Page 12 - SAMENA Trends - January-February 2023

SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY SAMENA TRENDS

Findings & Key Messages from the RISE 2023 Conference

• RISE helped create new understanding mayor of New York City, a top-ranking • Sustainable digitalization can help on
of the need to pursue sustainability technology city in the world, brought the road to net-zero. As a precondition,
in ICT development, include the need forth new ideas on how the 5G era is universal connectivity is key.
for sustainable investment in ICT enabling development of smart cities, • While participants acknowledged
infrastructure development, while helping to catalyze new innovative that there is a big adoption gap and
fostering greater collaboration on municipal processes in sustainable much needs to be done in this area,
sustainable development as a global city operations and municipal service connectivity infrastructure is still key
goal. delivery. For transforming existing and a level-playing field needs to be
• Perspectives from the United Nations cities towards sustainability, digital created and preserved, to support
and the ITU’s new leadership reinforced transformation of public infrastructure network operators to enable them to
the need for countries at higher levels is a prerequisite. This starts at the cater to increased future demands on
of digital to take the leadership role municipal level as a key driver based networks (e.g., through development
in helping other countries adopt the on collaboration between network of the metaverse and its many
right policies, the right regulations operators, governments, and other applications and implications for data)
and the right ways of incentivizing sectors. • Collaboration between satellite and
public-private sector cooperation while • Key message delivered by many terrestrial network operators is essential
maintaining momentum in achieving speakers during RISE focused on going forward to foster synergies
universal connectivity and sustainable the need for ICT sustainability to stemming from complementarity in
digital transformation as a part of the move to center stage to create the capabilities
ITU’s new strategy. right fundament for a resilient and • The ICT industry needs to accelerate
• New inter-governmental organizations, sustainable digital future. adoption of steps to adopt ICT
such as Digital Cooperation • Key levers to achieve sustainable sustainability as a key pillar of our work
Organization, utilized the RISE platform ICTs were highlighted to include and a priority going forward.
to reiterate digital cooperation-building collaboration and partnership along • Sustainable investments in ICT
endeavors in the region. ICT supply and value chains, financial infrastructure, sustainable ICT
• Perspectives shared by the office of the incentives and enabling regulation. development with greener technologies

12 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2023