As we approach 2015, a new global partnership is being forged to carry on the work of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and shape a new sustainable development agenda involving all sectors of society. We, the members of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development, consider broadband to be a vital part of that discussion, as it is one of the strongest and most effective tools in bringing about transformative solutions for sustainable development. From governance to health to education to gender equality to enabling the low-carbon economy, broadband is already advancing a more equitable, inclusive and environmentally healthy world—but there is more work still to be done.

In 2013, the Broadband Commission issued an Open Letter to the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons, calling for broadband to be prominently recognized in the Post-2015 framework for sustainable development, in recognition of the key role broadband will play in our connected future. In March, the Broadband Commission established a Task Force on Sustainable Development and the Post-2015 Development Agenda to explore some of the issues of how broadband can best contribute to development goals. This report represents the outcome of our discussions to date.