Towards a Connected 2030

On 16 September 2023, at its Annual Fall Meeting, the UNESCO/ITU Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, unveiled the 2023 State of Broadband Report, “Digital Connectivity – A Transformative Opportunity.”  Examining the shift from supply-driven to demand-driven communication access, the report focuses on the next steps in connectivity for digital transformation by analyzing the strong acceleration of people, businesses and governments towards online communications.

Highlighting the need to address key barriers to people adopting and using the Internet where coverage is available, the publication also identifies the need for better financing and funding of connectivity to enhance the positive movement towards universally available, affordable and equitable access to broadband internet.

Overall, the annual Broadband Commission report provides an overview of global progress towards achieving universal connectivity, updates on the 2025 Broadband Advocacy Targets and stories from Commissioners regarding the necessary actions to reach universal connectivity. 

A high-level public-private partnership initiative fostering digital cooperation, this event pulled together at the UN Headquarters in New York over 50 Commissioners and representatives from international organizations, governments, the private sector and academia. The primary objective was to discuss a shared vision towards a world where everyone has not only internet and broadband connectivity, but also possesses the skills and knowledge to use them. 

Additionally, this year saw the launch of the Working Group report entitled “The Transformative Power of Data for Learning.” The Working Group, chaired by UNESCO’s Director-General Ms. Audrey Azoulay, delved into the potential of data to drive the safe, inclusive and equitable transformation of education. Providing key findings on the current global education data ecosystem, the report concludes that data for learning is a double-edged sword, which requires careful action to minimize the risks and maximize the benefits, as global asymmetries related to data access, skills and sovereignty continue to prevail. 

The report emphasizes the need for all education stakeholders to be able to communicate data insights, assess data quality, grasp the main principles of data governance and ownership, and understand the impact of data use on people and human rights. For this, it identifies investments in capacity-building to reinforce the agency of education and training institutions to direct, design and drive the data revolution towards improving learning opportunities for all, as crucial.

The report offers recommendations on how the international community can work together to bridge the digital data divide and strongly recommends implementing a whole-of-government and whole-of-ecosystem approach. Among the actions that can be taken, the report suggests establishing a sustainable financing strategy, strengthening critical data literacy and skills, prioritizing uses of education data that target systemic obstacles and harnessing multilateralism, solidarity and cooperation for international standards and norms. 

UNESCO announced the establishment of a new Working Group focused on “Transforming Digital Policies”. This group aims to comprehensively assess various digital policy options within UNESCO’s competence, emphasizing opportunities and essential safeguards, while providing guidance to government and public sector services.