By Doreen Bogdan-Martin
ITU Secretary-General
Investing in digital infrastructure and skills is the most effective step the private sector can take right now to supercharge development in landlocked developing countries.
Imagine walking for miles under a scorching desert sun just to get a mobile signal, for hundreds of thousands of refugees in southeastern Ethiopia.
Or accepting payments for your fledgling start-up using , a boon for financial inclusion in countries like Rwanda.
Or streaming a video for the first time in the remotest parts of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, where the ITU-UNICEF Giga initiative has helped connect over thanks in part to satellite imagery and AI.
Game-changing digital solutions like these can accelerate progress on of the 169 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets and transform life for all 351 million people living in landlocked developing countries (LLDCs).
But with only 39 per cent of the population in LLDCs connected to the Internet, turning this potential into lived realities will require massive investments – both in digital infrastructure and skills.
Progress through partnerships
As the UN agency for digital technologies, ITU stands at the forefront of this endeavor through our work on radiocommunications, technical standards, and global digital development.
160 years of experience also tells us that technology alone isn’t enough to bridge the digital divide.
That’s why we also advocate for multistakeholder partnerships such as the , where ITU leads efforts to achieve universal and meaningful connectivity.
To date, the overall financial value of commitments submitted by over 447 entities through the amounts to approximately 51 billion US dollars.
Of these nearly 940 pledges, about 26 per cent target at least one LLDC, including Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Lesotho, Malawi, Paraguay, and Rwanda.
The estimated financial value of these commitments is about 19 billion US dollars.
To ensure resources get to where they’re most needed, Partner2Connect also encourages pledgers to continuously report on implementation.
That’s how we know most LLDC-targeted commitments are geared towards expanding connectivity and digital infrastructure, as well as affordability.
Boosting adoption of digital technologies through digital skill-building or inclusion initiatives is the second most common type of pledge.
Room for progress
Of the 241 commitments targeting at least one LLDC, 19 per cent come from the private sector.
16 of those have reported progress in areas like infrastructure, affordability, and skills.
At the same time, our data-driven pledging platform has given unprecedented visibility into specific challenges facing implementers in LLDCs, including but not limited to:
- Insufficient electricity and energy supplies;
- Lack of awareness about affordable, reliable connectivity infrastructure options;
- Difficulties integrating new and emerging technologies such as satellite broadband into national digital transformation strategies;
- Burdensome or insufficient regulatory measures; and
- Prohibitive capital and operating costs.
Still, there is ample room for progress.
With the theme “Driving progress through partnerships”, the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3) is an unmissable opportunity to step up our collective efforts.
Time of the essence
Digital infrastructure can make life-changing differences.
Innovative multistakeholder platforms like Partner2Connect are up and running.
And LLDCs are top of mind this year.
The stars have aligned, but we cannot and must not lose steam.
Delivering on the SDGs by 2030 depends on maximizing investment in digital development as quickly as possible.
USD by 2026 is the ambitious goal set by the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition last year.
But it will remain a distant dream without additional commitments, including investment.
LLDC3 is the perfect moment for more industry partners to join the Coalition and invest in the digital transformation of landlocked developing countries.
Current pledgers can also brainstorm how to overcome implementation challenges or engage with governments to review priorities and adjust for shifting needs.
As we look to the Global Digital Compact and the UN Summit of the Future in September, the international community and private sector partners cannot afford to miss this once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a more inclusive, open, safe, and sustainable digital future for all.
Together, let’s make digital investment a cornerstone of development across LLDCs.
