IGF 2017 - Day 4 - Room XXII - OF95 Islands Surrounded by Land and Sea: The Road to Full Connectivity

 

The following are the outputs of the real-time captioning taken during the Twelfth Annual Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Geneva, Switzerland, from 17 to 21 December 2017. Although it is largely accurate, in some cases it may be incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid to understanding the proceedings at the event, but should not be treated as an authoritative record. 

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>> MIGUEL CANDIA:  Good morning for those who haven't eaten and good afternoon for those who have.  I'm very glad to have you all here.  My name is Miguel Candia.  I am a MAG member of the IGF.  My first year.  I have the pleasure of being here with this open forum of full Connectivity of countries such as well, decease in seats and having different scenarios and different realities that we need to overcome and we need to step in and out in order to have the necessary evolution we need in order to fulfill the path.

Before going into the issue itself, I would like to give Luis from the IGF secretary floor for a second so he can explain to you the hence up system that we're going to use for this e vent and that it is experimental as far as I understand it for this year.  Luis, you have the floor.

>> Luis:  Thank you, Miguel.  You have a pioneer because it's the first session in which this is going to be used.  The system is going to use it mostly next year, but this is a new electronic queue system that we've going to use offsite and online participants.  Simply I will show you brief as in one minute how it works because you will access from your mobiles.  So both online and it will appear here in the room and on the Internet.  So if you access our website and you go here to participate in our meetings, okay, and you click there.  You will access to this page.  Okay?  The system is surely explained.  There are two rooms.  We're going to use room 2 for this meeting.  So there are two bottoms.  One button is to ask for the floor and the other button is to see the queue, the current queue.  So you click on this button and you will access to the current queue, which is this view.  Okay?  This is what we're going to keep here on the screen together with the transcripts all the time.  So the queue is public.

>> Luis, who do you (?)?  It's over there.  Should we ask to put my question in the queue or no?

>> Luis:  I think you should.  You are going to ask for the floor.

>> No.  Just the question.  You went too fast.  Could you just repeat, please?

>> Luis:  Sure.

>> Okay.  Here and then?

>> Luis:  Front page participate in our meetings.  Okay?  Then in participate in our meetings, you have on the bottom of the page two buttons for room 2.  Access the floor requi system and see the current speaking queue.  Okay?  So you see the current speaking queue.  So you will see the current speaking queue, which is empty at the moment.  Okay?  And this is what we are going to show involved on line participation and if you click the other button, which is the floor requi system, okay, you will be asked for your community profile.  You should have community profile because you register to this conference, et cetera.  So you log in.  I'm going to show you a test.  And this is the queue.  So he's asked for the floor.  So the system is working.  You just ask for the floor and you just click on handout.  Okay?  And then you will appear in the queue.  It's very fast.  I will just do a test.  It shows you to see.  I click on handout.  And the queue updates.  Okay?  So this can be done by online or on site participants.  This is democratic access to the floor system.  Okay?  If I go and show the queue, the view of the current queue, my name appears here.  Okay?  And at any time, I can put my hand down.  Only my hand.  Can I not touch, of course, geo van's hand.  I click here in the queue and I put my hand down.  With this, I will leave you to use the system and anyone online or on site participant can use it.  Okay?  So I put my hand down here.  Okay?  And that's solved.  You will see there is a small checkbox if you represent a remote half.  This means remote halfs register it.  They will be put in the queue.  And this depends on the chair of the meeting if you would like to give more preference to remote halfs.  Okay?  So we'll see the queue now.  The queue only shows geo van at the moment.  Okay?  So this is the view of the queue and we're going to keep during the meeting.  Okay?  So Gio Vaughn is next on the floor and I will let you use the system.  Okay?  Thank you very much.

>> GIO VAUGHN:  We thank you very much, Luis, for the explanation.  Keep in mind this is the first time we use it.  So don't worry about it if you are having troubles.  We will open the floor anyway for the on site participants.  So if you don't have the chance to enter the queue here, you will have the time, the chance to take the floor if you feel like it and it will be a pleasure for us to give the floor.  Let's go to business.

Well, the objective of the open forum is to bring together the expertise of different institutions and representatives to see the environment and to understand and the conversation about the ICTs in enabling ways for contrasts like ours.  Those are not familiar with the acronyms is along developing countries, list of developing countries and small line of developing states.  We have seen them around that is widely comprehended that developing countries particularly these face different challenges in their policy and environmental capabilities.  These can come in various packages and various ways, the challenges, I mean.  And they come as a challenge to not only to develop themselves, but to develop policies as well.  So for ‑‑ to have a more comprehensive view, we have with us very knowledgeable people with us.  We have (?) from the director of the foundation.  Jane Coffin and we have Maritza from ITU.  Well, we tried to use these platforms to make the case of the (?) in seats and because we had a part of the international community and the evolution in itself of the developing of our countries come with the developing of all other developing countries and with the help of those that are developed.  We are a team in this and to understand better how it works for some countries, maybe an enabler to understand the other realities and to work together.  With this, I will start with Maritza, if you allow me.  I will start with her from ITU to give us the scope on what ITU was doing in this matter.

>> Maritza:  Thank you have very much.  I want to first start by thanking the organizers for inviting ITU to this session and to this floor.  Many of you international communication union is the United Nations agency for information and main communication technologies.  And its commitment is to Connect all people around the world.  We all know that Information and Communication Technologies for the development of these developed countries and small line developing states is key.  And this has been recognized by ITU as a (?).  Reason why?  A resolution 16 and resolution 30 of its button conference provide ITU with a mandate to pay special attention to these countries.  In highlighting the key role that ICT played as enablers of national development, socioeconomic development and also to help this country achieving the 2030 agenda for sustainable development through the use of ICTs.  Furthermore, ITU has adopted in the last conference that was held in 2014 resolution 200, which is they Connect 2020 agenda.  This agenda is ‑‑ is for global telecommunication ICT in faster development.  This agenda has four specific goals.  Goal number 2 goes at 50% of its population of these countries should have access to the Internet by 2020 and 20% of its people should be using the Internet by the same year 2020.  So having this mandate in place, ITU assists these developed countries, small line ever developing states through the implementation of different activities, different programs and projects to help this country participate more and benefit more from the information society work.  I just as an example, I just want to mention something that ITU is doing.  For example, within the development sector, ITU has a program which is called concentrated assistance.  And different LDCs participate each year from these concentrate assistance and benefit.  For example, this year, Fammia received ICT equipment to support the schools for visually impaired children.  Also Fammia benefitted from another program which is early warning system project.  This project was developed together with a regulator and is to develop and implement two early warning systems if two different lotions.  One is in Beta island and the other one is in Casaia Village.  We had a lot of issues with implementation; however, these will bring people the opportunity to receive early warning alerts when floods are coming.  And also provide very rural communities where there is nothing there to be able to communicate to the central government to say that something is happening there.  This will reduce vulnerability of people and will at the end, save lives.  Another project we're developing right now is on big data.  This project is being undertaken and develop in Sierra Leon.  And this project will help tackle the spread of epidemics such as Ebola because this country suffered a lot.  So ITU reacted and is helping the countries to develop this big data project, which is based on CDR.  So it's called data record.  And this would provide them to allow to have spread maps so they can follow up people and they will tackle the spread of an epidemic.  It can be used for many things as well.  Another project that we are developing within the LDCs in Africa is an environmental wireless broadband internet.  This project is aimed as providing low cost or free Connectivity for schools and hospitals and the undercircle relation in rural and remote areas in different countries.  This project is being undertaken and developed in booking a fossil, (?) rang among others.  This project includes the development of ICT application based on each country's needs.  And also capacity building of local experts through training that it's getting to them so they can replicate the knowledge and to people that we'll be managing the restricter and the wireless broadband networks.  Also, is the development of an ICT broadband network plan for the entire time.  Without a plan, nothing can be achieved.  This is for the least LDCs and (?) countries.  I want to mention and highlight that in this project, Randa is the most successful case.  Randa has been able to Connect to the east African submarine cable.  And we'll provide support to the internet access and we'll improve speeds of Internet.  We have another project which is for ‑‑ this one is for the small line of developing states.  We ITU signed an agreement back if 2014 with 11 specific countries to provide them with Connectivity for development and also to be used for emergency telecommunication purposes.  This 11 Pacific countries will develop 55 E‑community centers and the E‑community centers will be placed in the most rural and unconnected areas.  You know that their main challenge is to Connect all the islands that they have and this project will be building 55 community centers and also as an important thing, it is not only to build the centers, but also to help the countries to develop a local, models because at the beginning, the project will be ‑‑ will provide satellite Connectivity free of charge.  At the end, communities should know how to continue with this business and the reason why ITU is helping the countries to develop these local business models for sustainability of the centers.  A similar project was done before in Samoa.  We had a very good results.  Another activity that ITU is doing is the development of assessment reports.  And take into consideration SDG9 significantly increase access to ICTs and strive to bring you affordable seas to the Internet by 2020 in LDCs.  ITU together with the United Nations office of the high representative of land developing countries and east developed countries have done this report, have developed this report.  This report, this is what I have in my hand is a drop.  The report will be launched mid‑January next year.  And the report is on achieving universal and affordable Internet in the least developed country.  This draft provides and the report will provide some highlights that I want to share with you because I think it's very useful.  It's mentioned that by 2016, all 47 LCDs have launched already three G mobile services and 60% of the population had been covered by 3G network which is a very good information.  And also this report provides information with basic services and ICT applications over 2G networks already that they have, have had a significant impact in developing in the countries.  So we are expecting an increase of development through the use of program because 3G is program.  There's another thing I want to highlight.  The lack of digital (?) has been an emerging leading barrier for development.  You know that most of the people can have all technology in their hands, but if they don't know how to use this technology and they don't know the benefit, they will be scared to use it and they will not even try to ‑‑ try to have access to these.  So that is leading for tackling development.  So what we need to take into consideration is that we need to support the countries in raising awareness on the need to provide more digital (inaudible) for people there.  Although 800 million of people are still offline.  By 2020, 1 out of 4 people will be using the internet.  That's another highlight of the report.  These are some things that we are doing and we have other two reports that are coming out and this one is for Bolivia and another one is for Paraguay.  This report is examining legal and regulatory aspects of these countries and identify initiatives that can lead these two countries to improvement, tip services that will help these two countries to improve development and also focusing in challenges.  And these are just some of the activities that ITU is doing on with regards to LDCs, SIDS and l LDCs.  With this, I finished my intervention and I pass the floor to the moderator.  Thank you.

>> CHAIRMAN:  Thank you very much, Maritza.  I promise I will read the reports for Paraguay.  The reality that as government, we do believe the ITU has a strong role to play in the achievement of the SDGs.  So from here to 2030, they will have to take a leading role within the sisters agencies.  So that's what we at expect and I think one of the outcomes from PP next year will be that.  That need of investment of resources and capacity building for the objectives within the agenda.

Thank you.  Thank you, Maritza for this.  Let me give the floor now to Jane Coffin from ISOC.  We know that you are doing an excellent job too.  So we want to hear from you.

>> Jane Coffin:  Thank you very much and welcome everyone.  I'll try and be brief.  I'm just going to give you some highlights about a report we're working on, but just to back up for a second on what we to do with developing countries, one critical factor for interpret development which leads Cisco economic development is development of Internet exchange points, community network and other local infrastructure.  Many of us have worked with telecommunications or now Internet infrastructure.  We have a problem because we have gaps.  There are many people that are not connected.  So some of the traditional methods are not working because if magically everything were okay and the markets were fabulous, there would be Connectivity.  Yes?  We have to take a look at regulatory issues, everything from licensing and spectrum and new cross border Connectivity models because without cross‑border Connectivity and faster deployment of networks for businesses, we're not going to have that Connectivity established and people connected.  We have a report that we're releasing likes ITU in mid‑January, end of January and we're working closely with the ITU team and we're actually looking for peer review experts to help us take a look at the draft.  If any of you are interested in a draft report, wasting the Internet in land locking developing countries.  Very simple framework of the report is when we structured around our enabling environment philosophy at the internet society.  We look at characteristics of certain subsets.  I believe 32 of them are considered developing countries.  So we looked at a very small cross section to see what characteristics crosses regions.  We looked at skills and digital business elements, governance and unlocking the internet for development.  We want to do something complimentary.  It is more of a trade focus and a business focus that is sort of synonymous.  Many of you know there are higher transportation cost delays for those reasons.  We looked at three other critical factors in the report.  And how the internet can help with a specific conditions of LLDCs.  One we look at network trade systems.  We looked at cross border fiberoptic back bones and digital trade.  We have a draft of a beautiful summary.  We have done a lot of work there.  So if you can find the report, I am happy to give you the link later.  We looked at network cut of option software,s, training across borders, issues and other infrastructure like back bones and mobile.  We take a look at the importance of Internet exchange points which keep local traffic local and cuts down on what I call long haul traffic cost.  So internet exchange you can create a more robust Eco system, develop better technical experts and increase your overall hosting Eco system as well.  And bring in a lot of content delivery networks to puts their cashes and content inside your country versus outside which brings a higher resolution of the data to you often.  We looked at the mobile coverage as I said before, affordability and look at the importance of fostering digital skills and literacy.  Our report will be a nice dub tail toward what the IT was doing.  And some of our conclusions and recommendations that we're putting together are synonymous with where the IT was headed, but I won't give you all those recommendations now, but know this report will be coming out and it's an important factor and taking a look at how we increase digital skills with digital literacy and the importance of border connectivity.  One anecdote I will give you is there's a report from July 14th to 2014.  Take a look.  It's July 2014 where it took almost a year of negotiations between two country to get 50 meters in fiber over a bridge.  If you're a business and trying to deploy infrastructure, delays of a month are bad enough, but a year is compensated.  Finally this company deploys about a thousand kilometers of fiber every two months in Africa.  Not just mobile wireless networks.  They put some fellas in a quote and just dragged under the river and did that in about five hours.  So what happened was that there were all these discussions among the border patrol, the historical society because the bridge was a historic bridge, the ministry of regulations, you have five or six ministries on each side.  One thing I will say to all of you if you're in government is it's really important you talk about these issues and try and figure out ways to remedy the situation because land locked countries depend upon their big neighbors and small neighbors to get to the sea.  If you don't have access to severing cables, those are the biggest pipes for Connectivity.  Some countries are being charged 28% VAT after cost to take the traffic from their border to the sea.  If you're a developing country and your GDP is pretty low anyway, on the traffic itself you're choking Connectivity and checking development and sociocheck development.  I will stop there and get more anecdotes later.  The report is interesting from our perspective and from an Internet geeky perspective as well.  It highlights great things with what the IT is doing as well.  Thank you.

>> Thank you.  Thank you, Jane for that.  Let me say the title of this event it has as small tweak.  It says islands surrounded by land.  It is because of that.  A lot ever countries we have sea and surrounded by others.  Willingly or not, it just happens.  So those scenarios when you have to discuss for years this, they are reality.  And we are having in the easy case of Paraguay, we are having discussions for a long, long time not only by latter Abut in a regional level.  And it all has a role to play.  I don't want to take more time on that, but thank you.  Thank you for touching on those points.  I know you know him for those who don't, you will be good to know him.  You have the floor.

>> Thank you, Miguel for this.  I can see many friends in the room from Pacific island states.  This is probably the first intro.  We are considered DIPLO foundation.  We started developing go online courses relatively early for small island states in common 1996.  We have alumni for small island states and sometimes you have a ministry with 20 people a day.  It's very micro, micro island states.  Sometimes our students say oh, by the way, the whole ministry is now watching what is going on.  20 people around the screen.  But this is reality.  Therefore, we are very familiar with concerns and problems of small island states and I will reflect on a few points.  And the first point is related to build and discuss on the one new development, which is extremely important and should be kept in mind.  For the first time in the history, the traffic telecommunication traffic is moving from so‑called underwater sea cables to (?).  I am referring to Euro Asia.  One belt to one road, Chinese initiative and order initiatives which are basically trying to lay the cables over the landmass following the infrastructure.  You know throughout the history this developed cables are laid around this line.  Therefore, the famous line of going from the south Hampton and spent years in small island states, Alex Andrea, you are throwing a map in there, Alex Andrea, Swiss and then Bombay and India.  South Australia.  It still carries about 90% ever the traffic between Asia and Europe, but the shift is major and that will be the major ‑‑ it will have major impact especially for your Asian and line locked states.  Therefore, that advantage of need to go to the sea in order to get Internet will be shifted next five to ten years, even faster, I guess.  This is the first point.  The second point related to small island states.  In particular, they are equal participants in the international relations.  And principal equality applies to them and this is a great cornerstone of international relations in the same time burden because what small states they have to do is more or less the same of what China, Russia or the United States have to do.  In terms of reporting and insuring things that apply, signing treaties, you name it and you have it.  Now, that creates a problem because with the ministry of foreign affairs with 20 people, we write reports application of the rows is next to impossible.  Many small island states have not yet represented in Geneva.  I want digital policies happening.  It leaves me to one thing.  In October, I was in New York delivering briefing for the permanent representatives of the UN member states and discussion went on UNGG signer war, big issues.  They're popular.  One Ambassador said well, I have a problem.  I said two days.  I'm not particularly concerned about you on these big issues.  You have very concrete problem.  He said few years ago in all interaction, we lost $1 million to a shipping building company in Indonesia.  And we're trying to recover that money.  And I said fine.  Then you come to the point that you don't have experts when such small island states and even bigger states don't have experts in the digital forensics, cyber crime and other issues.  He led me to one important aspect we have to keep in mind while we're discussing big narratives.  It is very concrete problems that you collect $1 million.  Some solutions have to be found and I always argue that if you don't find the solution for this type of the problems, it could be front desk in the UN and some other framework it can be one‑stop shop, which doesn't need to be decision making and it shouldn't be, but the place where countries can go and place a problem and being directed them to interpol, to UNODC, to other place, private place, whoever was involved in this process.  This is the major challenge and I think this is completely, completely under estimated and we can have a quick fix when it comes to that.  The third point is that whatever we do with capacity building and we put a lot of efforts to train people from the small island states, there are limits by the small island states.  You cannot expect they will have expertise in cyber crime.  Maybe by coincidence or other small states.  I know bigger states, bigger when I said 4 or 5 million citizens who do not have expertise.  Should they develop expertise how and what would be the next steps in the direction?  Those are important decisions and practical decisions.  I imagine cyber crime.  You can mention e‑Commerce fight against child pornography.  You name it and you have it.  Those are issues which are practical and direct issues that we have to address.  And I think we can find relatively quick and simple solutions.  Personally knowing small island states and the small states, it is not realistic to expect they will develop this capacity by covering 43 digital policy issues.  The last point which we'll probably affect the small island states is the overall question and discussion on neutrality.  We know that neutrality is a international problem.  We know that it is very controversial problem these days in the United States.  But if net neutrality at an international level is dismantled, the main losers at the end of net neutrality will have ultimately be in the states, the poorest people within the states and international level small states and LDCs in general.  This is important point.  While we are discussing, what is going to happen on international, international level, that should be kept in mind and we should make sure that we do not create new digital divides and new gaps while we support to overcome existing divides and existing ups by using digital tools.  Thank you, Miguel.  Was it what you expected from me?

>> Mingle:  Even more.  You deliver more than we can expect.  Thank you very much for those very clear points.  You touch on some very timely issues that normally have us talking all the time.  We do believe that net neutrality, although it is a national decision or a problem, it has international consequences.  So even more so when you are a country that is well developed and to provide services through your companies to other countries.  It has an impact always.  Then you have to talk again about national sovereignty, data sovereignty.  Again going to the IXP piece.  And that has an impact on the quality of policies.  Of course, when we have ‑‑ when we're trying to fulfill the idea of leading no one behind, then we need to talk about every single country in the world having a floor of quality from policies that will give them solutions in their own problems and own realities.  Thank you for that.  It was a pleasure listening to you.  Let me know and move on to a special guest from that we have today.  As we are here to discuss our digital future, we will need to use technologies.  So we have a robot here.  Did special guests from today join us remotely.  Saturday they couldn't be here, but they are with us through the telepresence robot.  She and other experts will share with us some ideas and how to navigate ways to help develop the countries.  She's a cross sector expert not only known for expertise and building the online spreadsheet business, but also her engagement with government and private and other parties as we are in a multi‑stakeholder sector.  She serves on our country's development and data committee and the curriculum committee and let them E‑regulate in projects.  She actively contributes to club zero community and has been created platform tools for Civil Society to engage itself in social policy issues.  And with that, I will like to welcome Audrey the digital (?).  Mr. Tang, you have the floor.

>> Mr. Tang:  Good evening, everyone.  I am very happy to be here.  It is digital, not analog and to share some thoughts around building technological alliances.  And in Chinese Taipei, we have long been committed to assisting diplomatic allies.  Including in areas such as Information and Communication Technology or ICT.  Some of these allies are least developed countries.  Small island developing states and land locked developing countries.  In our own society, and industries have brought about a mature government.  Publications such as cash flow and signatures combined with E‑government services have provided the public with a wide variety of services.  And a service is allowed to file taxes online to renew drivers licenses online and to register for current registration online and make doctors appointments online.  Chinese Taipei students and qualified now citizens traveling in and out of the country also save much time when using automated immigration clearance services.  We call them E‑gates.  Chinese Taipei has seen a steady development E‑government's communication technology.  Rapid dooms of new technologies and know how and pervasive news of the Internet as a result, Chinese Taipei has expanded development assistance.  This is in line with related recommendations by the United Nations economic and social council and the International Telecommunication Union.  Many developing countries have requested that Chinese Taipei share is advanced experience to help them provide more convenient services for their own people.  So in response, the Chinese Taipei ministry of affairs have provide the ICT projects.  We partnered with Belize, with Paraguay, (?) (?) and the Grenadines and Tulum.  It is integrating traffic monitoring systems and applying traffic information systems, managing manage information, installing wireless local area networks as well as establishing electronic document systems.  So these efforts aim to enhance government efficiency and increase transparency, strengthening Connectivity with a single society and also improve government services.  The 2016 United Nations E‑governance has made significantly related improvements.  It is assisting developing countries with their ICT developments.  With that, let me introduce my friends.

>> Thank you for your great elaboration and achievement in the environments and how Chinese Taipei has engaged with international friends.  My name is (?).  I want to echo Audrey's points with a lovely example and point of the other side of digital.  That's in coordinates of privacy which I notice that we have and ask you to talk about talk a little bit about that.  But I still want to talk about this.  So let me talk about (?) first.  It has initiated called digital opportunity and build practices to practice this.  Their vision to digital capacities and the project focused ‑‑ there is a digital 80 to use online tools and applications.  So especially they do the digital marketing and self‑learning and other digital services (cutting in and out) so for the other sides to address the side of ICT and Belize, that is their security issue.  We all know digital technology is convenient, but also poses new challenges including hacker attacks, black mail and fraud.  Malicious orders and sometimes threatened national security.  So Chinese Taipei's corresponding policy include a four year strategy for the developing of ICT security.  Our goals are establish a national cybersecurity (?).  Second cultivate human capacity to assure homeland security and digital economy.  The last one is to develop key technologies and promote self‑relying RND.  All cities can have an opportunity to move forward to the smart cities and cultivate capacities to meet new challenges.  To engage with international community about ICT community, my organization plays a contact window to do information sharing.  We distribute into this for our international friends.  We definitely love to try to engage with international ICT security community.  So family welcome the next speaker and national off transportation and communications.

>> Ladies and gentlemen, I am now showing the (?) in coming issues under the ministry of transportation.  One ever the major functions of my department is Chinese Taipei's (?).  We hope to promote the maintenance and the development of ICT's structure.  So as to Chinese Taipei and the (?) society.  We have a series of just nation promoting the development of Chinese Taipei's open and the services.  We have projects and there is one across.  Among these (sound cutting in and out) three, reducing the cost and the various network.  Four, promoting so a nation of the best stations.  Five, (?) number 6 and flavor of other countries.  This has been upgrading Chinese Taipei's ICT with the industries.  They also have laid a robust foundation for making a vacation in the services.  That would include quality apply of people in Chinese Taipei.  Thank you for your time.  I hope our experience is helpful to you.  Now, I want to pass the floor to (?) from NCC.  Thank you.

>> Thank you.  NCC of Chinese Taipei.  I'll go in 2020 digital upgrade, abrupt speed of household to one gig.  (sound cutting in and out) our automated goal is to drive the transformation by (?) society and embrace the shift and the revved up development of the economy.  Therefore, the NCC has proposed a draft.  (?) ties lines and have service providers.  It's a principal of Internet Governance.  We also encourage to meet great innovation.  Now, I will transfer and introduce my colleague from PW mink.

>> Okay.  Thank you, Jake.  Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.  My name is Kenny Hong.  Team member of Pacific Governance Forum.  It is my great pleasure to join this.  As you may know, the first digital ministry meeting was launched in Germany from 6:00 to 7:00 this year.  The lead in economic nation and European union key 20 joined together to discuss the opportunity and the challenge of digitalization.  Digital process does not end in a nation of board offers.  Therefore, we need solutions.  The first key code of the T20 policy is to have a fast Internet for all by 2025.  The Internet is (?).  In develop country have inspired to develop the internet and use it to their benefit.  The impact or internet has cause developing country to modify traditional and conduct information business by setting up new source of information and new measure of complication and global basics.  The internet has helped developing country and to take advantage of information in order to I'm prove their economy market.  Chinese Taipei is also a small country, small island and progressive access in Chinese Taipei helps get it aligned across the factory with customer expectation.  We have the opportunity to share our experience and technology.  With our country through international project such as San Lucia project, I say the ICT centered project and soon this international corporation project we realize how it could be as improving the connectivity especially for small island countries.  We should work together to develop a feasible solution.  ITF will discuss this issue.  In closing, I like to express my gratitude to all participants and thank you for your participation.  I wish you have a fruitful and successful meeting in IGF.  Thank you.

>> We thank you very much.  Certainly your contributions has been very positive.

Let me open the floor and give the floor to the gentleman in the first row.

>> Okay.  Thank you.  I'm from the mission of China and Geneva.  I'm very concerned by what happened ‑‑ what had happened a couple of people from Chinese Taipei speaking in the capacity as official of certain so‑called national governments calling *not* Chinese Taipei so‑called small country.  This is very inappropriate.  IGF is a UN platform which only allows U.N. recognized people from U.N. that you wouldn't recognize the nations to participate.  And as a UN we should it is not a place for people to advocate one China or one Chinese Taipei or four Chinese Taipei independents and I don't know how these people get registered as participants of this meeting because according to the U.K. resolutions, such themes are not allows to happen.  I hope that what I had been said is put on record.  Thank you.

>> Thank you very much.  We can acknowledge your intervention, of course.  Let me just say that we are not talking politics here.  We're just talking policies.  There is no intention of taking on any other situation.  It is just contributions on what people are doing well and successive stories.  Nothing more than that.

With that, your point is very well taken.  Yes.  You can ‑‑

>> The previous speakers from Chinese Taipei, some of them claim to their international government and some of them claim that Chinese Taipei is a small country.  This is a very big problem and the U.N. meetings should never be platform for Chinese Taipei independents.  Thank you.

>> Mr. Chair?

>> CHAIRMAN:  Yes.  Just let me say that we are not doing that.  Just to say that.  Yes.

>> Mr. Chair, can I have the Solomon (?) and then I go after that.

>> Thank you very much.  I must congratulate Paraguay for hosting this very important event.  And also thank you very much for the presentation of the presentation that we've had.  I think the information that was presented was very useful and it should be encouraged and also thank you to all the Chinese Taipei expertise that have provided their information to us.  I think goes without saying ICT has no agenda boundaries.  No nationality.  And, um, this would be no restriction as to how ‑‑ whoever has the expertise with the country or expertise to sell them to us.  And we are here, you know, get addition from small islands that are still far behind the advancement of advantage.  We would like to hear the experiences of other countries and then we want you to share those technology so that we are able to admit the SDGs sustainable development core.  Most of the technologies that are used in LLDC, LDCs and CIDs comes from large developing countries mostly including USA, Japan, China, India and also Chinese Taipei has those expertise.  And so for small islands, the ICT island will learn from everyone other.  You will not see this political in nature.  We basically appreciate the experience.  I think they have been helpful to other smaller countries.  They see technology to us, which are beneficial.  That's why we are here to hear from everybody else.  You more clearly stated we don't see as political in nature.  You have very much.

>> You can give the floor to the lady on the left.

>> Thank you.  Just very quickly.  I won't be long.  First of all, congratulations for convening this panel.  It's really healthy and fantastic to see an increase in the number of SIDS works shops at the 25th IGF.  I would like to encourage you all to consider match making before we have the closing ceremony for next year's IGF and not to wait for the call from the MAG in terms of workshop proposals, but start working on issues.  Put this across his mission as well.  And also note to everybody else in the room to consider putting together workshop proposals from the Ll DCs and the sits states.  With that being said, we are on foot to brine a Dynamic Coalition and Tracy Hackshaw and a few others are thinking about this.  I suggest you get the giver and quite aside from that, we're beginning a sits LLC alliance to see how we can glow the global conversation and how we can share this information because we're limited, but he key with move this still goes we will see how we can collaborate w that being said, I wish you all a fantastic Christmas and a happy new year.

>> CHAIRMAN:  Thank you very much.  Thank you very much.  I would like to ‑‑ it's on the same letter?

>> (?)

>> CHAIRMAN:  You have the floor.

>> Thank you, Mr. Chair.  In reply to what is said by our colleague, I would like to emphasize that UN is for a political organization.  It is true that I don't know.  Show boarders, but with people they have nationalities.  For sharing of expert ease and the experience and even technical or financial assistance through these developed countries, the people's Republic of China stands ready to do that.  Thank you.

>> Thank you very much.  We are certain that you are a strong and very neuro logic player.  Thank you for that.  Pretend you have the floor.

>> Thank you to all panelists.  You all provided some very interesting inputs and information about your expertise and experiences and some of the things that still remain to be done.  I have two questions.  One is for our chair actually as a country in this situation.  With the Connect 2020, how has that impacted Paraguay specifically and will you ‑‑ will your country meet that target and to our colleague from the ITU, 2020 is just around the corner.  Are we going to meet that target?  IT has been working on this for a long time.  I heard some projects today that snow they seem interesting, the Ebola thing won't work if you don't have the Connectivity to start doing that.  You have time and spend to spend on that project, which is very interesting and important.  The preliminary step of the base is not there.  So ultimately is that tool going to be useful?  I would like to hear your point ever view or the results of how close you are to reaching that goal too and if we'll meet the 2020 target.  Thank you.  Go ahead.  You have the floor.

>> I'm from Fiji, but I also represent a local organization called SBC.  My question is to Maritza.  You mentioned it is going to be 55 E‑community centers in the Pacific.  What are you doing in terms of ‑‑ what strategies are you using in terms of dealing with these community centers in the rural and remote areas.  How do you deal with it when there is a tsunami or climate change issue?

>> Thank you.  I just come back to ask a question to Miss Delgado.  Just before I came to this meeting, I made a call on the islands in the very remote island to my brother.  I asked him whether they are now connected to 3G network because it's much cheaper calling from Geneva to the islands.  It is much cheaper to use the ops that are much cheaper.  So I was asking him about whether they connected.  It is not working very much.  It doesn't work out properly.  My question is that since we monopolize the telecommunication on the islands, the coverage of a network through the islands where around 70 to 80%.  So it is pretty good coverage.  The problem I see though is the quality of Connectivity.  And I don't know ideal.  I know experience from other islands like probably the Caribbeans because I think the issue now is really to do with the quality of Connectivity because if they are to engage in this with business enterprise, they meet their quantity.  So just to plug it up for real comments.  Thank you.

>> Yes.  Identify yourself.

>> Thank you very much, panel.  I am from Fiji.  I want to make a comment.  The comment is also a question, sort of.  The road to full connectivity for LDDCs and LDCs and SIDS.  I understand this will be achieved over the coming years.  But impediments of quests, remoteness and digital literacy will remain as it's endemic.  This will also open those states and full connectivity is achieved.  And the need for governments to take measures within it's capabilities.  What if any assistance will be given to counter this to the small island states and LDCs?

>> Thank you very much there, colleague.  I see no more tickets for the floor.  I will give the floor to my dear colleagues here at the table.  Would you like to take a few short on this?

>> Sure.  I will say very briefly.  Thank you to everyone asking their questions.  We are more in the hasn't of working with local people to train local people regard than more of a top down solution.  We're looking at building both community networks which were selling built manage run networks and Internet exchange points and training local people.  So if you do have issues, we have colleagues who we saw here, which is our chapter in the Pacific islands, but also working with organizations like the telecommunications union and it's current to know to work with the groups you have that IT has to come into those meetings and express your concerns.  Also Miguel has indicated earlier the plenty (?) conference is coming up.  It's an important place to make sure special of your views are heard.  Many were already at the development conference.  So most of the resolutions that come out of that meeting have the references to LLDCs and an Sides.  So there's very broad invest for you there.  Only I can talk to you specifically about what they offer, but we have brand programs for innovative projects in any country.  Specifically those that where we have chapters, but also other places, there are lots of different ways and I think Solomon may have left, but the idea to take out of the small island developing shops in the workshop was try any come up with a resource sharing inside or tool.  I think that's a really important bond and it starts out small where people can get together, talk about grant programs and good ideas and order prejudices that have worked, but also projects that have failed.  You learn a lot in what I don't want it failure because I helped you infrastructure projects.  I call it semi‑progress and then you reboot and learn more.  So there's a lot of gap from the Internet technical opportunity.  We also have something called the entering task forces.  We don't control it.  It controls itself.  They have wonderful engineers and we're had meetings all over the world in Asia, Latin America, North America and hoping to go to Africa soon.  We have grant programs for both government officials and very neutral for any country.  Yes.  Any country.  So just let us know.  Contact us at any point in time and we have lots of extra people to get you in touch with as well.  Thank you.

>> Thank you, Jane, and thank you for the matter.  Maritza, would you like to answer some of their questions given to you and afterwords, we'll do a very quick close up.  Not to bother you anymore with this am Maritza, you have the floor.

>> Maritza:  Thank you very much.  The first one how to meet the 2020 agenda.  ITU is working towards meeting this goal.  And we are working directly with the government.  Government as you mentioned already WTDC was felt in all member states where committed to work on investing on ICTs and development within the country.  As we also said we were discussing this issue yesterday and they said we can provided standards and everything from outside, but it's the national commitment that is needed on these.  But most of the member states, all of the member states have adopted this to commit and to invest more in ICT development.  And how is the CDR?  They stopped Rodding.  This is a special project that was developed for those three specific countries, which is Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leon because they were hitting a lot by the Ebola.  So it was the brown Table that took place and everybody was ‑‑ they agreed in developing something for them to use and to tackle the problem.  They have the use of ICTs to tangle the spread of the epidemics.  So now we are investing everything is ready.  We have equipment project is being developed together with the government of Japan and we are working towards that.  But all the equipment it has been set a lot.  We are working towards implements new deals and ICRs.  We never governor needs to share interest alls constraints can be achieved.  Or it can be ‑‑ the other question is hard to deal with the E‑centers on the Pacific islands.  So we have worked together with the government.  11 countries.  We assigned an equipment.  ITU was there and the good thing about this project is that before we had our head of division was from sama.  They knew all the islands.  So she knew what she was talking about and me is discussed where to puts these and these we deployed equipment to sell like Connectivity and these are deployable station.  So once something will happen, they can fold up and they can move this visas away so it can ‑‑ they cannot be damaged by a tsunami.  We haven't opened this.  Quality of Connectivity.  How to deal?  ITU plays the standards international.  The national governor that needs to be committed sometimes we can be covered by only one.  Network and only ‑‑ we have two basic stations that can be connected.  If we need more coverage.  We have more benefiting.  Broad canned is that ‑‑

>> For example, this report dives us some ‑‑ about access do cables and did says that 26 out of 30 have landing stations.  So to improve quality of Connectivity, they should be connected to the submarine cables to improve Internet access.  These very fast answers to just answer all the questions that we have received.  And we are open and also I just want to share if somebody wants to drop this report, was I have some drops here.  If you want to have a look, the report will be launched by mid‑January 2018.

>> Thank you again to Maritza, to Jane and for the gentleman who had to leave because he's a very busy man.  There's no other excuse for it.  We were very happy to have him.  We have Barbara here.  We are still present.  Well, just to finish up and wrap up, first let me thank everybody for being here.  The issues that LDC stands and need to deal with are very deep and very complex.  And they are very much individual to the identity of each country and state.  So we keep working on this all together.  We very much welcome all the initiatives on working together on forming groups of negotiating ‑‑ of negotiating power or like‑minded groups for this.  These will lead us to the realization of 2030 agenda for our countries.  So through the sustainable development of good ICTs.  The sharing of good experience we can do more and will do more.  You have very much again for being with us.  Last touch for us suddenly.  I don't think we are getting to the target for the Connect 2020, but we are coming closer than we expect.  It was suspected for us.  And I do believe that ITU is working on the next set of plans for 2024 maybe, 2025.  It's been decided.  So we hope to do better as we did ‑‑ as we gained some quality in the row to target of 2020.  But we do see things with a positive view.  Thank you very much, everybody.  Thank you very much.

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