No one could have envisioned what the world would look like after a global pandemic when the International Telecommunication Union’s Plenipotentiary Conference last met in 2018 in Dubai, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves said.
Graves addressed the first plenary meeting of the conference in Bucharest, Romania, Sept. 26, according to a news release.
“First, I would like to offer my congratulations to the chair on his appointment to lead this conference and convey my sincere thanks to the government of Romania for the very warm welcome that the U.S. delegation has received here in Bucharest,” Graves said, according to the release.
The need for affordable and meaningful access and connectivity to digital technologies was highlighted by the pandemic, he said, the release reported. More progress is needed in each country and in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to ensure all citizens are connected.
“Online school only works if teachers and children have the right digital tools. Digital government services rely on resilient infrastructure and training,” Graves said, according to the release.
The collective countries are undertaking the challenging and important work to chart the ITU’s course under its theme, Connect and Unite. Graves said the goals are inextricably linked, so they must work as a team to connect everyone. ITU member countries must meet to talk and exchange views and ideas to serve as a community of action, the release reported.
“The United States looks forward to working with other ITU members here in Romania, in the United States, and worldwide,” he said, according to the release.
