outlined her vision for an ideal digital future. She emphasized universal access, digital skills, gender equality, and sustainability as crucial elements.

The conversation highlighted both the opportunities and challenges of digital technologies, including economic growth, improved healthcare and education, but also risks like data breaches and digital divides. Bogdan-Martin stressed the need for countries to align policies with the pace of digital transformation, address various gaps (urban-rural, gender, affordability), and invest in digital infrastructure.

The importance of including parliamentarians in digital policy discussions was emphasized, as they play a critical role in enacting legislation and representing constituents’ interests. The discussion also touched on the need to nurture technology skills from an early age and address generational gaps in digital literacy.

Participants raised concerns about brain drain in developing countries, the challenge of balancing government revenue needs with digital growth, and the importance of engaging youth in policymaking. Bogdan-Martin highlighted ITU initiatives like the AI skilling coalition and efforts to connect schools globally.

The discussion concluded by emphasizing the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration to shape a better digital future, leveraging technology for the greater good while addressing challenges like cybersecurity, inclusion, and sustainability.

Keypoints

Major discussion points:

– The vision for an ideal digital future that is inclusive, secure, and sustainable

– Challenges and opportunities in digital transformation, including cybersecurity, skills gaps, and digital divides

– The role of global cooperation and multi-stakeholder collaboration in shaping digital policies

– The importance of investing in digital infrastructure and skills, especially for youth and developing countries

– The need to balance innovation with appropriate regulation and ethical considerations

Overall purpose:

The discussion aimed to explore how countries and stakeholders can work together to advance a digital future that is trusted, sustainable and inclusive, with a focus on the role of parliamentarians and international cooperation.

Tone:

The tone was largely optimistic and forward-looking, emphasizing opportunities while acknowledging challenges. There was a sense of urgency about addressing digital divides and risks. The conversation maintained a constructive, solution-oriented tone throughout, with speakers building on each other’s points collaboratively.

Speakers

– Shivanee Thapa: Senior journalist with Nepal Television, moderator of the session

– Doreen Bogdan-Martin: Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)

– Martin Chungong: Secretary General of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

– Junhua LI: Undersecretary General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

– Mishal F. Al-Sulami: Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Additional speakers:

– Mahabdha Nasser: Member of parliament from Egypt

– Catherine Muma: Senator from Kenya

– Alhaji Mbo: Member of parliament from The Gambia

Digital Transformation Through Global Cooperation: IGF 2024 Parliamentary Track

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2024 parliamentary track hosted a crucial discussion on navigating digital transformation through global cooperation. Moderated by Shivanee Thapa, senior journalist with Nepal Television, the session brought together key figures from international organizations and parliamentarians to explore challenges and opportunities in shaping a trusted, sustainable, and inclusive digital future.

Context and Importance of the Parliamentary Track

The parliamentary track emphasized the critical role of legislators in digital policy discussions. Catherine Muma, a Senator from Kenya, highlighted the need for digital literacy among parliamentarians and the judiciary to ensure laws and regulations align with the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Vision for an Ideal Digital Future

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), outlined her vision for an ideal digital world, emphasizing universal access, digital skills development, gender equality, and sustainability. She articulated a future where “men and women have equal access and fair opportunities in the digital world,” algorithms promote equity rather than bias, and human rights form the bedrock of the digital landscape.

Digital Inclusion and Bridging the Digital Divide

A central theme was addressing digital divides, with Bogdan-Martin noting that 2.6 billion people remain unconnected. The discussion covered:

1. Urban-rural disparities

2. Gender gaps in digital access and skills

3. Affordability challenges

4. The need for relevant, localized content

Speakers agreed on the importance of investing in digital infrastructure to drive economic growth, particularly in developing countries.

Building Digital Skills and Capacity

The discussion highlighted the crucial role of digital skills in enabling effective participation in the digital economy. Bogdan-Martin stressed the importance of developing cybersecurity and AI skills, with a particular focus on empowering women through programs like Women in Cyber and Women in AI. Alhaji Mbo, a Member of Parliament from The Gambia, emphasized the need for digital education across all levels, from early childhood to higher education, particularly given Africa’s young population.

Global Cooperation for Digital Governance

Speakers unanimously agreed on the importance of global cooperation and multi-stakeholder collaboration in shaping digital policies. Junhua LI, Undersecretary General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, emphasized fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration. Martin Chungong, Secretary General of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), stressed the importance of enacting sound legislation for an inclusive digital space and mentioned the Global Digital Compact.

Managing Risks of Digital Technologies

While maintaining an optimistic tone about digital transformation opportunities, speakers addressed associated risks and challenges, including:

1. Addressing cybersecurity threats and ensuring online safety, with Bogdan-Martin noting an 80% year-on-year increase in cyber attacks

2. Ensuring the ethical use of AI and algorithms

3. Upholding human rights in the digital realm

4. Tackling e-waste and promoting sustainability in the tech sector, with emphasis on circular economy principles

Youth Involvement in Digital Transformation

Multiple speakers and audience members stressed the importance of youth involvement in digital transformation. This included discussions on nurturing technology skills from an early age and addressing the challenge of brain drain, particularly the migration of skilled youth from Africa to the Global North.

Challenges Faced by African Countries

The discussion highlighted specific challenges faced by African nations, including:

1. Brain drain of skilled professionals

2. The need for early digital education

3. Balancing government revenue needs with digital growth

ITU Initiatives and Action Items

Bogdan-Martin shared several ITU initiatives aimed at addressing the discussed challenges:

1. Inclusion of parliamentarians in ITU governance discussions, including at the AI for Good event

2. Launch of an AI skilling coalition to build talent pipelines in the Global South

3. Collaboration with UNICEF to connect every school to the internet

4. The Partner to Connect platform for digital development projects

5. Preparations for the 2025 Financing for Development conference in Spain to make the case for digital infrastructure investment

Bogdan-Martin also emphasized the ITU’s history and multi-stakeholder nature, and the need for a whole-of-government approach to digital transformation.

Conclusion

The discussion reaffirmed the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration to shape a better digital future. Key takeaways included the importance of leveraging technology for the greater good, addressing challenges like cybersecurity and inclusion, and the critical role of parliamentarians in enacting effective digital policies. The conversation highlighted the complex interplay between technological advancement, policy-making, and societal needs, underscoring the importance of continued dialogue and cooperation in navigating the digital transformation journey.

Shivanee Thapa: Welcome to this parliamentary track session here at the IGF 2024. I am Shivanee Thapa, a senior journalist with Nepal Television, that’s the state media in Nepal, and feeling very, very privileged to be a part of this very important session here. I think the vibing here at the IGF Riyadh has been incredible, especially as we gather at a very, very transformative juncture in human history, where things are so rapidly changing, and the digital technologies are reshaping every facet of our lives, from the way we work to the way we communicate, and even in the way we address the global challenges. Yet, this transformation is not without complexities. We all are very much aware about this. Now, distinguished guests, this session seeks to pan through the landscape of how the state of affairs are, and how the efforts can be consolidated to navigate an era of digital transformation, basically focusing on global cooperation and collaboration. We’re privileged to hear on this very theme from some of the most authoritative voices in the field of digital cooperation. First and foremost, it’s my honor to introduce to you our esteemed speakers for the very opening part of this session. We are joined in here up in the panel by His Excellency, Junhua LI, the Undersecretary General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, along with His Excellency, Mishal F. Al-Sulami, the Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Without further ado, I… I now welcome His Excellency Junhua LI, the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, to extend his welcome remarks.

Junhua LI: Thank you. Thank you, Moderator, for giving me the floor. Your Excellency, the Deputy Speaker of the Shula Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, distinguished members of the Parliament, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome all of you to the parliamentary track of the IGF 2024 in Riyadh. It’s an increasingly digital world. This first edition of the IGF parliamentary track remains very much focused on bringing the parliamentarians together with the stakeholders to develop the policy and the regulatory frameworks for an open, accessible, inclusive and secure Internet. With the IGF 2024, an overarching theme for this edition is building our multi-stakeholder digital future. And this year’s parliamentary track emphasizes the digital cooperation. Indeed, the need for collaboration across the borders, industries and sectors has never been more important than ever. From cybersecurity and privacy to misinformation and ensuring the ethical use of AI, the digital landscape is a food of pressing issues that affect all of us. It is our responsibility to collaborate in addressing these challenges in ways that are thoughtful, trusty, enabling and inclusive. This will align our ongoing digital transformation journey with the needs and aspirations of the people worldwide, ensuring a more inclusive and sustainable development process. progress. As parliamentarians, you have the power to shape the digital future. By enacting sound legislation, overseeing digital policies, and fostering international cooperation, your actions and initiatives here can build an inclusive digital space that is safer, more secure, and trustworthy. You can also help to shape a digital landscape that fosters the economic growth through innovation, while certainly upholding human rights. Excellencies, distinguished members, while the Global IGF is a unique opportunity for the parliamentarians and other stakeholders from around the world to come together, it is equally important to continue the discussions at the regional and national levels. In responding to the General Court for the Increased Integration of Legislators in Digital Public Policy Discussions, we have since extended our dedicated parliamentary activities to the local IGFs. Many of you present here today also participated in this year’s Central Asian, Latin American, and Caribbean, and African forums. We are eager to hear the parliamentary outcomes and priorities from your representatives. I invite all of you to actively participate meaningfully at the national and regional forums. We invite all of you to participate at the national and regional forums. formed parliamentary chats and parliamentary works. Together, we can create a common digital future where the technology serves as a force for good and a global stability. I thank you very much for coming to Riyadh. And at the end, I really hope that you have a wonderful constructive and forward-looking discussions. Thank you.

Shivanee Thapa: Thank you. Thank you, Your Excellency. May I now invite His Excellency, Mishal F. Al-Sulami, the Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for his welcome remarks.

Mishal F. Al-Sulami: Thank you. Peace be upon you. In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful. Peace be upon His Messenger, his family, and all his companions. I am the Deputy Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations. I am pleased to be here with the Heads of Parliaments and Members of Parliament. First of all, I would like to welcome you all in the name of the Shura Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to participate in the 19th International Internet Governance Summit. Welcome to the winter session, the 24th of July, or online version of this meeting, that will cover the setting that we have received from the meeting which is currently underway for the 19th. Those made in the 19th will be invited to discuss this issue and to discuss the effective management of the digital space at the national and international levels. The importance of this conference is that it provides opportunities and timely support for the difficulties that arise in different countries. It is also aimed at making use of modern technologies for the benefit of our civilizations in the creation of a digital future. Our conference, and the importance of this conference, is that we exchanged experiences, created new legislation on the management of new technologies, and also fought the difficulties, the inter-border difficulties, in order to create a well-managed Internet platform that would be aimed at the social development of various countries, and also at the fight against digital inequality. Your Excellency, the Parliament is a legislative body, and I urge you to participate in the creation of international agreements, and I urge you to participate in the creation of international agreements, and signed 24 agreements that have already been agreed upon. These agreements are international, and more than 100 resolutions have already been adopted for the regulation and governance of the Internet and cybersecurity. In addition to this, the participation of the Shura Council has carried out studies on the systems of laws and regulations in different countries. The international competition annual report for 2024 is based on this. 25 countries are ranked in the 4th, 1st, 2nd, and 1st international centers among the 20 regional countries in the Digital Services Index released by the UN in 2024. The 2nd international center among the 20 regional countries was also held in 2021. The 2nd international center among the 20 regional countries the International Bank of Saudi Arabia in 2022, and advanced to the 3rd place in the world among 198 countries in terms of the maturity of the digital government led by the International Bank of Saudi Arabia in 2022. Your presence reflects the achievements of the commitment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to strengthen the governance of the Internet and develop the digital infrastructure to achieve a sustainable and effective digital transformation from both the international and local levels. You emphasize the importance of welcoming the Kingdom to this important international event, which has provided them with great opportunities in the field of communications and information creation and the digital government, and its leading role in contributing to the development of the United Nations. In conclusion, I would like to thank everyone again in Riyadh. I would like to thank the organizers of this important event and the distinguished guests. I wish you all the best. May the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be with you.

Shivanee Thapa: Thank you, Your Excellency, for gracing us here today and for your very invaluable words. Ladies and gentlemen, our next speaker would be esteemed Mr. Martin Chungong, the Secretary General of Inter-Parliamentary Union. And we have a video message from the Secretary General for which I’d like to, I mean, seek your attention towards the screen here, right next to the podium.

Martin Chungong: Thank you. Thank you very much, Madam Moderator. I hope you can hear me. Let me first of all apologize for not being able to be with you in person today for this very important session. I had other long-standing commitments, but I want to extend greetings to you from Geneva. It gives me great pleasure to be with you here and to add a few words of welcome. I do recognize the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Nishad al-Sulaimi. I thank you and the Parliament of Saudi Arabia for hosting this very crucial meeting. This track, as the Under-Secretary General said earlier on this morning, provides a unique platform for parliamentarians, policymakers, civil society representatives and industry experts to come together and exchange ideas and build consensus on key issues related to internet governance. At a time when geopolitical tensions are high and conflicts abound, global cooperation on digital policy is more crucial than ever. A fragmented digital landscape characterized by divergent regulations and standards could undermine the benefits of the internet and exacerbate existing divisions. By working together, countries can develop common principles and norms that promote a free, open and secure digital future for all. Parliaments as the voice of the people. have a pivotal role in fostering international cooperation and ensuring that the digital age benefits humanity as a whole. In this, we are guided by the Global Digital Compact. This landmark initiative recognizes the need for a comprehensive approach to achieving the important objectives it sets out, including for the international governance of artificial intelligence. IPU member parliament recently took a step in this direction by adopting an important resolution on AI and democracy, which highlights the urgent need for legislative action to ensure that artificial intelligence is developed and used responsibly, ethically, and in a way that upholds human rights and democratic values. The resolution also acknowledges that to effectively navigate the complexities of the digital age, it is essential that parliamentarians themselves possess strong digital competencies by building digital literacy and skills. Parliamentarians and lawmakers in general can better understand the implications of emerging technologies, make informed decisions, and effectively represent the interests of their constituents. The IPU intends to work closely with the Internet Governance Forum, the ITU, who Secretary General, I understand, is in the room today with you, and our other partners across the UN system to help ensure that parliaments have access to the knowledge and skills they need. Ladies and gentlemen, the Global Digital Compact is an important step, but there is still much to be done to transform its recommendations into action at the national and international level. I encourage all parliaments and all parliamentarians to actively engage in these discussions, and I hope that this parliamentary track of the IGF can be a catalyst for renewed cooperation in the realm of Internet governance. I thank you for bearing with me. Thank you.

Shivanee Thapa: Thank you so much, Your Excellency Mr Martin Chung-Hung. Thank you for connecting to us, despite the odds, and thanks to technology that we are still able to have you and have your thoughts amidst this very distinguished audience. Thank you, and thank you to the distinguished speakers for laying this very strong foundation for today’s deliberation. His Excellency the Under-Secretary General had to leave because he has to attend another very important session as well. However, we are really pleased to have the presence of His Excellency the Deputy Speaker and the distinguished members of the audience as we now transit to the co-engagement of we have held under this roof, and that is to convene a fireside conversation, in fact, in a very, very critical topic as to how to navigate an era of digital transformation that we’re living at the moment. This would be a dialogue on global cooperation, as in today’s interconnected world, the digital revolution demands not just innovation, but also collaboration across borders to ensure inclusivity, security, and security. sustainability, three important pillars or elements that the idea of 2024 has been laying a lot of emphasis on. So ladies and gentlemen, it’s my privilege now to invite up to the podium Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Her Excellency Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union, who is a visionary leader at the forefront of global efforts to harness digital technologies for inclusive and sustainable development.

Doreen Bodgan-Martin: Thank you so much for having me. Such a privilege it is for me, Your Excellency, to have this pleasure of having this very, very critical conversation with you. So without further ado, let’s move on with this conversation that we’ve been looking forward to since this morning today. Your Excellency, as the Secretary General of the Specialized United Nations Agency responsible for information and communication technologies, you are certainly at the helm of global efforts to shape a digital future. In an ideal world, how do you envision this future? Well, thank you. Thank you so much, Shivani. And good afternoon, Excellencies, members of Parliament, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a real pleasure for me to be here with you and to be having this fireside chat. It’s always difficult to follow my friend and colleague S.G. Martin, who wishes he was here with us in person, but it’s great to share in part this session with him. So when I think about an ideal digital future. I think back almost 160 years ago. Because 160 years ago, the ITU was created. We’re the oldest organization in the UN system. We’re older than the UPU. And we were created because of the Telegraph. And so at the time of the Telegraph back in 1865, it was needed to have an international organization to be able to send a telegraphic signal from one country to the other. There were standards issues in the future. There were spectrum issues and there were development issues, regulatory issues. And so the ITU has been, I like to say, as you said, at the forefront of technology changes and the technology revolution. We’re also quite unique when it comes to the UN system. And when I think about the multi-stakeholder theme for the IGF, what’s interesting about the ITU is that we’re actually multi-stakeholder. So we have 194 member states, one more than the United Nations. We have more than a thousand private sector members. We have civil society, we have academia. And so that kind of membership makeup makes us multi-stakeholder. And it also enriches our discussions on spectrum standards, development, et cetera. And so when we think about what is an ideal digital world, I think I would say first and foremost would be that everyone has access everywhere at any time. And that’s not the situation that we see today. So access is absolutely critical. I would say the second piece would be the skills. So having access is one thing, but having the digital. skills necessary to be able to leverage that access to feel empowered is a second piece that I believe we have to focus on. I think the third piece, and Martin, I think would certainly agree with this, is that men and women have to have a fair shot when it comes to opportunities, digital opportunities. That’s not the case today. We have this digital gender gap, and Martin has been a champion in his leadership role as the co-chair of the International Gender Champions Initiative. And so we have to tackle that. So in an ideal world, we would have men and women with equal access and fair opportunities in the digital world. I think it would also be desirable, necessary, that when we think about algorithms, that algorithms actually help create equity and not bias. I’d like to see that human rights are the bedrock of an ideal digital world. I think online safety has to be core to that ideal digital world. And I would also like to see digital and green go hand in hand. So I think those are just some thoughts of the kind of ideal digital world that I’d like to see.

Shivanee Thapa: So well said, and it was a wonder listening to you earlier in the opening session today at the Plenary Hall. And as you spoke of the so much success stories, especially on the PNGs, the rise of an entrepreneur, the story was very, very encouraging, of course. And India digital transformation offers immense opportunities from economic growth to improved health care and education. Yet, these technologies also bring risks, from data breaches to digital divides, you know, the list could be long. In your view, how can countries and stakeholders, especially members of Parliament, work together to advance a digital future that’s trusted, sustainable and inclusive?

Doreen Bodgan-Martin: Yeah, thank you. Thank you for that. And I think you kind of framed it well, because we want to leverage and advance the opportunities. And there’s so many opportunities that digital brings. But at the same time, we’ve got to manage those risks. And it’s not a role that’s limited to ICT regulators, nor in the ICT ministries. I think it’s a really important role for members of Parliament. I think you are uniquely positioned. And of course, your role in serving your constituents makes your part also critically, critically important here. And so I would say, we have to start with trust. And as I shared this morning, when it comes to the digital world, every year, cyber attacks are increasing by 80% year on year. Cyber crime is predicted to reach some 11 trillion US dollars by 2030. That’s also an alarming number. At the same time, and His Excellency Minister Oswaha highlighted this well in his presentation this morning, we have this big gap when it comes to the workforce. We have a gender gap when it comes to our workforce as a whole. But when it comes to cybersecurity, we have a huge gap. There are jobs, but we don’t have enough people to fill them. And so we have to focus on that piece as well. I think countries need to put in place stronger, more robust strategies. At the ITU, we help countries put in place their cyber strategies. We help countries put in place their certs. We do cyber training, cyber drills, but it’s not enough. Cyber attacks get more and more sophisticated and I think we have to do more. So we need to also have stronger strategies. I think we need to focus on the capacity building piece, the skilling. So sort of one-off trainings. And I look to my colleague in the second row, Yasmin, who does lots of trainings for us. So we need to be constant when it comes to cybersecurity, even when it comes to AI, we need that skilling piece to be at the core. And I think also inclusion, as I mentioned, if you have a third of the world that’s never ever connected, we can’t forget and leave behind the 2.6 billion people that don’t have access to those digital opportunities. So we also have to focus on ways to connect those 2.6 billion. And we often hear that we’ve succeeded and we’ve connected the world because when we look at coverage, so if you take 3G, 4G, even 5G, we’ve covered pretty much 95% of the planet, but covering the planet does not mean connecting the planet. And so we really have to zoom in. And again, I think this is where parliamentarians can help us with your constituents. We need to zoom in on the unconnected and at the same time, the under connected. And under connected for us means when it’s not affordable, when the content is not relevant, when it’s not in a language that can be particularly helpful, when the speed is not what it should be. So there’s all these other elements that we include in under connected where we say it’s not meaningful connectivity. And so I think that’s also a space where you can be helpful. And then I would say the last piece, and I alluded to it, to this before, comes to green and digital going hand in hand. And we do have to zoom in on sustainability. And of course, that’s an issue for all of you. The digital sector emits about 4% of greenhouse gas emissions. But if we leverage artificial intelligence, we can actually reduce it by the overall greenhouse gas emissions by 10%. And so we have to make sure that we’re aware of this and that we’re helping to develop green digital standards. We launched our digitization day at COP29. We had a green digital action declaration. We had about a thousand stakeholders signatories that signed on to that. But it’s kind of just the beginning and we need to do more. And then linked to that, I would say my other kind of plea, and sometimes we don’t think about this, is when it comes to e-waste. So if you look at the global economy, only 7% of the global economy is actually circular. Less than half the world’s countries actually have e-waste policies, e-waste management. And within that, that actually have policies, some are doing better than others. And this is an area where we can make a real difference. And if we don’t do anything, by 2030, we’re going to have 82 billion tons of e-waste. And so this is a kind of, I think, wake up call. We have to do more. And again, I think parliamentarians have a lot that they can help in pushing for better e-waste policies and management, because they do have an impact when we think about our sustainable future.

Shivanee Thapa: Let me get back to your emphasis on digital inclusion, which has been quite significant in the voices that you have with the platforms. As we know, digital technology Transcend Borders, you very well mentioned that, and you yourself having been championed and steered so many changes, so many initiatives, and being at a position to make that impact. What specific policy measures could you, do you think, could help bridge this gap and ensure that all nations, regardless of their development stage or the divide that is in between, can participate in and benefit from the digital age?

Doreen Bodgan-Martin: Yeah, thank you, and I think that’s a great question. As we look to kind of the current state of digital affairs and look to the future, it’s important for countries to work to align their policies with the pace of digital transformation, which is always difficult because technology runs so far ahead of us that it’s difficult to keep pace. And what we always want to strive to achieve is not put heavily sort of onerous, restrictive regulations and policies that stifle innovation, but put in place ones that can actually help to flourish and stimulate innovation. And I think we always have to keep that risk element front and center, the security pieces front and center, the ethical dimensions also need to be at the core. So trying to align our policies with the pace of transformation, a challenge, but must be looked at. I also think we need to, when we talk about inclusion, to understand the gaps. So we can say the gap is the digital divide, but within that gap, there’s so many other gaps. It’s the urban-rural that I spoke about this morning, aging populations, persons with disabilities, the gender gap, of course, that I mentioned, the affordability gap, where we still can’t seem to bring down the cost of the smartphone or the services. And we have to focus on those gaps. The skilling gap is another key one if we really want to get to a digital future that benefits all. So we’ve got to zoom in on those gaps. And to do that, we also have to look at the investment challenges. Because if we want to connect the world by 2030, which is our target, then we have to it’s not going to happen naturally. And as I said before, we have the under connected, we have the unconnected, it’s not just going to happen. And so we need to be very specific, we need to be very targeted, and we need to invest in digital infrastructure. Because investing in digital infrastructure makes economic sense. It’s good for society, it’s good for healthcare, it’s good for education, it’s good for entrepreneurship, e-commerce opportunities, and much, much more. And if we look at the African region, for example, if we look at the current versus future GDP coming from the digital sector, Africa is anticipated to reach 750 billion US dollars in terms of the digital sector by 2050, and that would represent some 8.5% of GDP. It makes sense. It makes sense. And so we have to invest in digital. On the ITU side, and again, I alluded to this this morning, we launched something called Partner to Connect. So we looked at what it would take to connect the world, we divided it into access pieces, adoption pieces, value creation pieces, and we went out with this platform, looking at how can we connect the hardest to connect. We invited countries, companies, civil society, academia to come forward and make commitments of what you’re going to do to help us connect the unconnected. And so we’ve targeted to get to 100 billion in commitments by the end of 2026. We’re at about 54 billion in commitments. That’s not cash coming into the ITU, but it’s commitments that we’re monitoring, we’re matchmaking. And I think that’s also a great way to try to push that infrastructure investment. And then I guess the last piece I would mention is about engagement. And I think opportunities like the IGF, and this is really a critical platform here at the IGF, are very important for us to exchange. change experiences, to talk about our challenges, to talk about opportunities. So leveraging platforms for dialogue, which also include the WSIS Forum, I would add AI for Good is a great platform to have these kinds of exchanges. And as we look to next year, and Martin also mentioned the great outcome of the recent AI resolution in IPU, it’s an opportunity for us at the ITU to include you in our governance discussion. So we have this governance day. And so in front of my ITU colleagues, I’m extending an invitation to you to come and join us at this governance day. It’s an important moment to bring all stakeholders from the global North to the global South, across the world, come to the table and let’s talk about who’s doing what, what are the best practices and what can we do together.

Shivanee Thapa: All right, on this very note, allow me to extend this conversation to the floor. I would want to invite the members in the audience now to contribute their insights, questions, or comments to this conversation or on the topic that we’ve brought to the floor. Yes, can we have the microphones passed on, please?

Audience: Thank you very much. Thank you, Doreen, for the insightful thoughts as always. My name is Mahabdha Nasser. I’m a member of parliament from Egypt. And actually my question is about the skills gap. If we know quite well that we have this gap and the global North needs these skills to be happening, needs those people to be trained. And in the global South, we have the people and we have the talents. It’s just, we need them to be trained. Is it that dream that the global North will put an effort? in making those people trained and get the benefit of them and bridge the gap, at least a little bit. Thank you.

Shivanee Thapa: Shall we take the questions altogether? I think we’d want to take all the questions. Please go ahead.

Audience: Thank you very much. My name is Catherine Muma. I’m a senator from Kenya. First, to thank the IGF for this track. We have attended a few meetings as parliamentarians. And one of the things we’ve realised is that as the tech world is talking policies, they talk about government. But government means the executives. So you organise these meetings with the executives, but parliament is left out. Now, I’m glad that you now have a parliamentary track, because if parliamentarians are not skilled, and they’re expected to pass the laws and the regulations, there is a likelihood that what we could do would actually negate or not align to what is happening. So I hope that greater investment can be put in ensuring that parliamentarians understand and are able to contribute to the policy field, but as well as the judiciary. Policy is at the executive level, developed by the executive who implement. Parliament actually passes the laws that are passed, and the judiciary enforces that law. So if the judges, the judiciary also don’t understand and make decisions that are going to impact wrongly, then we will not be moving. So I just wish to plead that greater investment be put in this.

Shivanee Thapa: Thank you, ma’am. Thank you for this very important suggestion. Any other insights or questions from the floor? Okay, yes, please, one more, and then we’ll get back to.

Audience: Thank you. Thank you, sir. All right. So can I get back to you, Mr. Bogdan, please, if you could take your moment to answer the queries.

Doreen Bodgan-Martin: Thank you. Thank you very much. And thank you for the questions. I mean, I guess first Maha coming to you, in terms of the skilling piece, and is it a dream that the North helps the South? I mean, I think it can really happen. And we’re very focused on the skilling gap. We have different programs that we offer at the ITU, from our Women in Cyber program to our Women in AI program. We also have an online academy, the ITU Academy, where we offer things like basic digital literacy to advance technical skilling. And that platform is available to all countries. But I would say specific to AI, and as you said, I mean, when we look to global South, what’s incredibly exciting if I take Africa, for example, is the percentage of youth in terms of the population, right? That’s a huge opportunity, especially when it comes to digital. So how can we leverage and take advantage of the young people who want, well, most of them are far more digitally literate, maybe than I am. But how can you take advantage of that and build the talent and the pipeline that you need? And I do think it’s possible. And that’s one of the reasons that we launched this past September, an AI skilling coalition. It’s exactly for that purpose. And it’s about bringing together different players, from the private sector, some from international organizations, putting our offerings together and making it available for governments, parliamentarians, but for the public at large. So I don’t think it’s a dream. I think that it can really happen and we have to make it happen. So help us make it happen. I mean, I guess Catherine, it looks like she left, but I think I take good note of Catherine’s point about parliamentarians being left out, and I agree that we have to make greater investment to include parliamentarians in this discussion. I think the way that this track has been built out in the IGF is encouraging, also in the WSIS forum process, and we’ll look to also do that at our AI for Good event as well when that approaches in July. She also mentioned the point about the judiciary. We do engage with the judiciary a bit when it comes to cybersecurity, when it comes to online harassment and violence. So that’s also an important constituent to be focused on. I think as the representative from Algeria noted, when it comes to digital transformation, and I think that was a good example, it’s important that countries are focused in how they approach digital transformation. Sometimes we see countries approach it from a siloed way. So they have a digital strategy for health and a digital strategy for education, and that’s often not so efficient when it comes to issues around data as well. And so we advocate for this whole of government approach, whole of society approach, and we think that efficiencies can also be made on that front. You also raised issues linked to migration, to brain drain. I think what’s important about digital is that you can do it anywhere. And so we’re working with IOM, for example, with UNHCR. We’re very focused on bringing digital skilling to all, be it a refugee, be it a migrant, to all. Because with that digital, and this morning I told the story as you mentioned about the woman from Papua New Guinea, her life was changed because she learned skilling. She was able to create her own website and to be able to sell her product around the world and she could be anywhere. So I think, again, it comes back to your point about the skilling, we need to invest in that skilling.

Shivanee Thapa: We see one more question coming from the floor. Can we have the microphone passed on please? All right, two more, maybe three more questions and then we’ll have to call it a session. All right, okay, so many more hands raising. Can we please keep it like very brief and making it concise so that we can entertain as many voices that there are? Yeah, please go ahead, sir.

Audience: Thank you very much. My name is Honorable Alhaji Mbo from The Gambia, member of parliament. When we look at the digital transformation, for me, I look at two areas. That is now and tomorrow, tomorrow being the future. And the fact that we have a very young population, particularly in Africa, and our minds are not really too much focused on the education sector because you have the early childhood education, we have the primary education, secondary and high school. So what efforts actually are ITU making to ensure our governments, parliament is included, to ensure that we nurture technology at the very early age so that the younger generation can grow up with it so that by the time they are in high school or secondary school, they are really in the text of things. So for me, I believe maybe there could be a multiproject approach, look at it now, which is the current population, but also look at the future, where you build from the schools and grow up. Thank you.

Shivanee Thapa: Thank you. We will note that. Yeah. Can we move on to this side, please? All right. Yes. And then we’ll come to the center. Yes, sir. I again request you to be as concise as possible.

Audience: Thank you. I’ll be very short. I would like to come back to a few things that you’ve mentioned here when it comes to the gap. You spoke about a gap of gender, gap of skills, but then I would like to add to my brother there from Gambia. One more thing is the gap of generation because you’ve mentioned about the youth and then the old generation, but specifically when it comes to Africa, that’s where you find that the youth that are more into the high tech, they’re more into a migration movement. So most of youth African, they move up north. Either they move to Europe or they move to North America in search of a better life. But then if your scope here is to connect the world, how do we do it with a continent such as Africa who’s struggling with the internet connection? And then with this, that gap of generation?

Shivanee Thapa: That’s my question. Thank you. Thank you, Karl. Can we come around here? All right. So could you make it very quick, very quick, right?

Audience: Yeah, quick. Objective for some government in Africa is to make money right now, putting taxes on companies, on the ecosystem. And the objective, the global objective of IOTs and the world is to push on digitalization, putting connection everywhere. Those two objectives are very, very, it’s not a compromise. You can’t find a compromise directly. How the north who have a good GDP can help the south?

Shivanee Thapa: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. One last question from Mamieu and then we’d head forth to… wrap up this session, right. Thank you.

Audience: Good afternoon, everyone. My question revolves around the young generation. I would like to understand the best practices or ask about the best practices that we can enable our youths to become more capable and having them with us in the parliament and being the driving force to make better access for everyone to use in the internet and engage in the proper way to nurture them and make sure that they become the drivers of the future.

Shivanee Thapa: Thank you for that, Oranje. May I turn back to the Secretary General if you could quickly furnish me your answers to these queries?

Doreen Bodgan-Martin: Okay, maybe I’ll start with the last point, which is actually linked to the first intervention. I think when it comes to nurturing young people, I think there’s a couple of things we have to keep in mind. We have to remember that when they go online, they need to have the skills to be able to navigate and participate in the cyber world in a way that doesn’t cause them harm. I mean, we see the rise in online violence, harassment, bullying, even trafficking, and so we need to prepare them with the right skills. So good cyber hygiene as a parent, as a leader of the ITU, that cyber awareness and hygiene I think is critical for all of us, but especially when we think about our young people. But the other thing that’s important and something I have prioritized in my role at the ITU is bringing young people into our workforce. And actually, like, our percentage, I can’t remember, Sadhvi or Yasmin, but it’s a really not good number, but our percentage of young people under 35 at the ITU was not one I was proud of. And so I’m trying to change that. So bring more young people into our workforce and bring more young people to our meetings. So we’ve started this Young ICT Policymakers. We’ve started our Generation Connect Movement. I have a Young Professionals Program. I have a Youth Advisory Board with 12 external youth advisors trying to help me understand what are young people thinking about so that we offer programs and initiatives that actually help serve them and empower them. And that comes maybe also to the first point that the gentleman from The Gambia mentioned. When we look sort of at now and tomorrow, I think we have to be investing in education. We have to be making sure that we’re connecting our schools, which less than, I think, about half of the world’s schools are connected. We have an initiative with UNICEF where we’re working to connect every school in the world to the internet. And by bringing that connectivity, it’s not, again, just a connection, it’s helping to transform education systems and bring digital opportunities to schools and communities that didn’t previously have them. Of course, we also work closely with our friends at UNESCO. And I think one of the things that we need to keep in mind, we have to start younger. We have a Girls and ICT Day program that we’ve been running since 2010. We’re still not seeing enough women in the workforce. So we have to start that investment and that training younger. We have to be targeting primary schools when we do that. There was the point about generational gaps. Yes, we have generational gaps. Young people are perhaps more natural adopters. We also need to be focusing on the elderly and helping them with their digital skilling. And when we think about movements, this comes back to my previous answer, you can be successful in a digital world no matter where. you sit in the world. And so leveraging those opportunities and much of what we’ve seen in our AI for good innovation factory, many of those successes are coming from developing and in particular least developed countries where people are seeing problems and using technology to come up with a solution. And I had shared this morning the West Africa agriculture example, which using this example, farmers have been able to increase their yields by some 200%. And so that those are the kinds of spaces I think that we have to be looking at. And I guess the last point was linked to kind of investments and the cost. And yes, governments want to have, let’s say more revenue or income. But we also have to remember when it comes to digital investment, when it comes to the cost. And I gave some examples this morning about the cost of smartphones, about the cost of services in Africa, for example. And we have to find a way to balance those interests and not overly tax services and devices because that tax, which sometimes is a difficult sell, ends up stifling innovation and growth. So we have to find ways to make that work. Many countries have things like universal service funds. We’ve seen mixed successes on that front. But we also have other efforts that we’ve launched at the ITU. We have a digital infrastructure investment group where we’re trying to bring this case to the different development organizations, to the IFIs and to others to really look at how can we leverage this investment in digital that will ultimately benefit society. And I would just add perhaps a last thought. Next year at the end of June, it will be the financing for development conference that will take place in Spain. And we have started our preparations on the ITU side with other partners, some of which are in this room. And we’re trying to make that case that you can’t forget about the digital infrastructure because it impacts the rest of the economy.

Shivanee Thapa: Thank you. Well, you’ve pretty much summed up and put things together very meaningfully. However, before we conclude, any final reflections to guide us through the global effort in navigating global efforts in this era of digital transformation?

Doreen Bodgan-Martin: I mean, I think we have this incredible opportunity to work together and really shape a better digital future, a better digital today and a better digital tomorrow. But we can only do that if we work together. And so it’s not just governments, it’s parliamentarians, it’s civil society, it really is all stakeholders. And I think we have this moment in front of us. We need to come together and make sure we leverage tech for good.

Shivanee Thapa: Thank you. Thank you, ma’am. Thank you so much. And ladies and gentlemen, as we head towards wrapping up this very, very enriching discussion, I’m certainly reminded that digital transformation is not just a technological journey, but it’s so human. And we believe leadership, vision and collaboration has a lot to do for us to take to that meaningful destination. So I thank you so much for your gracious presence and for your very, very invaluable sharing amidst us today and for the great leadership that’s here continuing. And to all the distinguished members in the audience, thank you for this very, very engaging participation. And we certainly wish you to have a very productive IGF 2024. Thank you. you

Agreement Points

Digital inclusion and bridging the digital divide

speakers

Doreen Bodgan-Martin

Audience

arguments

Connecting the unconnected 2.6 billion people

Addressing urban-rural, gender, and affordability gaps

Nurturing technology skills from an early age

summary

Multiple speakers emphasized the importance of connecting the unconnected, addressing various digital divides, and focusing on early digital education to ensure inclusive digital transformation.

Building digital skills and capacity

speakers

Doreen Bodgan-Martin

Audience

arguments

Developing cybersecurity and AI skills, especially for women

Bridging the skills gap between global North and South

Increasing digital literacy of parliamentarians and judiciary

Empowering youth to drive digital transformation

summary

There was consensus on the need to develop digital skills across various groups, including women, youth, and decision-makers, to address the global skills gap and drive digital transformation.

Global cooperation for digital governance

speakers

Doreen Bodgan-Martin

Junhua LI

Martin Chungong

arguments

Aligning policies with pace of digital transformation

Fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration

Enacting sound legislation for an inclusive digital space

summary

Speakers agreed on the importance of international cooperation, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and aligned policies to effectively govern the digital space.

Similar Viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the importance of ethical considerations and human rights in the development and use of digital technologies, particularly AI.

speakers

Doreen Bodgan-Martin

Martin Chungong

arguments

Ensuring ethical use of AI and algorithms

Upholding human rights in the digital realm

Both speakers highlighted the importance of investing in digital infrastructure, particularly in developing countries, to drive economic growth and digital transformation.

speakers

Doreen Bodgan-Martin

Mishal F. Al-Sulami

arguments

Investing in digital infrastructure for economic growth

Strengthening digital infrastructure in developing countries

Unexpected Consensus

Balancing government revenue needs with digital access promotion

speakers

Doreen Bodgan-Martin

Audience

arguments

Investing in digital infrastructure for economic growth

Balancing government revenue needs with promoting digital access

explanation

Despite potential conflicts between government revenue generation and promoting digital access, there was unexpected agreement on the need to find a balance, recognizing the long-term economic benefits of digital investment.

Overall Assessment

Summary

The main areas of agreement included the importance of digital inclusion, building digital skills, global cooperation for digital governance, ethical use of technology, and investing in digital infrastructure.

Consensus level

There was a high level of consensus among speakers on the key challenges and priorities for digital transformation. This strong agreement suggests a shared vision for addressing global digital issues, which could facilitate more coordinated and effective action in implementing digital policies and initiatives.

Different Viewpoints

Approach to bridging the digital skills gap

speakers

Doreen Bodgan-Martin

Audience

arguments

Developing cybersecurity and AI skills, especially for women

Bridging the skills gap between global North and South

summary

While Bodgan-Martin focuses on developing specific skills like cybersecurity and AI, particularly for women, the audience member suggests a broader approach of the global North helping to train talent in the global South.

Unexpected Differences

Balancing government revenue needs with digital access promotion

speakers

Doreen Bodgan-Martin

Audience

arguments

Investing in digital infrastructure for economic growth

Balancing government revenue needs with promoting digital access

explanation

While Bodgan-Martin focuses on the benefits of investing in digital infrastructure, an audience member unexpectedly raises the conflict between government revenue needs and promoting digital access, highlighting a potential tension in policy-making.

Overall Assessment

summary

The main areas of disagreement revolve around the specific approaches to bridging the digital divide, developing digital skills, and balancing economic interests with digital access promotion.

difference_level

The level of disagreement appears to be moderate. While there is general consensus on the importance of digital inclusion and development, speakers differ on the specific strategies and priorities. These differences could impact the effectiveness of global efforts to promote digital transformation and inclusion, potentially leading to varied approaches across different regions or stakeholder groups.

Partial Agreements

Both agree on the importance of digital skills, but Bodgan-Martin emphasizes entrepreneurship opportunities, while the audience member focuses on early education.

speakers

Doreen Bodgan-Martin

Audience

arguments

Nurturing technology skills from an early age

Creating digital opportunities for entrepreneurship

Both recognize the need for policy alignment with digital transformation, but the audience member specifically emphasizes the role of parliamentarians and judiciary in this process.

speakers

Doreen Bodgan-Martin

Audience

arguments

Aligning policies with pace of digital transformation

Increasing digital literacy of parliamentarians and judiciary

Similar Viewpoints

Both speakers emphasized the importance of ethical considerations and human rights in the development and use of digital technologies, particularly AI.

speakers

Doreen Bodgan-Martin

Martin Chungong

arguments

Ensuring ethical use of AI and algorithms

Upholding human rights in the digital realm

Both speakers highlighted the importance of investing in digital infrastructure, particularly in developing countries, to drive economic growth and digital transformation.

speakers

Doreen Bodgan-Martin

Mishal F. Al-Sulami

arguments

Investing in digital infrastructure for economic growth

Strengthening digital infrastructure in developing countries

Key Takeaways

Digital inclusion and bridging the digital divide is crucial, with 2.6 billion people still unconnected

Building digital skills and capacity across all segments of society is essential

Global cooperation and multi-stakeholder collaboration is needed for effective digital governance

Managing risks like cybersecurity threats and ethical AI use is important alongside harnessing digital opportunities

Digital transformation offers significant potential for sustainable development and economic growth

Resolutions and Action Items

ITU to include parliamentarians in their governance discussions, including at the AI for Good event

Launch of an AI skilling coalition to build talent pipelines in the Global South

ITU working with UNICEF to connect every school in the world to the internet

Preparations started for the 2025 Financing for Development conference to make the case for digital infrastructure investment

Unresolved Issues

How to effectively balance government revenue needs with promoting affordable digital access

Addressing the migration of skilled youth from Africa to the Global North

Fully bridging the generational gap in digital adoption and skills

Suggested Compromises

Finding ways to balance government revenue interests with keeping digital services and devices affordable to avoid stifling innovation

Leveraging digital opportunities to enable success regardless of geographic location, potentially reducing brain drain

In an ideal world, we would have men and women with equal access and fair opportunities in the digital world. I think it would also be desirable, necessary, that when we think about algorithms, that algorithms actually help create equity and not bias. I’d like to see that human rights are the bedrock of an ideal digital world.

speaker

Doreen Bogdan-Martin

reason

This comment provides a comprehensive vision for an equitable digital future, addressing gender equality, algorithmic fairness, and human rights. It’s insightful because it goes beyond just technological access to consider the ethical and social implications of digital technologies.

impact

This comment set the tone for much of the subsequent discussion, emphasizing the importance of considering equity and ethics in digital transformation. It led to further exploration of topics like digital inclusion and the need for policies that promote fairness.

We need to zoom in on the unconnected and at the same time, the under connected. And under connected for us means when it’s not affordable, when the content is not relevant, when it’s not in a language that can be particularly helpful, when the speed is not what it should be.

speaker

Doreen Bogdan-Martin

reason

This comment provides a nuanced understanding of digital connectivity, highlighting that mere access is not enough. It’s insightful because it introduces the concept of ‘under connected’ and outlines multiple dimensions of meaningful connectivity.

impact

This comment deepened the discussion on digital inclusion, moving it beyond simple access to consider quality, affordability, and relevance of digital services. It prompted questions and comments from the audience about addressing these challenges in different contexts.

Now, I’m glad that you now have a parliamentary track, because if parliamentarians are not skilled, and they’re expected to pass the laws and the regulations, there is a likelihood that what we could do would actually negate or not align to what is happening.

speaker

Catherine Muma

reason

This comment highlights the critical role of parliamentarians in shaping digital policy and the importance of their digital literacy. It’s insightful because it points out a potential gap in many digital governance discussions.

impact

This comment shifted the conversation to focus more on the role of parliamentarians and the need for their inclusion in digital policy discussions. It led to acknowledgment from the speakers about the importance of engaging parliamentarians and considering ways to enhance their digital skills.

When we look at the digital transformation, for me, I look at two areas. That is now and tomorrow, tomorrow being the future. And the fact that we have a very young population, particularly in Africa, and our minds are not really too much focused on the education sector because you have the early childhood education, we have the primary education, secondary and high school.

speaker

Alhaji Mbo

reason

This comment introduces a long-term perspective on digital transformation, emphasizing the importance of education at all levels. It’s insightful because it highlights the need to prepare future generations for a digital world, particularly in the context of Africa’s young population.

impact

This comment broadened the discussion to include long-term educational strategies for digital transformation. It led to further discussion about the importance of integrating digital skills into education systems from an early age.

Overall Assessment

These key comments shaped the discussion by broadening its scope beyond technological aspects to include social, ethical, and long-term considerations. They highlighted the importance of equity, meaningful connectivity, the role of parliamentarians, and education in digital transformation. The discussion evolved from a general overview of digital challenges to a more nuanced exploration of specific issues and potential solutions, with a particular focus on inclusion and capacity building across different sectors of society.

How can countries and stakeholders work together to advance a digital future that’s trusted, sustainable and inclusive?

speaker

Shivanee Thapa

explanation

This question addresses the core challenge of balancing opportunities and risks in digital transformation, which is crucial for global progress.

How can the global North help train people in the global South to address the skills gap in technology?

speaker

Mahabdha Nasser

explanation

This addresses the critical issue of bridging the digital skills divide between developed and developing nations.

How can greater investment be made in ensuring parliamentarians and judiciary understand and contribute to digital policy?

speaker

Catherine Muma

explanation

This highlights the need for all branches of government to be digitally literate to create effective policies and laws.

What efforts is ITU making to ensure governments and parliaments nurture technology education from an early age?

speaker

Honorable Alhaji Mbo

explanation

This focuses on the importance of early digital education to prepare future generations.

How can we address the ‘gap of generation’ in Africa, where tech-savvy youth often migrate, leaving a digital divide?

speaker

Unnamed audience member

explanation

This highlights the challenge of brain drain and its impact on digital development in Africa.

How can countries in the Global North with higher GDPs help countries in the Global South balance the objectives of digitalization and government revenue generation?

speaker

Unnamed audience member

explanation

This addresses the tension between digital development and immediate economic needs in developing countries.

What are the best practices to enable youth to become more capable and engaged in parliament and driving digital access?

speaker

Unnamed audience member (Mamieu)

explanation

This focuses on empowering youth to lead in digital policy and development.