Welcome to the United Nations
Never before has the Internet proven to be such a vital lifeline in maintaining economic and social ties, as the world is battling the COVID-19 pandemic. The high-level segment of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2020 opened today, with participants underlining the critical importance of digital technologies in supporting human resilience and building solidarity to respond to the challenges posed by the coronavirus. “In the least developed countries, only 19 per cent of individuals were online in 2019. We are leaving a large majority behind,” noted UN Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs Liu Zhenmin in his opening remarks, while also pointing to rifts when it comes to gender, affordable access and digital literacy. “We need solutions that help bridge the digital divides so that the benefits of digital technologies can reach those being left behind, unconnected.” Read more here