Giga’s mission is to connect every school to the Internet, and every young person to information, opportunity, and choice by 2030. Co-led by UNICEF and ITU, Giga has made progress through 2020 and now forms an Interim Advisory Group (IAG) to steer the initiative toward the next level of governance.
Some 3.7 billion people in the world do not have access to the Internet, and an estimated $428 billion investment is needed to connect all of humanity. Closing the digital divide requires global cooperation, leadership, and innovation in finance and technology.
Through Giga’s structured methodology to map, finance, connect, and empower, Giga serves as a platform that brings together investors, funders, and solution providers to work with governments – a core partner to achieving universal connectivity and providing safe, secure, and tailored content. Giga also works closely with partners across UN organizations, the private sector, Digital Financial institutions, donors, civil society, and academia; and continuously collaborates with UNICEF’s Education team through the Reimagine Education initiative; UNICEF and Norway’s Digital Public Goods Alliance; and the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development.
Following the progress made through 2020, Giga convenes the Giga Interim Advisory Group (IAG) to help advise and guide UNICEF and ITU to frame and steer the initiative towards the next level of governance, including the exploration of governance structures necessary to engage all key stakeholders in Giga’s next phase. The IAG will establish the appropriate mechanisms and governance systems to steer and manage the financial activities needed for large capital deployments needed for its efforts.
Comprised of an esteemed group of thematic and technical experts, technology champions, and recognized policymakers, the IAG will represent opinions of potential stakeholder constituencies, ensure broad representation, transparency of decisions, and reporting in relation to their respective groups. It will be built upon the Principles of Digital Development and with the Secretary-General’s Digital Cooperation Strategy in mind, to ensure that the governing mechanisms and operational modalities of Giga are in line with modern, flexible, and transparent norms.