The important role of digital access and connectivity for small island developing states (SIDS) such as Barbados, was the focus of discussion when the Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Doreen Bogdan-Martin met with Barbados’ Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Matthew Wilson, today.
During the courtesy call, the two officials also discussed the leading role Barbados has played in the Broadband Commission, and Ambassador Wilson welcomed the collaboration between the ITU and Barbados in areas such as the use of the ITU’S Regulatory Tracker, which looks at the existence and features of regulatory frameworks based on regulatory authority, regulatory mandate, regulatory regime and competition.
He noted that many national regulators in the Caribbean region had benefitted from support through the ITU’s Caribbean HIPCAR project, which aims to improve competitiveness and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development in the region, with a focus on the harmonisation of ICT policies, legislation and regulatory procedures.
The Ambassador also commended the important role of the ITU office, based in the UN House in Barbados, and the work of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union and its Secretary General, Barbadian Rodney Taylor. He asked for consideration to be given to an enhanced presence in the region.
Secretary General Bogdan-Martin, who was elected at the 2022 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference and is the first woman in the 157-year history of the ITU to become the Secretary General, highlighted how the ITU can work with SIDS around issues of green digital and invited Barbados to participate in a digital solutions showcase in September in New York.
Ambassador Wilson and Secretary General Bogdan-Martin agreed to work together to ensure the priority issues of SIDS are given space. These included the affordability of digital access, cybersecurity, and the importance of climate-smart digital solutions reflected in the United Nations SIDS Conference in 2024, which will be hosted by Antigua and Barbuda.
The International Telecommunication Union is the United Nations’ specialised agency for ICTs. It was founded in 1865 to facilitate international connectivity in communications networks and allocates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits; develops the technical standards that ensure networks and technologies seamlessly interconnect; and strives to improve access to ICTs to underserved communities worldwide.