Working Group on Youth (WG-Y)

Chaired by Dr. Hamadoun Touré

Background

The Broadband Commission for Digital Development was launched by Dr. Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General of the ITU, and Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, in May 2010 in response to the call by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, to step up UN efforts to help accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Its main aim is to highlight the importance of broadband in helping boost achievement of the MDGs. It unites senior policy-makers and top executives from the telecommunication industry in a bid to extend the benefits of high-speed Internet to people around the world. To focus the work of this influential set of leaders, the Commission established eight Working Groups on various key thematic areas.

Objectives

This Working Group aims to give young people a forum and a voice with which to speak to Commissioners, and to provide a platform for advocacy to draw attention to the importance of connectivity for any young person’s social and economic development:

1. To gather input from young people to explain how broadband can be used as a force for human progress;
2. To generate a vision statement by young people emphasizes their views in regard to broadband;
3. To draw attention to the Broadband Commission and its objectives of establishing ubiquitous, affordable broadband for all by engaging with other relevant UN events in 2011;

Activities

WG-Y held its first meeting in Geneva on May 17, when 50 students and interns were asked to explain how they envisioned broadband technologies improving people’s lives in five key areas: Young Entrepreneurs, Global Voices, Peace & Democracy, Knowledge Sharing and Health. The outcome of this meeting was a vision statement, to be presented to the Broadband Commission in October. A representative of WG-Y attended the UN GA High-Level meeting on Youth in New York in July 2011. At its second meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, 250 young Africans were asked to identify the best services and applications that could be delivered via broadband. The best two candidates will be flown to Geneva to pitch their ideas to the Commission during the Broadband Leadership Summit in October 2011 to secure endorsement to turn their aspirations into reality and develop their project into a working prototype. This process will include mentoring and tutorship to help develop their fledgling careers.

Outcomes

The WG-Y has developed its own vision statement and, even more importantly, helped ensure that the important views and perspectives of young people are taken into account and represented in the work of the Commission, as the millennial generation who will help shape the future of broadband.