World Telecommunication and Information Society Day has been celebrated annually every 17 May. Its purpose is to help raise awareness of the importance and enormous opportunities offered by the use of Internet and information and communication technology in the development of societies and economies.

This day marks the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and the founding of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The Republic of Moldova became a member of the ITU on 20 October 1992.

This year, ITU members and partners are invited to present their actions and initiatives aimed at accelerating the digital transformation at the World Information Society Forum, and the theme proposed for debate is "Accelerating digital transformation in challenging times".

The main objective of the event is to enhance the efforts to face current challenges and prepare for future ones. It is an opportunity for many countries to continue to promote digital transformation by implementing national strategies on ICT development, smart policies to encourage investment, cooperation and partnership. The event highlights how digital technologies can help the world recover after COVID-19.

The COVID-19 crisis has not only highlighted the crucial role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for the continued functioning of societies, but has also revealed digital inequalities between and within countries. At the same time, the pandemic boosted digital transformations worldwide. Today, ICT plays a key role in building social resilience, saving lives and supporting economies.

On the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, the UN Secretary-General made the following statement: “Digital technologies sustain life, work, health and learning for billions of people. In the face of COVID-19, businesses, governments and the digital community have proven resilient and innovative, helping to protect lives and livelihoods. These challenging times have accelerated the transformation everywhere. Yet 3.7 billion people – nearly half the world’s population – remain unconnected to the Internet; and of these, the majority are women.  We must also protect against the dangers of digital technologies, from the spread of hatred and misinformation to cyberattacks and the exploitation of our data.”

The e-Governance Agency aligns itself with the actions aimed at raising awareness of the importance of technologies and communications in the development of today's society and supports the steps promoted by the ITU and, on this occasion, warmly congratulates all specialists working in the ICT sector and related fields and expresses its full appreciation for their constant effort and valuable contribution to the development of the information society in the Republic of Moldova.