How to address the challenges of digital inclusion to foster country resilience. That was the question at the heart of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) 2022, which ICTA attended last week. The World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) is a United Nations organization created in 2003 in Geneva whose objective is to reduce the digital divide at the global level by increasing Internet accessibility in developing countries.
On Wednesday, June 1, 2022, ICTA, represented by its president Mr. Dick Ng Sui Wa, participated in the World Summit Information Society (WSIS) 2022, an event under the auspices of the United Nations. He spoke at a High-Level Policy Session of the final week of the WSIS 2022 Forum.
The WSIS 2022 Forum was held in Geneva in a hybrid version (face-to-face and online) from 15 March 2022 to 3 June 2022 around the theme “ICT for Well-Being, Inclusion and Resilience: WSIS Cooperation to Accelerate Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals”.
The WSIS 2022 High-Level Policy Sessions brought together high-ranking officials representing governments, the private sector, civil society, academia and international organizations. The purpose of the High-Level Policy Sessions is to share best practices, develop visions, identify emerging trends, and discuss opportunities and challenges faced by participants.
This session on public policies, under the aegis of Chinese Professor Ke Gong, expert in Technological Sciences, gathered eight speakers, most of them presidents or general directors of regulatory authorities from India, China, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
The intervention of the President of ICTA focused on the challenges of the digital divide in Mauritius and the actions undertaken at the level of the Authority to remedy it. In this context, he described the actions of the Authority carried out under the Universal Service Fund as part of the national digital inclusion strategy for the Republic of Mauritius. Among these actions, the recent launch of the project of 234 free Wi-Fi hotspots for public spaces in remote areas, inaugurated last Friday, May 27 in Chamarel. Mr. Dick Ng Sui Wa also elaborated on the role of the Regulatory Authority in collaboration with its national and international environment, whether with the signing of international agreements or the development of large-scale actions, for example the 5G or satellite service.
The presentation of the actions of the Mauritian regulator has received the congratulations of the moderator. Professor Ke Gong was impressed with the work done by the ICTA.
The WSIS Global Forum
The WSIS is the world’s largest annual event on information and communication technologies for development. It is co-organized by UNESCO, UNDP, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) of which ICTA is a member.
The objective of the WSIS is to provide a platform for discussion around the role of ICTs in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in collaboration with the UN agencies involved. It is also a support for the development of public-private partnerships to support the advancement of the various partners in their ICT sector development objectives.
