ATxInspire Singapore
Keynote
ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin
6 February 2024
Good morning.
It is great to be here.
I have had an action-packed programme over my days here, during the ASEAN Digital Ministerial last week and this week, as part of the MFA (Minister for Foreign Affairs) distinguished visitors' programme.
Just weeks after returning from the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, one thing has become very clear to me: Digital is not just at the top of the global agenda. Digital “is" the agenda.
Because everything, and everyone is impacted by the transformative potential of digital solutions.
Nowhere is that clearer than here, in Singapore.
The liberalization of the Singaporean telecommunications sector played a major role in that success.
I know this because back in 2001, I led a team at ITU to work with the Infocomm Development Authority (as it was called back then) to document it as a case study on effective regulation.
We looked at the role of every stakeholder, examining levels of transparency and fairness, best practices, and challenges of the regulatory regime.
And concluded that Singapore was one of the leading countries in effective regulation.
Twenty-three years on, that remains truer than ever.
Singapore leads our top 5 of fifth-generation regulators ranking for its digital regulation practices.
We knew back in the early 2000s, as we do now, that the steps taken to open Singapore's telecommunications sector to competition laid the foundation for an inspiring digital success story.
Today, we see the same kind of leadership with Singapore's approach to AI, with the new strategy launched last year and the Model AI Governance Framework for Generative AI put out for consultation just a few weeks ago.
Singapore's digital public infrastructure stack is among the most advanced in the world, with 95% of government interactions taking place digitally.
Nearly half (40%) of Singaporean enterprises are investing in digital, from greener hardware to more robust cybersecurity.
Your digital economy contributed over 17% to Singapore's GDP in 2022, all while creating 200,000 tech jobs.
And your efforts to harness digital also show what it means to include everyone, while considering how different sectors and groups in society are affected.
The impact of digital on Singapore's overall prosperity is undeniable.
You have always been innovative, and will continue blazing that trail.
But here is the question:
Can the rest of the world keep pace?
More than 40% of economies globally lack any sort of policy to implement the kind of public sector innovation Singaporeans enjoy every day.
Fewer than 5% of countries worldwide have mature national frameworks for digital markets geared towards the kind of transformational development shown by Singapore's digital economy.
And less than half of countries globally have progressed in establishing advanced national digital policy, legal and governance frameworks.
The global digital divide is increasing − and countries − especially from the Global South, are falling behind.
Even within developed and middle-income countries, the gap between the digital “haves" and “have nots" is growing.
We at ITU won't rest until sustainable digital transformation and affordable, safe and meaningful connectivity is a lived reality for all — including women, who still account for a disproportionate and growing share of the global offline population.
This is why we are determined to redouble our efforts.
Within the UN system, ITU leads the development of global technical standards and norms– the “why" and “how" we need to get digital right.
And through our partnership with other UN agencies, particularly the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), we can bring our work to scale, reaching countries all over the world.
For instance, the High-Impact Initiative on Digital Public Infrastructure, led by ITU and UNDP, aims to support digital development efforts in 100 countries by 2030 — giving them unprecedented agency over their own digital journeys.
A few weeks ago in Davos, Minister Josephine Teo said: "investing heavily in reskilling and upskilling Singaporeans for career opportunities in tech is not only the right thing to do, but also a significant investment to provide opportunities for Singaporeans."
I believe that too – and especially today, Safer Internet Day, it's worth remembering that everyone, everywhere deserves a chance to benefit from digital opportunities and a strong digital skillset.
But with a third of humanity still offline, this is far from being the case.
2.6 billion people are being left behind.
And those are the ones who could benefit the most from digital, which is why ITU's top priority is universal connectivity.
And while digital can help accelerate the global transition to net zero emissions, we must also ensure that we address its environmental impact.
That's why sustainable digital transformation through green digital action is ITU's second strategic priority.
These challenges require all stakeholders to work together.
As digital leaders from across Singapore, there's so much you can do to help.
First and foremost, I invite you to embrace and expand your role as global champions of digital.
Singapore is already setting groundbreaking standards critical to ensuring digital transformation is safe, secure, sustainable, trusted and inclusive.
I emphasize “inclusive", because I see this foundational commitment to digital inclusion everywhere.
Yesterday, I visited Heartbeat@Bedok, and was blown away.
I got a better understanding of the Digital for Life effort and its approach to embedding digital into communities, promoting adoption and digital skills, and addressing the needs and interests of different age groups.
I was even able to drop into a generative AI class for the elderly.
As I heard from one of the volunteers, digital for life aims to leave no one behind. This is the goal of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda − to “leave no one behind." Countries are eager to learn from each other.
Most ICT (information and communication technology) ministries rely on best practices and comparisons with other countries to understand technology's impact on their country.
They have a lot to learn from Singapore.
Come and work with ITU standards community to bridge the standardization gap and lend your digital expertise and capacity building support to other countries.
This year's ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) and the Global Symposium for Regulators are just some avenues to spotlight your digital leadership on the global stage.
Second: Singapore can double down on collaborative digital partnerships for the SDGs.
Multistakeholder cooperation has always been the bedrock of The World Summit on the Information Society and its follow-up process, the WSIS Forum.
As we gear up for the WSIS+20 Review — cooperation between governments, civil society, private sector, academia, and international organizations is more important than ever.
That's why we have combined the WSIS Forum with our AI for Good Global Summit during the last week of May.
Finally, Singapore can lead the charge in bridging the global digital divide.
All of you who played a role in Singapore's remarkable national digital journey, have invaluable experiences and perspectives to share with the world.
This can be in any or all the areas that I have already mentioned including digital public infrastructure, cyber, digital inclusion, digital skills and training, and AI.
For instance, your work on cyber safety, including your approach to addressing online scams through a whole-of-society approach, has been inspiring.
I have been particularly glad to see Singapore's active role within our Partner2Connect (P2C) Digital Coalition, a multistakeholder alliance to mobilize investment in meaningful connectivity and digital transformation globally.
We appreciate IMDA's support to P2C on capacity development for government stakeholders through the Digital Forum of Small States, especially in digital economic development, AI, data governance and cybersecurity.
But ladies and gentlemen, we've got a long way to go.
Last year, I called for USD 100 billion in pledges by 2026 to mobilize expertise, resources, and investment to reach the hardest-to-connect communities.
This year, we intend to raise our ambitions even further in light of the upcoming Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries and Fourth United Nations Conference on Small Island Developing States.
We also need to translate these commitments into real action.
Now is the time to expand capacity for digital public infrastructure beyond borders.
And we can start with Southeast Asia.
Let's promote digital skills and capacity-building, when up to 80% of jobs in Southeast Asia will require basic digital literacy.
And let's engage more young people, who make up more than 30% of the region's total population.
ASEAN may be the beginning, but in the long run, the entire world can benefit.
By taking action in these key areas, Singapore can leverage its digital leadership even further – to turbo-charge the SDGs and help other countries navigate towards sustainable digital transformation.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We are past the halfway point on the road to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
This Agenda lays out the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for everyone, everywhere.
But only 15% of SDG targets are currently on track as we navigate an era of increasing uncertainty.
This means the international community is falling short in its commitments to protect people and planet.
There is no shortage of contributing factors to this alarming trend.
The aftermath of a global pandemic.
A triple planetary crisis of pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss.
Violent conflicts reaching heights unseen since the Second World War.
And cost-of-living crises that have tipped millions more people into poverty, sharpening inequalities worldwide.
Some have come to refer to this era we're living in as “polycrisis".
But polycrisis is not inevitable. We have choices.
We can create a better future – the one envisioned by the 2030 Agenda.
And it's my belief that we can – and we must – make it with digital.
Let's come together to make digital an integral part of the SDG rescue plan.
Not because we are running out of time, but because we believe in a future where sustainable digital development is more than a concept.
It is a catalyst for progress, and a lived reality, for all humanity.
Thank you.
