His Excellency Mr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia,
My dear colleague, Mr. Antonio Pedro, Acting Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the UN Secretary-General Mr. Ant車nio Guterres, I warmly welcome you to the official opening of the seventeenth annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum.
I have the honour to invite the Secretary-General to deliver his video address.
Thank you.
I join the Secretary-General in extending sincere thanks to our Host, the Government of Ethiopia, for bringing this important meeting back to its origin.
My deep gratitude also goes to my colleagues in the Economic Commission for Africa, for their outstanding support.
Indeed, the Internet Governance Forum received its mandate through the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, held in Tunis in 2005.
The Internet Governance Forum was again held in Africa more than 10 years ago 每 in Nairobi, in 2011.
Yet, Africa is the least connected region, with 60 per cent of the population offline 每 representing a majority of the 2.7 billion people who are offline globally.
This is in stark contrast with developed regions such as Europe -- the most connected region, with 89 per cent of its population enjoying access to the Internet.
This places African countries and people at a great societal disadvantage and risks them being left further behind.
The vital role of the Internet in building Africa's sustainable future cannot be overstated.
It is my hope that this IGF will help accelerate Africa＊s transition to a digital future.
The Internet is a springboard for us to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals, through digital empowerment.
Digital technologies and the Internet are serving as engines of growth and providers of essential services, including through support to e-government and growing digital economies.
Powered by the Internet, digital jobs and e-commerce are growing, even during crises.
For an open, free, and secure digital future for all, we need a resilient Internet. The theme of this 17th Internet Governance Forum is most fitting.
Our collective task here in Addis Ababa is to unleash the power and potential of a resilient Internet for our shared sustainable and common future.
Building a resilient and empowering Internet will mean addressing the dark side of our digital reality.
While some are challenged by digital disruptions, the unconnected are left further behind, caught in a vicious cycle of inequality, including intergenerational inequity.
At the same time, the connected are confronted daily with misinformation, disinformation, and fake news 每 impacting how we live, how we work and how we interact with each other.
And cyberattacks and data fraud are more rampant than ever 每 spam, hacking, phishing, denial of service attacks, invasion of privacy, violation of digital property rights, and the list goes on.
Collectively, we must step up to deliver a digital future that accounts for and addresses these failings. 每 We must ensure that the promise of technologies is not clouded by misuse and abuse.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This is where the Internet Governance Forum delivers -- as a convener and connector.
Global Internet governance is complex 每 no single person or institution can fully grasp its complexity or deliver a perfect solution.
Joining us at this hybrid meeting -- onsite or online, are leaders, experts and stakeholders representing Governments, international and intergovernmental organizations, civil society, academia, technical communities, and business, engaged in over 200 different sessions this entire week.
I believe there will be insightful and refreshing exchanges.
From connecting all people to safeguarding human rights, from avoiding Internet fragmentation, to governing data and protecting privacy, and in enabling safety, security, and accountability, and in addressing advanced technologies, let us spare no efforts in highlighting the promises and perils of the digital space.
The inclusive, multistakeholder approach of the Internet Governance Forum creates a level-playing field for sharing policy solutions, best practices, and experiences, for identifying emerging issues and bringing them to the attention of the relevant bodies and the public.
We must leverage the IGF to land the types of concrete outcomes we want to see at all levels, whether it be in shaping global norms and standards or informing national-level regulations.
Colleagues,
I look forward to being part of the many important exchanges in the days ahead.
The digital frontier is where the truly transformational power will be realized and an important space for accelerating progress towards the SDGs.
The 51勛圖 is fully committed to work with all of you -- for an open, free, secure, and resilient Internet for all.
Thank you.