The BDT Director attended the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha, Qatar, from 5-9 March, where he reiterated that one of his priorities is to address the challenges of LDCs through digital technology in support of the Doha Programme of Action.
He advocated for sustainable digital transformation and meaningful connectivity as key elements to help LDCs harness their potential on the path to graduation. He pointed to ITU's work in strengthening efforts to enhance digital skills, ensuring affordability, and building an enabling environment to help digital development flourish in LDCs.
In addition to holding several bilateral meetings during the conference, the Director spoke at some key events throughout the conference, including:
- LDC5 Youth Track
- ITU, ILO, UNEP and IOE side event,
Critical skills gaps for the Decade of Action: enabling green and digital transition
- Private Sector Forum side event,
Partner2Connect: Accelerating the DOHA Program of Action through partnerships for meaningful connectivity and digital transformation
- LDC5 WSIS side event,
ICTs for accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Least Developed Countries (LCDs)
- High-level thematic event,
Investment in Research and Development in Least Developed Countries (LDC5) for Smart and Innovative Societies
- Ministerial Conference on South-South Cooperation
- ITC E-commerce side event,
How to leverage e-commerce to support the economic ambitions of LDCs
- USCIB/IOE roundtable on
Public Private SDG Partnerships for Solidarity Solutions Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development
On 5 March, the Director launched a special edition of the ITU Facts and Figures: Focus on Least Developed Countries report. Among the findings, the report highlights that accessing the Internet in LDCs is more expensive than anywhere else in the world, and despite rapid fall in mobile broadband prices, affordability targets remain elusive. You can read the report
here.
