Message by ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

国际电联秘书长赵厚麟世界电信和信息社会日致辞

17 May 2021

2021年5月17日

Driven by information and communication technologies, our societies have undergone a digital transformation that gave birth to the digital economy and information society.

在信息通信技术的推动下，我们的社会经历了数字化转型，催生出数字化经济和信息社会。

The information society has emerged as one of the main lines of defense against COVID-19. There have been many successful stories, which have shone a spotlight both on the vital importance of ICTs and deep digital inequalities between and within countries.

信息社会已脱颖而出，成为抵御新冠病毒（COVID-19）的主要防线之一。成功故事林林总总，既凸显了信息通信技术的重要作用，亦呈现出国家之间以及各国内部深深的数字化不平衡现象。

In this decisive year, ITU will use World Telecommunication and Information Society Day to unite the world in pursuit of digital transformation in every area of business and all parts of life. It will be an opportunity to strengthen national strategies on ICT development, implement smart policies and effective measures to encourage investments in ICTs and digital skills, and upgrade our services with new technologies ranging from AI to 5G that are central to the digital economy.

在这决定性的一年中，电联将利用“世界电信和信息社会日”来团结全世界，在业务的各个领域和生活的方方面面追求数字化转型。这将是加强各国的信息通信技术发展战略、实施明智的政策和采取有效措施来鼓励增加对信息通信技术和数字化技能投资的机遇，并且利用从人工智能（AI）到5G的一系列新技术，实现我们的服务升级，推动数字经济。

This moment in history calls for cooperation and partnerships. I am calling on our members and other stakeholders to continue our efforts to harness the power of ICTs to advance the WSIS Action Lines, ITU’s Connect 2030 Agenda, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the theme “Connecting the unconnected to achieve sustainable development” of the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference 2021, so that the accelerating digital transformation we are witnessing leaves no one behind, no one offline.

历史的这一时刻要求我们开展合作并建立伙伴关系。我向我们的成员及其他利益攸关方发出呼吁，再接再厉，继续努力，利用信息通信技术的力量来推进“信息社会世界峰会（WSIS）”各个行动方面、国际电联的《连通2030年议程》、联合国可持续发展目标以及2021年国际电联“世界电信发展大会”的主题“将未连接者连接起来，实现可持续发展”等方面的进展，以确保我们参与的加速数字化转型中不会让任何人离线。

We want to hear about your success stories, but also about your challenges and lessons learned. Share them with ITU now and we will give them the place they deserve during the 17 May celebrations of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2021 under the theme of “Accelerating digital transformation in challenging times”. Until then, stay safe, stay well and be strong!

我们希望聆听你们的成功故事，同时也希望了解你们所遇到的挑战和经验教训。欢迎现在就与国际电联分享，以便能够在5月17日举办的、以“在充满挑战的时代加速数字化转型”为主题的2021年“世界电信和信息社会日”庆祝活动中占有一席之位。在那之前，祝愿各位健康，平安，坚强！