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.