UN General Assembly 2025 side event: Catalysing investment in scalable digital infrastructure models

Dear Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of ITU,

Dear Sangbu Kim, Vice President for Digital of the World Bank,

Dear Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer of Microsoft,

Excellencies, colleagues,

It is a great honour to be with you this morning. I first want to express my appreciation to our co-organizers—the International Telecommunication Union and the World Bank—and, of course, to our host, Microsoft.

As we gather here today, it is easy to overlook how seamlessly digital tools shape our lives—from the messages we exchange to the navigation that guides us here. Digital connectivity is a cornerstone of modern infrastructure. It is the backbone of trade, finance, education, health, and innovation.

And yet, the digital divide remains one of the defining development challenges of our era. What many of us take for granted is still out of reach for billions of people worldwide, who continue to live without reliable broadband access.

And the implications are far-reaching: with limited digital access, children miss out on online learning, hospitals lack life-saving tools, small businesses cannot reach global markets, and countries struggle to build competitive, resilient economies.

Each of these challenges underscores the central role of infrastructure. Yet building digital infrastructure is not merely about laying cables; it is about creating ecosystems that empower people and fuel economic development.

The investment gap, however, remains stark. As highlighted in our World Investment Report, Sub-Saharan Africa receives barely 5 per cent of the 14 billion dollars needed annually to bridge its connectivity divide. These figures are a call to urgent action.

Allow me to highlight what harnessing the digital economy requires:

First, a long-term vision for investment, including FDI in the digital economy as well as stronger frameworks and promotion to attract impactful investment

Second, build digital skills, through education, training, talent mobility and support for domestic entrepreneurship and digital innovation;

Third, international investment agreements to play a greater role in advancing sustainable and inclusive investment by encouraging technology transfer and expanding development-oriented provisions,

And finally, full participation of developing countries in global rule-making related to the digital economy.

The launch of the Digital Infrastructure Investment Catalyser marks an important step in the right direction. Its purpose is clear: to help close the digital divide by mobilizing collective financing, advancing data sharing, and strengthening capacity building.

UNCTAD is proud to co-found this initiative with ITU, and we warmly welcome the support of the World Bank.

Each brings unique strengths:

• UNCTAD contributes: investment intelligence to map needs, identify opportunities, and shape policy frameworks;
• ITU provides technical expertise, regulatory insight, and field experience; and
• the World Bank brings its deep know-how in structuring and financing projects, ensuring resources are effectively deployed.

The Catalyser is an open platform. We seek to work hand in hand with governments, development banks, the private sector, civil society, and academia. Only by uniting these perspectives can we bridge the digital divide.

Let me conclude by inviting you to join us. Together, we can unlock the investment required to close the digital divide - and make digital connectivity a driver of inclusion, resilience, and sustainable development for all.

Thank you.