USG Gill – WIOTC: World Internet of Things Convention 2025, Beijing-China

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour to join you today for this important meeting.

We gather on the 10th anniversary of the World Internet of Things Convention.

I want to express my appreciation to the Convention for providing a platform for dialogue on emerging technologies and their applications.

World leaders recognized the importance of continuous dialogue on digital technologies when they adopted, by consensus, the Global Digital Compact in September 2024.

The Compact also signalled that digital and emerging technologies are not merely a “good to have” in international relations.

They are at the very core of how governments interact with each other, and with the private sector and other stakeholders.

The Global Digital Compact provides a global blueprint for navigating digital transformation. Digital technologies are reshaping our economies as profoundly as our daily lives.

They also hold great promise for accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

But continued progress toward the digital future we seek—an inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, safe, and secure digital future for all—is by no means guaranteed.

We can achieve it only through international cooperation.

Today’s event reflects the vision of the Global Digital Compact.

At the heart of the GDC lies the digital economy.

The digital economy is increasingly intertwined with the global economy as a whole.

In China, for example, the added value of core industries of the digital economy accounts for about 10 percent of GDP.

For small and developing countries, the digital economy can be a vital engine for accelerating growth and improving social welfare.

The Compact aims to expand inclusion in the digital economy and ensure that its benefits are shared by all.

This means fostering an open, fair, inclusive, and non-discriminatory digital environment—proactively enabling vulnerable groups and enterprises of all sizes to participate.

A recent UN Global Call for Solutions for an Inclusive Digital Economy gathered over 700 submissions in just a few months.

This is a testament to the dynamism of entrepreneurship—especially in the Global South—and to the UN’s continuing role as a platform for sharing applications and best practices.

Turning to the Internet of Things: the number of connected devices has already surpassed the number of humans.

The growth of these devices remains steady, but their capabilities are accelerating exponentially.

Devices are becoming ever more sophisticated, and the data they produce is expected to grow by 1,000 percent between 2022 and 2027.

The Secretary-General addressed risks and opportunities of emerging technologies for the SDGs in a recent report, highlighting several areas of particular relevance to IoTs.

In agriculture, for instance, IoTs and edge computing are helping farmers decide what crops to plant, how to harvest them, and how to prepare for adverse weather conditions.

In medicine, the interaction between connected devices and neuroscience holds enormous potential—for example, using IoT in brain–computer interfaces to support persons with disabilities.

However, no technology alone can guarantee socio-economic development.

And no device, however advanced, can by itself solve food insecurity, close educational gaps, or prevent environmental disasters.

Innovation must always be guided by safeguards, ethics, and cooperation.

Digital cooperation must be multistakeholder in nature. It must harness the unique contributions of governments, the private sector, civil society, the technical community, and academia.

Sharing innovative practices is key. I hope that the applications showcased at this Convention will foster mutual learning and inspire new ideas on how to leverage digital tools for a sustainable planet.

The United Nations is ready to embrace the digital era.

Our commitment to the values of the UN Charter remains steadfast.

We are confident that an inclusive digital economy can help drive development and reach marginalized communities.

We are hopeful that artificial intelligence will serve as an accelerator for growth and prosperity.

At the same time, we remain aware of the risks of ungoverned AI. This is why Member States agreed to establish an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI to assess risks and opportunities, and an inclusive Global Dialogue on AI Governance within the United Nations, with universal participation.

As we open this 10th World Internet of Things Convention and the inaugural Conference on Sustainable Development, let us renew our shared commitment to inclusive digital innovation and forward-looking cooperation across sectors and borders.

Working together is the key to ensuring that access to digital opportunities is both universal and meaningful.

I hope your discussions and insights will make valuable contributions to the global dialogue on digital and emerging technologies.

Thank you for the invitation to speak today, and I wish you a highly successful annual conference.