2019 Broadband Commission Special Session at WSIS

Date

April 11, 2019

Location

Geneva, Switzerland

Cooperation in Action to Improve People's Lives​

In 2020, the Broadband Commission will be celebrating its ten year anniversary. Founded by ITU and UNESCO in 2010, the Commission has continuously prioritized broadband as a key accelerator in attaining national and interna​tional development targets. Conceived as a multi-disciplinary entity designed to represent, reflect and promote the transformational impact of broadband technologies across the entire spectrum of human endeavor, the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development has long championed the breaking down of silos in digital development. The composition of the Commission includes a select group of over 50 Commissioners – CEOs and industry leaders, senior policy-makers and government representatives, international agencies, academia and organizations concerned with development who offer diverse perspectives on why broadband matters to drive its deployment around the world and shape the global agenda. Its efforts rests fundamentally on the principle that to achieve the future envisioned in the 2030 Agenda, even progress in the digital technology sphere must be ensured.

The Broadband Commission’s special session at WSIS delved into the insights of the multi-stakeholder partnership from the perspective of Commissioners. As the Broadband Commission moves closer to its 10 year anniversary, this session took a moment to look back at the outcomes and impact of the partnership. Through the transition of MDGs to SDGs, the launch of two sets of Targets, and the numerous reports and recommendations from Working Groups, Commissioners shared​ their personal experience of being part of this partnership: What does this partnership mean to them? How do they advocate for the attainment of Targets? What will be required of this partnership to attain 100% connectivity?

Speakers:

  • Mrs. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU & Broadband Commission Coordinator
  • Dr Ann Aerts, Head of the Novartis Foundation​
  • Mr. Bocar Ba, CEO of Samena Telecommunications Council
  • Mr.  Marcin Cichy, President of the Office of Electronic Communications, Poland

Moderator: 

  • Ms Nancy Sundberg, Senior Programme Officer, IEE/RME, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU​