The WSIS+20 Forum High-Level Event marked a significant milestone of twenty years of progress made in the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society. Partner2Connect was front and center in the agenda shaping the conversation with the Partner2Connect High-Level Panel. This High-Level Panel celebrated commitments that accelerate universal and meaningful connectivity, and leveraged opportunities for collaboration between P2C pledgers and members of the WSIS community. Download the Concept Note here and visit the site for further information on the speakers and programme.
P2C High-Level Panel
Advancing knowledge societies through universal and meaningful connectivity
The P2C High-Level Panel at the WSIS+20 Forum High-Level Event celebrated commitments that are helping accelerate universal and meaningful connectivity globally. The session explored the challenges and opportunities for developing knowledge societies and how digital transformation contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals. During the session new pledges related to the P2C Action Framework and the WSIS Action Lines were announced.
Panellists (listed in alphabetical order)
Sulyna Abdullah
Chief, Strategic Planning and Membership Department, International Telecommunication Union, ITU
Moderator
Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union, ITU
Christopher Burns
Chief Digital Development Officer and Director, Technology Division,
USAID
Ashutosh Chadha
Senior Director, Microsoft, P2C Champion
Lina Maria Duque Del Vecchio
Executive Director, Comisión de Regulación de Comunicaciones de Colombia (CRC), Colombia
Chelsea Hornby
Founder and Executive Director, Elle International
Brian Huseman
Vice President, Amazon, P2C Champion
H.E. Tatenda Annastacia Mavetera
Minister, Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services, Zimbabwe
Mary Mungai
Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Communications Authority of Kenya, Kenya
Robert Opp
Chief Digital Officer, United Nations Development Programme, UNDP
Claudia Selli
VP, International External & Regulatory Affairs, AT&T
Xinhui Wang
Vice President and General Manager of Standards and Industrial Relations, ZTE, P2C Champion
About P2C
Digital connectivity and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have an enormous potential to accelerate human progress. However, 2.6 billion people remain offline and excluded from the transformative power of the Internet. ITU‘s Partner2Connect Digital Coalition (P2C) seeks to accelerate connectivity through an action-oriented approach that is critical to the development agendas for LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS. To date, more than 890 pledges valued at over USD 46 Billion have been submitted through the P2C platform by over 430 entities. About 30% of those pledges are to be specifically implemented in LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS.
Contact us at: partner2connect@itu.int
About WSIS
Organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP and UNCTAD, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a global multi-stakeholder platform that aims to create a people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented Information Society. It provides an opportunity for information exchange, knowledge creation, and the sharing of best practices, emerging trends and partnerships.