2022 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit

A recording of these remarks can be found on YouTube and Tencent Video

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank the China Media Group, China Telecom and China Radio International Online for the invitation to address you at the Internet Communication and Peaceful Development Forum of the 2022 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit.

The digital age has dramatically altered the communications landscape. Information and communications technologies, particularly the Internet, have built a new framework and opportunities for economic, political and social development.

Due, in large part, to a ‘COVID connectivity boost’, there has been unprecedented growth in global Internet use, with the estimated number of people who have used the Internet surging to 4.9 billion in 2021, from an estimated 4.1 billion in 2019.  

However, access and use of information and communications technologies are still unequally distributed within and between countries. According to the International Telecommunication Union, an estimated 37 per cent of the world’s population – or 2.9 billion people – have never used the Internet. 

Many of them live in the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, small island developing states, or rural and remote areas. Typically, these are society’s most vulnerable – people living in poverty, women and girls, minorities, displaced persons, persons with disabilities, older persons, indigenous communities and other marginalized groups.

Digital inequalities reflect larger inequalities. To achieve a better and more sustainable world, we must find new ways to overcome barriers to connectivity, enhance access and affordability of emerging technologies, empower people with digital skills, and shape the digital commons for everyone’s benefit.  

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Digital transformation and connectivity are critical to rescuing the Sustainable Development Goals.

From trade to telemedicine, from education to environmental protection, information and communications technologies offer immense potential to improve standards of living throughout the world.

Over the past few years, information and communications technologies have helped improve the well-being of individuals and communities at risk. They have given a new meaning to human rights, particularly in freedom of expression and information. They have enabled the establishment of better communication and coordination mechanisms, the creation of early warning systems as well as the development of other tools in the service of humanity.

Rapid digital transformation has led to the expansion of opportunities and further digital inclusion. The exponential increase in e-commerce has created new jobs and income-earning opportunities, which hold the potential to lift people out of poverty and increase the resilience of rural communities.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has also accelerated the digitalization of the delivery of essential public services. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, over 90 per cent of ministries of education have enacted some form of policy to provide digital and broadcast remote learning to address the needs of almost 1.6 billion impacted students.

But to take advantage of information and communications technologies, we must bridge the digital divide between information haves and have-nots.

While every technology can be used for good or evil, and no technology is a panacea for our global challenges, understanding the potential and proper use of technologies can also allow us to work more effectively and in ways that would not otherwise be possible.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I firmly believe that information and communications technologies can be further put to use in the service of preserving peace and security, promoting respect for universal human rights, as well as achieving sustainable development.

However, we must craft new solutions to address emerging threats such as hate speech, disinformation, and misinformation, by maximizing the potential of digital technologies as tools for peacebuilding and the protection of rights, as well as for the dissemination of critical information to vulnerable groups.

In his message to the International Telecommunication Union Plenipotentiary Conference this year, the United Nations Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres urged participants from the public and private sectors to “seize the opportunities of digital technology while protecting against its risks,” and to keep “humanity’s progress at the centre.”

The United Nations family in China is committed to supporting such efforts to leverage innovations in information and communications technology in order to improve the lives of vulnerable populations and accelerate global progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.

I wish you successful deliberations. Thank you.