AHM Bazlur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) has joined as a panelist of High-Level Policy Session-6 on Inclusiveness, Access to Information and Knowledge for All of UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2020.
Access to information and knowledge can be promoted by increasing awareness among all stakeholders of the possibilities offered by different software models, including proprietary, open-source and free software, in order to increase competition, access by users, diversity of choice, and to enable all users to develop solutions which best meet their requirements. Affordable access to software should be considered as an important component of a truly inclusive Information Society.
The WSIS Forum 2020 strives to create a meaningful virtual experience for WSIS stakeholders and to scale the event to reach a wider audience. The Forum is an open and inclusive space for all, harnessing the potential of ICTs and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs through the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines.
The Forum garnered a lot of interest and excitement worldwide – with a cumulative attendance of over 7,000 attendees from around 130 countries who took part in about 80 virtual sessions organised by WSIS stakeholders to highlight the role of ICTs in sustainable development.
This year’s theme is “Fostering digital transformation and global partnerships: WSIS Action Lines for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, featuring special tracks with thematic topics, high-level sessions, regional workshops, as well as a series of WSIS Action Line facilitation meetings to keep up the momentum of this special year that marks the 15-year milestone since the creation of the World Summit on the Information Society. This last 15 years has seen a remarkable growth in the use of digital technologies, transforming people’s lives around the globe.
The Forum officially kicked off with the High-Level Opening Ceremony of the Virtual WSIS Forum 2020 Workshops and Special Tracks on 22 June 2020. The Chairman of the WSIS Forum 2020, His Excellency Mr. Gustavo Montalvo, Minister of the Presidency of the Dominican Republic, was appointed on this occasion.
Between July 20 and July 29, more than 1500 participants have joined us for the 11 High-Level Policy sessions of the WSIS Forum 2020. This year’s sessions have covered a wide range of topics including Bridging digital Divides, ICT Applications and Services, Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs, Enabling Environment, Ethical Dimensions of the Information Society, e-Trade, Capacity building, e-Learning and Gender Mainstreaming and ICTs.
Many high-level participants emphasised on the importance of bridging the digital divide. Let’s remember that 3.6 billion people around the world are still not connected to the Internet, mostly those living in rural areas and remote communities, our core mission must be to connect everyone everywhere.
Throughout the sessions, some countries shared their efforts to respond to and cope with the impact of COVID-19. It was emphasised that we need to leverage the potential of ICTs towards combating the pandemic. It is now well recognized that ICTs are a key part of building back better, for more inclusive healthcare and education, more sustainable business practices, and for the implementation of the SDGs.
The WSIS Forum remains the platform to track the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, in collaboration with partner UN Agencies.
The summary of the High-Level Policy sessions will be included in the “WSIS Forum 2020 High-Level Outcomes and Executive Brief”, and will also be presented by the High-Level Track Facilitators during the “Outcomes of the High-level Policy Sessions and Conclusion of High-Level Track by Chairman” session. The Final Week of the Virtual WSIS Forum 2020, will take place from 7 to 10 September 2020, featuring an Opening segment, a closed Ministerial Round Table meeting, and High-Level dialogues.
https://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/forum/2020/Home/Outcomes
