APC welcomes the opportunity to comment on the First Draft Outline of the Report by the ITU Secretary-General for the Sixth World Telecommunication/Information and Communication Technology Policy Forum 2021 (WTPF-21). In particular, we welcome WTPF-21’s emphasis on the potential contribution of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ICTs have enormous potential to strengthen social, political, cultural, economic and human development. In developing solutions and policy frameworks for the WTPF-21 thematic areas, it is critical that sustainable development – economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection – be part of the considerations, with appropriate questions on the contribution or risks that each of the proposed solutions might have on these factors.
In reviewing the draft outline, we have been impressed by the scope of the questions in each of the themes. APC believes, however, that the questions in each of the areas should be centred around the impact that developments in these areas will have on social, political, cultural, economic and human development.
Additionally, APC recommends that in all of the work of the WTPF-21, attention is paid to the creation of digital solutions that respond to the environmental crisis facing our planet. In order to meet the 17 SDGs, the ITU needs to be concerned with a sustainable planet to sustain those goals.
Read APC's full submission here.