Meeting of UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development held

The virtual annual meeting of the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development took place.

Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies Ramin Guluzade made a speech at the first session of the meeting entitled “Build Back Stronger and Better – Leaving No One Behind”. The Minister spoke about the experience and regional significance of Azerbaijan in the development of broadband Internet, and also informed about the measures taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection in our country.

It should be noted that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and UNESCO set up the Broadband Commission for Digital Development in response to the former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s call to step-up UN efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).The Commission, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, was established in May 2010  with the aim of boosting the importance of broadband on the international policy agenda, and expanding broadband access in every country as key to accelerating progress towards national and international development targets.

The Broadband Commission engages in high-level advocacy to promote broadband in developing countries and underserved communities.

The Commission is co-chaired by Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and Carlos Slim Helu, President of the Carlos Slim Foundation and the vice-chairmen are Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

Minister Ramin Guluzade has been elected Commissioner of the Commission since 2016. In September of that year, he attended the first meeting of the Commission in New York.