Broadband Commission calls on world leaders to harness development potential of ICTs to drive the SDGs

The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development issued a statement urging policymakers, the private sector and other partners to make deployment of broadband infrastructure a top priority in strategies to accelerate global development and progress towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The statement was presented to the 2016 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, which is meeting in New York City from 11-20 July to guide global efforts on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

In the statement, the Commission outlines the myriad ways broadband can improve global sustainable development. These include addressing basic needs such as education and access to information, helping lift people out of poverty through e-commerce opportunities and job growth, improving health services, monitoring climate change and planetary processes, and bridging the digital gender divide.