Page 100 - SAMENA Trends - February-March 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

challenges remain, and new challenges the draft Generation Connect Asia and Women for WTDC-21 Asia and the Pacific
have emerged over the past three years. the Pacific Action Plan 2022-2025, which aims to promote active participation of
These have been compounded by the outlines key interests, perspectives and women in ITU activities, including in the
COVID-19 pandemic and require concerted concerns of young people regarding the tech sector in general. "The Government
and focused action. Meeting participants opportunities and challenges presented by of Mongolia gives great importance to the
reported on the implementation of SDGs digital technologies. The group comprises ICT sector and digital transformation," said
in the sector, as well as of the WTDC-17 26 young people from the region, selected Bolor-Erdene Battsengel, Chairwoman
Buenos Aires Action Plan, associated after a competitive selection process. The of the Communications and Information
regional-level initiatives, and the World Generation Connect initiative promotes Technology Authority (CITA) of Mongolia.
Summit for Information Society (WSIS) meaningful youth engagement and "We want to ensure that the benefits of
Plan of Action. "Despite the COVID-19 participation in the WTDC-21 process and digital transformation are fully recognized
pandemic, the ITU Regional Office at the Youth Summit to be held on 6-7 by citizens and public and private
has delivered technical assistance November 2021. sectors and that they contribute to the
and continued the implementation of Network of Women for the ITU empowerment of women in the ICT sector."
the regional initiatives to connect the Telecommunication Development Sector ITU International Centre of Digital
unconnected," noted Atsuko Okuda, ITU The meeting unveiled the Network of Innovation
Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Women (NoW) Asia-Pacific for the In a discussion focused on ITU's
region. ITU Telecommunication Development International Centre of Digital Innovation
Generation Connect regional action plan, Sector, an initiative that aims to build a (I-CoDI), the Indian delegation presented
2022-2025 community to support female delegates, a national initiative to promote digital
In parallel with the regional preparatory expand their network, and advocate and innovation in connectivity and highlighted a
meeting, the Generation Connect – Asia share experiences and knowledge with series of upcoming webinars on innovative
and the Pacific Youth Group presented other female delegates. The Network of applications and connectivity options.

ITU to Advance AI Capabilities to Contend with Natural Disasters

The International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) – the United Nations
specialized agency for information and
communication technologies – has
launched a new Focus Group to contend
with the increasing prevalence and
severity of natural disasters with the
help of artificial intelligence (AI). In close
collaboration with the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) and the United
Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the
ITU Focus Group on 'AI for natural disaster
management' will support global efforts to
improve our understanding and modelling greatest challenges facing humanity." and accompanying educational materials
of natural hazards and disasters. It will Clashes with nature impacted 1.5 billion addressing these three key dimensions
distill emerging best practices to develop people from 2005 to 2015, with 700,000 of natural disaster management. Its
a roadmap for international action in AI lives lost, 1.4 million injured, and 23 million study of emergency communications
for natural disaster management. The left homeless, according to the Sendai will consider both technical as well as
group's first meeting is scheduled for Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction sociological and demographical aspects
15-17 March 2021. Participation is open 2015-2030 developed by the UN Office of these communications to ensure that
to all interested parties. "With new data for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). AI they speak to all people at risk. "This
and new insight come new powers of can advance data collection and handling, Focus Group looks to AI to help address
prediction able to save countless numbers improve hazard modelling by extracting one of the most pressing issues of our
of lives," said ITU Secretary-General Houlin complex patterns from a growing volume time," noted the Chair of the Focus Group,
Zhao. "This new Focus Group is the latest of geospatial data, and support effective Monique Kuglitsch, Innovation Manager
ITU initiative to ensure that AI fulfils its emergency communications. The new at ITU member Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz
extraordinary potential to accelerate Focus Group will analyze relevant use Institute. “We will build on the collective
the innovation required to address the cases of AI to deliver technical reports expertise of the communities convened by

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