Distinguished Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am very pleased to speak to you at this Forum in my capacity as the Co-Chair of the International Finance Forum.
As of January 2021, there were 4.66 billion active internet users worldwide, 59.5 percent of global population. Of this total, 92.6 percent accessed the internet via mobile devices. Compared with the number in 2005 when only 16% of population was internet users, it is a truly remarkable development.
However, there is a striking divide between the developed and developing countries in the use of internet. According to the ITU, while internet users in developed countries accounted for 86.6% in 2019, it was only 47% in developing countries.
Considering the growing dependence on internet in our daily lives, the digital divide among nations has become a critical issue as the new face of inequality to the international community. Anticipating that the digital divide between the developed and developing countries would emerge as a serious threat, I, in my capacity as the President of the 56th Session of the UN General Assembly, hosted a two-day UN High-Level Session on the Digital Divide in New York in June 2002.
It was almost 20 years ago from now and this multilateral session was quite ahead of the curve, because at that time, no one even predicted that the digital transformation would make such a huge stride in our society during a very short span of time as we see it today.
I believe that countries with limited capabilities and resources, either physical or human, are at a clear disadvantage when it comes to value creation through digital transformation.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are tragically suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. In this dire situation, internet connectivity has become integral in sharing information and exchanging ideas on how to cope with the current pandemic. The internet and digital devices not only enhance human safety by monitoring and managing the virus transmission, but also provide an imperative lifeline for millions of people to maintain their livelihood by enabling remote working, e-learning, online shopping and allowing them to access services and engage in contactless communications.
While struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, however, we are also experiencing a vaccine divide or COVID-19 divide between the developed and developing countries, as in the case of digital divide. Most developing countries are unable to procure necessary vaccine supplies, whereas some rich countries are hoarding vaccines for their own citizens.
It has to be strongly urged by the international community that the practice of this predatory overbuying should be stopped and corrected to ensure affordable and equitable access to vaccines for all. Otherwise, the immunization gap will get wider between the rich and poor countries, manifesting and aggravating the already existing disparities among nations.
As the coronavirus is the best example of an external diseconomy on a global scale, the slow uptake of vaccines in developing countries will pose a serious threat to the rest of the world. Failure to vaccinate much of the population in the developing world is like leaving a huge reservoir of the coronavirus, creating a substantial risk of another pandemic.
The pandemic has had a profound and pervasive impact on our world, with presenting a dilemma on the system not only in healthcare and economy but as a whole. The dilemma has become apparent in the pandemic management, as the policy of isolation has positive externalities in terms of healthcare, while isolation has negative externalities for the economy.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The common threat to humanity calls for global cooperation across all sectors and at all levels. In dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to learn from the past.
There were three major global crises in the 21st century; the global security crisis emanating from the 9/11 terrorists attack in 2001, the global financial crisis of 2007-08 with the collapse of Lehman Brothers and now the global health crisis with the COVID-19.
At the time of the global financial crisis, for example, international leaders were united to collectively respond to the crisis in the spirit of multilateral cooperation, and thus created the G20 which has become the backbone of the financial sector reform and cooperation.
Learning from the G20, I would like to suggest to launch a similar cooperative initiative as the G20 for effective response and management of the global health crisis. In this spirit, I would propose the creation of H20, a collaborative mechanism among 20 leading countries in healthcare.
In this respect, we must pay a very close attention to the recently published UN Secretary-General’s Report of Our Common Agenda. He strongly urges that now is the time to re-embrace global solidarity to work for the common good. This must include a global vaccination plan for affordable and equitable access to vaccines and the urgent steps to address the triple crises of climate disruption, biodiversity loss and pollution, and inclusive multilateral system, anchored within the United Nations.
At a time when multilateralism is giving way to unilateralism and globalization to de-globalization, we have to unite to strengthen the role of the United Nations and bring our efforts together to attain the sustainable development goals.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Healthy people and healthy planet are two sides of the same coin. Without healthy people, there can be no healthy planet. Likewise, a cleaner and healthier planet ensures clean water, food and air for all, thus improving human health. Unfortunately, the Earth is suffering from global warming, ecological degradation and all kinds of pollution.
The COVID-19, the mid-term global crisis, is closely linked to these long-term crises of climate change and biodiversity collapse. Without dealing with these global issues, without protecting these global commons, humanity cannot survive let alone prosper even if we successfully overcome the coronavirus pandemic.
The world has come together to address and tackle these longer-term challenges at each Conference of the Parties (COP) of UNFCC. And this year’s COP26 will be held in Glasgow in the United Kingdom in November. I am sure that the global climate leaders will be working hard to achieve the Net Zero 2050 as promised at the time of the Paris Climate Agreement.
As mentioned earlier, internet technology and its innovative digital solutions can not only support the international endeavors in effectively managing risks and tackling threats to humanity but accelerate global actions to achieve the SDGs and fully implement the Paris Climate Agreement.
Bearing that in mind, I wish this Forum as well as the Summit to be a leveraging platform for enhancing cooperation and promoting collective efforts to build our society back better.
Thank you.