World telecommunication and information society day Event

The day of 17 May has been celebrated annually since 1969 as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) states that ‘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 (ICTs) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide’.

Celebrating this event, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated ITU on its work toward a more connected world and emphasized the power of technology to enhance Sustainable Developments Goals (SDG) in the least developed countries. He also called all actors to ‘bridge the digital divide, support digital public goods, invest in public institutions, and establish a Global Digital Compact for a more equitable and sustainable future’.

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) focuses this year on ‘Empowering the least developed countries through information and communication technologies.’ ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin released a video statement and called on the public and private sectors to pledge for universal connectivity and digital transformation.