Almost four
billion people still lack access to online platform through the
Internet, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs says, pledging to
tackle the divide.
Lenni Montiel, assistant
secretary-general for economic development at the department, stated
this on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at the 11th annual UN Internet
Governance Forum (IGF), which opened in Jalisco, Mexico.
Montiel said delegates from across the
world would join thousands more online to weigh the challenges of
today’s digital age and equal access opportunities for all members of
society.
“International organisations,
governments, academics, and technology leaders will gather at the IGF to
address the urgent need to intensify global efforts to bridge the
digital divide.
“The data predicts that by the end of
2016, close to four billion people will still not be using the Internet,
meaning, among others, that two out of three households in developing
countries simply do not have access to it.
“Today, the Internet has an impact on
just about every aspect of life. It has undeniably sparked innovation
and entrepreneurship, created new forms of public engagement and
economic activity.
“This helps people connect, organise and act towards a common purpose,” he said.
Montiel also stressed that one of the
main goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was to
“significantly increase access to information and communications
technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the
Internet in least developed countries by 2020”.
The UN official added that the Agenda also established a new universal standard for development that leaves no one behind.
Montiel said each year, the UN convenes
the IGF meeting to unify various stakeholders and discuss Internet
governance issues, as well as opportunities and challenges in an open,
inclusive and transparent forum.
According to him, this year’s theme:
Enabling Inclusive and Sustainable Growth, aims to explore the ability
of the Internet to foster development in sustainable and inclusive ways.
The forum, which holds from Tuesday to
Friday, would also address a broad range of other issues like Internet
and Sustainable Development; Access and Diversity; and Youth and Gender
Issues.
Other issues to be addressed at forum
are Human Rights and Freedom of Expression Online; Cybersecurity;
Multistakeholder Cooperation; Critical Internet Resources and Internet
Governance Capacity Building and Emerging Issues.
The IGF is recognised as the
widest-reaching international forum on Internet governance and is at the
forefront of identifying and debating critical issues that shape
international agenda.
Its mandate was renewed for 10 years at the World Summit on the Information Society in December 2015. (NAN)
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