Speaking at the virtual High-Level Meeting on Generation Unlimited, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres underscored that online education and digital technologies are the principal foundations for achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that digital connectivity, in particular, for educational institutions, is detrimental and has been portrayed as such in the Roadmap for Digital Cooperation.
The event saw several world leaders including presidents of Kenya and Rwanda who shared their experience in engaging the youth through tech projects such as Digi School and GIGA. The president of the World Bank, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and private sector representatives also participated in the meeting. The participants reiterated their support to connect every school and community to the Internet by 2030.
The Generation Unlimited initiative was launched in 2018 in order to help youth benefit from education, employment, and entrepreneurial benefits.