Recognizing WSIS Impacts

PP RESOLUTION 200 (Busan, 2014)

Connect 2020 Agenda for global telecommunication/information and communication technology development

The Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union ( Busan, 2014),

• recalling
  • a) the purposes of the Union as enshrined in Article 1 of the ITU Constitution;
  • b) the commitment by ITU and its Member States to achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs);
  • c) the targets set by the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) that served as global references for improving access to and use of telecommunications/information and communication technology (ICT) in promoting the objectives of the Plan of Action, to be achieved by 2015;
  • d) § 98 of the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, which encourages strengthened and continuing cooperation between and among stakeholders and welcomes, in that respect, the ITU-led Connect the World initiative;
• considering
  • a) the Union’s dual responsibility as a UN specialized agency for telecommunications/ICTs and executing agency for implementing related projects under the UN development system;
  • b) the UN system-wide preparations for the Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and efforts towards achieving the MDGs,
• noting
  • that the Busan Declaration on the future role of telecommunications/ICT in achieving sustainable development, adopted by the ministerial meeting held in Busan, Republic of Korea (2014), endorsed a shared global vision for the development of the telecommunication/ICT sector, under the agenda “Connect 2020”,
• recognizing
  • a) the principles of the UN Millennium Declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 55/2, acknowledging the benefits of new technologies, especially KTs;
  • b) the WSIS outcome documents – the Geneva Plan of Action (2003) and the Tunis Agenda (2005);
  • c) the WSIS+10 Review Process, in particular the outcome documents of the WSIS+10 High-Level Event – the WSIS+10 Statement on the Implementation of the WSIS Outcomes and WSIS+10 Vision for WSIS Beyond 2015;
  • d) the outcomes of the Connect series summits (Connect Africa, Connect CIS, Connect Americas, Connect Arab States and Connect Asia-Pacific) under the Connect the World global multistakeholder initiative set up within the context of WSIS;
  • e) the Dubai Declaration adopted by the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-14) as well as the Dubai Action Plan and relevant WTDC-14 resolutions, including Resolutions 30, 37, and 50 (Rev. Dubai, 2014) and Resolutions 135, 139, and 140 (Rev. Busan, 2014) of this conference;
  • f) Resolution 71 (Rev. Busan, 2014) of this conference, which adopted the strategic framework for the Union for 2016-2019 and set the strategic goals, related targets and objectives,
• recognizing further
  • a) that telecommunications/ICT is a key enabler to accelerate social, economic and environmentally sustainable growth and development;
  • b) the need to sustain current achievements and intensify efforts in promoting and financing ICTs for development;
  • c) the global challenges of the rapidly evolving telecommunication/ICT environment, as identified in Annex 1 to Resolution 71 (Rev. Busan, 2014),
• resolves
  • 1 to endorse a shared global vision for the development of the telecommunication/ICT sector, under the agenda “Connect 2020”, envisaging “an information society, empowered by the interconnected world, where telecommunications/ICTs enable and accelerate social, economic and environmentally sustainable growth and development for everyone”;
  • 2 to endorse the four high-level strategic goals detailed below and the respective targets detailed in annex to this resolution, inspiring and inviting all stakeholders and entities to work together to implement the Connect 2020 Agenda:
    • – Goal 1: Growth – Enable and foster access to and increased use of telecommunications/ICTs
    • – Goal 2: Inclusiveness – Bridge the digital divide and provide broadband for all
    • – Goal 3: Sustainability – Manage challenges resulting from telecommunication/ICT development
    • – Goal 4: Innovation and partnership – Lead, improve and adapt to the changing telecommunication/ICT environment;
  • 3 to call upon Member States to continue active engagement in on-going discussions on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, working with the United Nations Secretary-General, to ensure the important role of telecommunication/ICT as a key enabler to achieve the MDGs, the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and the SDGs, to help ensure the importance of telecommunications/ICT to the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda that integrates in a balanced manner the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development;
• instructs the Secretary-General
  • 1 to monitor the progress towards the achievement of the Connect 2020 Agenda, leveraging data, among others, from the ITU World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database and the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development;
  • 2 to disseminate information and share knowledge and best practices on national, regional and international initiatives contributing to the Connect 2020 Agenda;
  • 3 to further facilitate implementation of the WSIS Action Lines assigned to the responsibility of ITU, in accordance with the Connect 2020 Agenda;
  • 4 to present annual consolidated progress reports to the ITU Council;
  • 5 to bring this resolution to the attention of all interested parties, including, in particular, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the United Nations Development Programme and the Economic and Social Council, for cooperation in implementing this resolution;
  • 6 to continue to support Member States in their active engagement with regards to resolves 3 of this resolution,
• instructs the Directors of the Bureaux
  • to report on the progress towards achievement of the objectives and outcomes of the work of each Sector, as elaborated within the strategic plan for the Union for 2016-2019 in Annex 2 to Resolution 71 (Rev. Busan, 2014), that contributes to the Connect 2020 agenda,
• instructs the Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau
  • to coordinate the collection, provision and dissemination of indicators and statistics that measure and provide comparative analysis for the progress towards the achievement of the Global Telecommunication/ICT Targets and report their progress as part of the annual Measuring the Information Society Report;
• instructs the Council
  • 1 to review the annual progress achieved towards the accomplishment of the Connect 2020 Agenda;
  • 2 to present an assessment of the progress towards achieving the Connect 2020 Agenda to the next plenipotentiary conference,
• invites the Member States
  • 1 to participate actively in the implementation of the Connect 2020 Agenda, and contribute with national, regional and international initiatives;
  • 2 to invite all other stakeholders to contribute and work together towards the Connect 2020 Agenda;
  • 3 to provide data and statistics, as appropriate, to monitor progress towards the achievement of the Connect 2020 Agenda;
  • 4 to report national progress towards the achievement of the Connect 2020 Agenda, and contribute to the database that will collect and disseminate information on national and regional initiatives contributing to the Connect 2020 Agenda;
  • 5 to engage actively in discussions on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, in accordance with the process established by UNGA;
  • 6 to ensure that ICTs are central to the Post-2015 Development Agenda, by being acknowledged as an important tool to achieve its overall SDGs;
  • 7 to contribute to the work of ITU, as elaborated in the strategic plan for the Union for 2016-2019 in Annex 2 to Resolution 71 (Rev. Busan, 2014), that contributes to the Connect 2020 Agenda,
• invites Sector Members, Associates and Academia
  • to take an active role towards implementing the Connect 2020 Agenda,
• invites all stakeholders
  • to contribute with their initiatives and their experience, qualifications and expertise to the successful implementation of the Connect 2020 Agenda for Global Telecommunication/ICT Development.
• Annex to Resolution 200 (Busan, 2014)
  • Connect 2020: Global telecommunication/information and communication technology goals and targets
  • Goal 1: Growth – Enable and foster access to and increased use of telecommunications/ICTs
    • – Target 1.1: Worldwide, 55% of households should have access to the Internet by 2020
    • – Target 1.2: Worldwide, 60% of individuals should be using the Internet by 2020
    • – Target 1.3: Worldwide, telecommunications/ICTs should be 40% more affordable by 2020
  • Goal 2: Inclusiveness – Bridge the digital divide and provide broadband for all
    • – Target 2.1.A: In the developing world, 50% of households should have access to the Internet by 2020
    • – Target 2.1.B: In the least developed countries (LDCs), 15% of households should have access to the Internet by 2020
    • – Target 2.2.A: In the developing world, 50% of individuals should be using the Internet by 2020
    • – Target 2.2.B: In the least developed countries (LDCs), 20% of individuals should be using the Internet by 2020
    • – Target 2.3.A: The affordability gap between developed and developing countries1 should be reduced by 40% by 2020
    • – Target 2.3.B: Broadband services should cost no more than 5% of average monthly income in developing countries by 2020
    • – Target 2.4: Worldwide, 90% of the rural population should be covered by broadband services by 2020
    • – Target 2.5.A: Gender equality among Internet users should be reached by 2020
    • – Target 2.5.B: Enabling environments ensuring accessible telecommunications/ICTs for persons with disabilities should be established in all countries by 2020
  • Goal 3: Sustainability – Manage challenges resulting from telecommunication/ICT development
    • – Target 3.1: Cybersecurity readiness should be improved by 40% by 2020
    • – Target 3.2: Volume of redundant e-waste to be reduced by 50% by 2020
    • – Target 3.3: Greenhouse gas emissions generated by the telecommunication/ICT sector to be decreased per device by 30% by 2020
  • Goal 4: Innovation and partnership – Lead, improve and adapt to the changing telecommunication/ICT environment
    • – Target 4.1: Telecommunication/ICT environment conducive to innovation
    • – Target 4.2: Effective partnerships of stakeholders in the telecommunication/ICT environment