It Takes a Global Crisis: Episode 1 - Digitalization & Connectivity, a COVID-driven race

Welcome to Episode 1 of 'It Takes a Global Crisis', a series of four special episodes produced by the UN Library & Archives Geneva in collaboration with the SDG Lab. In this episode on digitalization and connectivity, we're joined by Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) and Ibrahima Guimba-Saïdou, the Minister Special Advisor to President of Niger and CEO of the National Agency for Information Society (ANSI). Together, they explore the impact of COVID-19 on connectivity and digitalization across the world, and whether progress to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals has been accelerated or disadvantaged through the pandemic.   So, did it take a global crisis to advance digitization and connectivity? Let's find out.  Note: This podcast, recorded on 6 October 2021, mentions 3.7 billion people, or 51% of the world’s population, remain unconnected to the Internet (Source: ITU Facts and Figures 2020). In December 2021, ITU's latest Facts and Figures 2021 report revealed that the estimated number of people who have used the Internet has surged to 4.9 billion in 2021 (63%), from an estimated 4.1 billion in 2019. However, in 2021, an estimated 37 per cent of the world's population – or 2.9 billion people – have still never used the Internet. Resources  Transcript: The Next Page - Transcripts - Audio Guide - Research Guides at United Nations Library & Archives Geneva (unog.ch) Find out more about Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau of the ITU: Click here. Find out more about Ibrahima Guimba-Saïdou, Minister Special Advisor to President of Niger and CEO of National Agency for Information Society (ANSI): Click here. Find out more about the 'Building Smart Villages: A Blueprint – as Piloted in Niger': Click here. Sustainable Development Goals: THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development (un.org) The 2030 Agenda: The Sustainable Development Agenda - United Nations Sustainable Development Where to listen to this episode Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-page/id1469021154  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10fp8ROoVdve0el88KyFLy  Youtube: https://youtu.be/wUdt7ziY0V0  UN Library & Archives Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UNOGLibrary  Twitter: https://twitter.com/UNOGLibrary  SDG Lab Twitter: https://twitter.com/SDGLab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sdg-lab/ SDG Lab website: About SDG Lab — SDG Lab Content Speakers: Doreen Bogdan-Martin and Ibrahima Guimba-Saïdou Host: Edward Mishaud Editor: Tiffany Verga Social Media: Tiffany Verga & Marlène Borlant Production: Natalie Alexander, Edward Mishaud, Marlène Borlant, Evgeniya Altukhova & Tiffany Verga Recorded & produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva in collaboration with the SDG Lab.