Brussels, 06/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - During the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Conference in Busan on Thursday 6 November, member states of the ITU concluded an agreement in which they set out their objectives for the period leading up to 2020.
In their Connect 2020 Agenda, ITU members call on stakeholders to work together to achieve the very specific sector objectives so that the telecoms sector and ICT become the pillars of stable and sustainable growth. Four goals have been set out: 1) provide wider access to ICT for everyone worldwide and the 1.5 billion additional Internet users there will be by 2020, together with better telecommunication infrastructure; 2) create an inclusive digital society that seeks to provide broadband for everyone, as well as online protection for the most vulnerable; 3) constant adaptation of online systems and practices to ensure their sustainability; 4) develop strategic partnerships and make technological progress a key driving force for growth. The ITU and the Internet Society also signed an agreement on 6 November that focuses on cooperation between them in an effort to curtail junk mail (“spam”). This accounts for a significant part of global e-mail traffic (80%) and poses a problem in sectors where broadband is insufficient because it leads to Internet traffic clogging up. The ITU and the Internet Society are seeking to identify the best ways of tackling this problem. (IL)