This year's World Telecommunication and Information Society Day holds special significance with the 160th anniversary of the International Telecommunication Union.
Since 1865, ITU has helped shape every major advance in communication: from the telegraph to the telephone, from satellites to the mobile phone, and from the Internet to artificial intelligence and more.
We have seen a great deal of progress in sixteen decades with more people connected than ever before, yet one-third of humanity remains offline.
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is a moment to reflect on the work still ahead.
This year - and every year - we need to ensure that everyone, especially women and girls, benefits fully from the opportunities brought by technology.
I thank ITU's 194 Member States and over 1,000 organizations from the private sector, academia, the technical community that work every day to ensure that the technologies shaping our shared digital future serve everyone, everywhere.
