Speech by UN Resident Coordinator, Roy Trivedy: Digital Skills Development and Technology Accessibility for Timor Leste

Your excellencies, ambassadors, representatives of diplomatic missions, and development partners, 

Representatives of the civil society

Representatives from the media,

Ladies and gentlemen

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Bom dia and a very good morning,

I am very excited to be here today to join the Digital Skills Development and Technology Accessibility event jointly organized by the National Communications Authority of Timor-Leste and ITU. 

ITU – is a United Nations specialised agency that works closely with governments and the private sector to promote inclusive global “digital transformation” as a critical element to meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. ITU is based in Jakarta and it is really exciting to see their engagement with the National Communications Authority of Timor-Leste to make this happen.

The launch of the Digital Skills Development initiative, will pave the way for new skills to be developed in the country and enable our young people, especially girls, to be familiar with the development of digital products and services that are vital for improvements in all sectors of economy.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We all know that information technology has changed, and is changing, our lives dramatically. In many countries, people are only a single click away from everything. However, those with less access remain cut off from the benefits of technology including  many women and girls, the elderly, persons with disabilities, LGBTIQ persons, indigenous groups, and residents of poor or remote areas.

To measure the value and importance of technology, have you ever thought about how digital technologies have become so crucial these days? 

Digital technology and its access have t he potential to be among the most empowering human transformations of our times in terms of livelihoods, access to quality and lifelong education, and decisions guiding health and safety, employment, and finances. 

In the health sector, for instance, Artificial Intelligence technologies are helping to save lives, diagnose diseases and extend life expectancy. In education, virtual learning environments and distance learning have opened up programmes to students who would otherwise be excluded. Digital connectivity enables people to learn not just from their immediate surroundings but from the whole world. It opens new pathways for larning and transformation! 

Eskola ba Uma is one recent example in TimorLeste. The MoEYS developed the initiative with support from UNICEF and other partners. It remains an important driving force behind the reimagining of education and technology in response to the COVID19 pandemic. 

As the Government of Timor-Leste, the UN System, and stakeholders plan to strengthen digital platforms and skills for governance, banking, health, education, and other services, younger people must have greater access to digital education. We need to embrace the importance of a digital ecosystem and work towards providing everyone, including the most vulnerable and disabled people, in Timor-Leste with the opportunity for a better future. 

As we advance, dear friends, ensuring the success of this as well as such future initiatives, will depend on strengthening the implementation of policies to drive digital transformation. It is especially exciting to see the participants of this training programme – I encourage all of you to do your maximum to learn as much as you can and not be afraid to ask questions on this training programme. 

In the next 12-24 months we must ensure that every school and college in Timor-Leste is connected to the internet and every young person has access to reliable and  affordable information and communication technology services.

There is a need to focus on the hardest-to-connect communities, including people with disabilities and people living in remote areas. 

Lastly, we need to work together to create a thriving environment for entrepreneurship and digital innovation ecosystems to help accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Thank you, everyone.

Viva Timor-Leste!

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Dezenvolvimentu Abilidade Dijitál no Kapasidade Teknolojia ba Timor-Leste

OBSERVASAUN HUSI KOORDENADÓR REZIDENTE UN, ROY TRIVEDY

28 Jullu 2022

Exelénsia, embaixadór, reprezentante sira hosi misaun diplomátika no parseiru dezenvolvimentu sira, 

Reprezentante sira husi sosiedade sivíl

Reprezentante sira hosi mídia,

Senhoras no Senhores,

Bomdia, Dader Diak,

Ha'u haksolok tebes mai iha ne'e ohin hodi partisipa iha eventu ida kona-ba Dezenvolvimentu Abilidade Dijitál no Teknolojia ne'ebé organiza hamutuk husi Autoridade Nasionál Komunikasaun Timor-Leste no ITU.

ITU – hanesan ajénsia espesializada Nasoins Unidas nian ida ne'ebé servisu besik liu ho governu sira no setór privadu atu promove transformasaun dijitál globál ida ne'ebé inkluzivu, hanesan elementu importante ida hodi hatán ba Objetivu sira husi Dezenvolvimentu Sustentavel Nasoins Unidas nian. ITU ne'e bazeia iha Jakarta no interesante tebes atu haree sira nia envolvimentu ho Autoridade Nasionál Komunikasaun Timor-Leste hodi halo ida ne'e akontese.

Lansamentu inisiativa Dezenvolvimentu kompeténsia Dijitál nian, sei loke dalan ba kualifikasaun foun sira ne'ebé atu dezenvolve iha país ne'e no permite katak ita-nia foin-sa'e sira, liuliu labarik feto sira, bele koñese ho dezenvolvimentu produtu no servisu dijitál sira ne'ebé importante tebes atu hadi'a iha setór ekonomia nian hotu-hotu.

Senhoras e Senhores,

Ita hotu hatene katak teknolojia informasaun muda ona, no muda dadauk ona, ita nia moris dramatikamente. Iha nasaun barak, ema sira ho klik ida ba buat hotu-hotu. Maski nune’e, sira ne’ebé ho asesu menus kontinua la hetan benefísiu husi teknolojia, inklui feto no labarik feto barak, ferik-katuas, ema ho defisiénsia sira, ema LGBTIQ, grupu indíjena sira, no ema sira ne’ebé hela iha área kiak ka remota sira.

Atu sukat valór no importánsia teknolojia nian, imi hanoin ona oinsá teknolojia dijitál sira sai importante tebes iha ohin loron ne'e?

Teknolojia Dijitál no ninia asesu iha potensialidade atu entre transformadór umanu sira iha ita-nia tempu moris nian, asesu ba kualidade no edukasaun moris tomak, no desizaun sira ne'ebé orienta saúde no seguransa, empregu, no finansas.

Iha setór saúde, porezemplu, intelijénsia artifisiál ajuda salva moris, diagnósa moras no prolonga espetativa vida. Iha edukasaun, ambiente aprendizajen virtual no aprendizajen distánsia loke ona programa sira ba estudante sira ne'ebé esklui tiha. Konektividade digital bele fo dalan ba ema atu aprende laos deit husi sira nia fatin besik maibe husi mundu tomak. Loke dalan foun ba aprendizajen no transformasaun!

Eskola ba Uma hanesan ezemplu foin lalais iha Timor-Leste. Ministeriu Edukasaun dezenvolve inisiativa ne’e ho apoiu hosi UNICEF no parseiru sira seluk. Ida ne'e nafatin hanesan forsa ida ne'ebé importante iha kotuk hodi fo hanoin fali ba edukasaun no teknolojia hodi hatán ba pandemia COVID19.

Governu Timor-Leste, Nasoins Unidas, no parte interesada sira iha planu atu haforsa plataforma dijitál no kompeténsia sira ba governasaun, banku, saúde, edukasaun, no servisu sira seluk tan, joven sira tenke hetan asesu ne'ebé boot liu ba edukasaun dijitál. Ita presiza hako'ak importánsia husi sistema ekolójia dijitál no servisu atu fornese ba ema hotu, inklui ema sira ne'ebé vulneravel no defisiente, iha Timor-Leste, ho oportunidade ba futuru ida ne'ebé di'ak liu.

Hanesan ita avansa ba oin, belun doben sira, hodi asegura susesu ba inisiativa hirak ne'e no mós inisiativa ba futuru, sei depende ba reforsu implementasaun polítika sira hodi dudu transformasaun dijitál. Liu-liu hau hakarak haree partisipante sira husi programa treinamentu ida ne'e – Hau enkoraja ita boot sira hotu atu halo ita boot sira nia estudu masimu atu aprende buat barak liu tan no la tauk atu husu perguntas kona ba programa treinamentu ne'e.

Iha fulan 12-24 oin mai, ita tenke asegura katak eskola no koléjiu hotu-hotu iha Timor-Leste iha ligasaun ba internet no kada joven sira hotu iha asesu ba informasaun ne'ebé fiável no asesivel no servisu teknolojia komunikasaun nian.

Iha nesesidade atu foka ba komunidade sira ne'ebé difisil, inklui ema ho defisiénsia no ema sira ne'ebé hela iha área remota sira.

Ikus liu, ita presiza serbisu hamutuk hodi kria ambiente ida ne'ebé di'ak ba empriendedorizmu no ekosistema inovasaun dijitál, atu nune'e bele ajuda aselera konkretizasaun Objetivu sira husi Dezenvolvimentu Sustentavel.

Obrigado barak, ba ita hotu. 

Viva Timor-Leste!