Remarks at a Second Committee Joint Discussion on Leveraging Digital Economies for Accelerated Sustainable Development
Ambassador Lisa Carty
U.S. Permanent Representative to the Economic and Social Section
New York, New York
October 12, 2023
AS DELIVERED
Mr. Chair, the United States is committed to working with partners to boost access to digital technologies, while ensuring these technologies aren’t misused for repressive purposes that undermine human rights.
Our goal is to establish norms and guidelines that ensure we use our technology for good. For example, with Digital Invest – a part of the G7-led Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment – the United States is leveraging 6.45 million dollars to mobilize $450 million in capital to accelerate investment and sustainable market growth in connectivity and financial technologies.
Despite the rapid development of these technologies, progress to close the gender digital divide has been slow. Globally, approximately 260 million more men than women were using the internet in 2022.
To help close the gender digital divide, Vice President Harris announced USAID’s launch of the Women in the Digital Economy Fund with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a combined $60 million investment.
The United States is also committed to working through multilateral institutions to use every tool at our disposal – including artificial intelligence – to get the SDGs back on track. That’s why we launched an initiative focused on AI for Climate Action and are strong supporters of the International Telecommunication Union’s AI for Good initiative. And last month, we announced a new $15 million commitment to promote the responsible use and governance of AI globally to leverage AI tools to implement the SDGs.
These partnerships are critical to achieving results and empowering people to defend their human rights, the foundation of development. Together, we can harness these ground-breaking innovations responsibly to get back on track to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
Thank you.
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