±¬ÁÏÍø

– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Tijjani Muhammad Bande, President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

11 June 2020

Excellencies

Ladies and Gentlemen

I welcome you all to this Virtual High-Level Thematic Debate on the?Impact of Rapid Technological Change on the Sustainable Development Goals and Targets. Our meeting is one of the few virtual informal events mandated by the General Assembly.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced everyone to change the way we work, teach and learn; even the way we mourn and heal. In times when we have had to distance ourselves as individuals and rely on technology to support our way of living, we have also realised the risks and opportunities that emerging technologies bring in keeping our societies connected.

Today, you may be talking about a spotty internet connection; or how you have eventually mastered the way to hold virtual meetings. But we should not forget that this remains a privilege. While in many countries, access to high-speed internet is so much a fact of life as to be taken for granted, close to half of the people living in developing countries are not connected. This inequality affects more sharply people in vulnerable situations, including persons with disabilities, the elderly, women and children, indigenous peoples, migrants and refugees.

The spread of information and communications technology and global interconnectedness have great potential to accelerate human progress, bridge the digital divide and develop knowledge societies, as does scientific and technological innovation across areas as diverse as medicine and energy, or education and agriculture. It also has enormous potential to support the advancement of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

However, there are also adverse effects such as labour displacement due to technology change, concerns about the right to privacy in the digital age and respect for human rights, or even bullying or large-scale disinformation or spread of hate speech. Advances in technologies also present challenges related to cybersecurity, transnational organized crime and illicit financial flows.

The digital divide is not only about how inequalities to access exist, but also about how rapid technological change may widen those disparities. Educational opportunities may be lost by lack of awareness and high cost of connectivity. Digital literacy is already a defining feature of this century and will determine how our societies deal with the challenges of the future, from human rights to the climate crisis.

Therefore, our responsibility as the international community is to make sure that rapid technological changes, including their economic, social and ethical impacts are taken into account and responded to.

Excellencies

Ladies and Gentlemen

±¬ÁÏÍø has dealt with discussions regarding technologies and with the interrelationships between technology and societies for many decades. There is an impression that the organisation is slow to react to the challenges and opportunities of emerging technologies.

But today we are here, holding a virtual event amidst a global health pandemic. We have been able to innovate and continue to serve our people.

I commend the work of the Interagency Task Team on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs that has brought together the ±¬ÁÏÍø system in responding to the needs in achieving the 2030 Agenda. The General Assembly also welcomed the work done by the Secretary-General¡¯s?High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation. Its recommendations brought to the fore the critical issues we must address in this age of digital interdependence. The roundtables that followed allowed for Member States to provide their inputs. I look forward to today¡¯s presentation of the Roadmap by the Secretary-General.

Excellencies

Based on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, focused in particular on the needs of the most vulnerable and with the participation of all Member States and stakeholders, we are determined to mobilize the means required to implement a safe and inclusive digital future for all.

The impact of new technologies on our societies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things, biometrics, robotics, and blockchain is vast. Technologies are vulnerable to bias and abuse. An important question remains: whom does technology serve? This needs to be studied and understood with appropriate actions taken on behalf of all.

Many algorithms that already define our lives reflect the biases of their developers. Tangible action is needed to create a more diverse work environment in the tech sector, that embraces people from different backgrounds.

We also need to step up the pace to foster stronger cooperation across stakeholders to remove barriers to women¡¯s and girl¡¯s full participation in the digital world. Limited access to quality education, and affordability, as well as cultural norms, still prevent many from entering such fields.

Rapid technological change has not always signified bright promises for everyone, as it might create winners and losers. Promoting technology should be done in partnership with civil society and the private sector. This has the potential to further assure us that everyone wins.

I acknowledge the work of civil society organisations who are giving a voice to those who are negatively affected by emerging technologies , exploring new avenues of reaching out to those left behind and reminding us to increase our awareness of privacy and security issues for citizens.

The private sector is a source of innovation and transformation that brings us opportunities in various fields including telemedicine, new educational approaches, logistics and new forms of entertainment.

Excellencies

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world, and its effects shall continue to affect us for many years to come. The need to eradicate poverty, end hunger and achieve quality education for all is more urgent than ever.?

2020 marks the beginning of the Decade of Action and Delivery on the SDGs and we must be mindful not to lose sight of the commitments we have made to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Therefore, we must make sure that we harness the promise of emerging technologies towards accelerating the achievement of the SDGs.