TNL pays tribute to the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day ​(WTISD), which has been celebrated annually every 17 May since 1969 to mark the founding of ITU and the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865.

The COVID-19 crisis has not only enlighted the critical role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for the continued functioning of societies, organizations, and teams but has also brought to the fore the urgency of accelerating digital transformation and advancing the goals and targets of the Connect 2030 Agenda, launched by ITU, to leave no one behind.

UN Secretary-General says “Digital technologies sustain life, work, health and learning for billions of people. In the face of COVID-19, businesses, governments and the digital community have proven resilient and innovative, helping to protect lives and livelihoods. These challenging times have accelerated the transformation everywhere. Yet 3.7 billion people – nearly half the world’s population – remain unconnected to the Internet; and of these, the majority are women. They, too, must be included if we are to make the possibilities of 5G, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, digital health and other technologies truly transformative and sustainable. We must also protect against the dangers of digital technologies, from the spread of hatred and misinformation to cyberattacks and the exploitation of our data.”

TNL sees in WTISD 2021 an opportunity to continue pushing for digital transformation by promoting national and corporate strategies on ICT development, innovative policies to encourage investments, cooperation, and partnership, especially towards supporting those need it most, and undoubtedly to all those spending their lives at sea.