The United Nations, presidents, business owners, and leaders of multilateral agencies have renewed their commitment to connect every school and community to the internet by 2030.
They made the commitment at a high-level virtual meeting, where they pledged to also reach 3.5 billion children and young people with quality education, including world-class digital solutions, and distance learning.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who addressed two African leaders – President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, his Kenyan equivalent, President Uhuru Kenyatta – other leaders from governments, businesses, said the world had no hope of achieving the SDGs without harnessing the energy, tech savvy and optimism of young people.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Connecting Half the World to Opportunities’, Guterres said, ‘Putting resources into digital learning and training for young people is an essential investment in building social cohesion, and in reducing the unsustainable inequalities that are blocking human development and economic growth.
‘But these investments cannot be top-down. Young people themselves must be at the forefront, with decision-making power, bringing their creativity, energy and problem-solving skills to the world’s greatest challenges’.
Recent data from UNESCO shows that some one billion students and youths across the planet are affected by school and university closures due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Similarly, a recent UNICEF report highlighted that at least one in three schoolchildren globally was unable to access remote learning when schools closed, exposing the lack of access to digital technology.
Participants, it was gathered, renewed their commitment to connect every school and community to the internet by 2030.
Source: UN News
Photo source: Erik (HASH) Hersman
