Page 10 - SAMENA Trends - May 2020

SAMENA COUNCIL ACTIVITY SAMENA TRENDS

situation is thus serving as a catalyst for for informed and educated societies, transformation;
bringing about a paradigm shift in how to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 2. define clear digital blueprints, to achieve
we use ICTs for provisioning healthcare pandemic; ease the immediate adverse common consensus among policy-
services; delivering education; and how impacts for economies and societies; and makers and ICT ecosystem players;
the world's private and public-sectors to help secure a sustainable next decade 3. align national ICT visions with global
cooperate, to help synergize collaboration for ICTs and digital innovation. SAMENA trends and agreed ICT development
in digital transformation through Council, represented by Commissioner objectives, by formulating clear
broadband connectivity, digitization, and Bocar BA, acting on behalf of the Council's telecommunications industry plans and
innovation at an accelerated pace. In Telecom Operator Members, is advocating corresponding digitization promotion
acknowledgement of the necessity to see for the UN Broadband Commission's policies, which should also help
the integral role of ICTs in managing the Agenda for Action and is inviting the enhance competitiveness within the
current situation and to revise our vision Industry to join efforts to leverage the telecommunications industry;
and strategy to fulfill SDGs for the next power of broadband for more effective 4. encourage 5G+ industry applications to
decade, the efforts led by initiatives such emergency response, to promote faster develop a full-fledged 5G ecosystem, by
as the UN Secretary-General's High-level and better overall recovery, connecting the ensuring that platforms and facilities
Panel on Digital Cooperation and of the UN unconnected, and to help put the world's are provided to new comers and that
Broadband Commission for Sustainable economic and environmental health on a market-entry barriers are reduced for
Development evidence commitment in path to improvement and sustainability. new investors; and
putting digital cooperation into physical In view of our immediate needs to get out 5. identify and foster ICT talent, and
action, for instance, through an emergency of this unforeseen global crisis and with put in practice talent management
"Agenda for Action"; to keep economies Connect 2030 Agenda in mind, SAMENA approaches.
and societies working. This is in absolute Council deems it necessary that industry COVID-19 is an opportunity to see the
accordance with the defined SDGs for the decision-makers take immediate steps to: Connect 2030 Agenda in new light, and
next decade. Each Commissioner in the 1. promote that ICT infrastructure is to develop an ICT + Collaboration culture
Broadband Commission is tasked to drive fundamental to the survivability of not only to deal with natural disasters
meaningful collaboration and to assist in the nations and thus positive policies and similar crisis situations in the future,
defining actionable steps based on the three must be framed as soon as possible but to build a sustainable new decade for
pillars of resilient connectivity, affordable to incubate innovation to accelerate the world and its Digital Economy through
access, and safe use of online services digital infrastructure development and ICTs.

10 MAY 2020