Welcome to the United Nations
Internet Society
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ICTs and the Internet are critical enablers of the SDGs, providing unprecedented social and economic benefits for millions of people around the world. Notably, they support SDG-4 and SDG-5.
The Internet has proven resilient though gaps remain in bringing students and women online, among other impacted communities. According to the 2021 State of Global Education report by UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank, the pandemic impacted traditional education models, affecting 1.6 billion children. Children especially in rural and remote areas were unable to learn remotely due to a lack of Internet access and digital technologies at home.
Unfortunately, governments often see the Internet as a threat to be contained and splintered rather than a resource to expand universally. Access Now's Shutdown Tracker Optimization Project (STOP) in collaboration with the #KeepItOn Coalition reported 182 Internet shutdowns in 34 countries in 2021, including the longest Internet shutdowns on record. Internet shutdowns limit women's possibilities and aggravate inequality and injustice. For students, particularly girls, Internet shutdowns during school examinations remain a common practice hindering quality education worldwide.
While the Internet is incredibly resilient, it is constantly under attack, which may limit our ability to grow and use it to its full potential, ultimately affecting the attainment of SDG4 and SDG5. Governments, businesses, and organizations worldwide are increasingly making decisions that could lead to a splinternet.
This virtual side event will examine some of the efforts to expand access to the Internet and how they contribute to the achievement of SDGs 4 and 5, as well as challenges the Internet faces that undermine achievement of SDGs 4 and 5. This session will examine what needs to be done to ensure that everyone has unrestricted, inexpensive, and dependable Internet access.
