Regional authority recognizes Cuban experience in the digital sector

VARADERO, Cuba, August 22 (ACN) Rodney Taylor, Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), highlighted the importance of the Caribbean nation within the organization and the island's support for efforts toward sustainable development in the region.

Speaking to the press at the 21st Caribbean Internet Governance Forum (CIGF), held at the Meliá Internacional Varadero Hotel, Taylor praised this as an ideal opportunity to connect with experts and interested entities on the island who can share their perspectives and, at the same time, hear what they have to contribute.

He explained that the Caribbean nation, like other CTU member states, also faces high costs for Internet-related infrastructure, but has potential in terms of capacity building, staff training, and the opportunity to continue learning about new developments in the field.

The discussions taking place this week will provide a better understanding of the challenges faced, enabling us to work together to address them with comprehensive responses based on collaboration, he added.

Regarding the event, convened by the CTU with the support of the Cuban government, he noted that it represents a stopover to discuss Internet resilience for the region, which has a particular bearing on cybersecurity and the constant threat of cyberattacks against the infrastructure installed in these countries.

Critical topics will also be addressed, such as how Internet domains are managed within the Caribbean region, and those related to artificial intelligence and data management, and how this impacts the need to continue advancing in this area, in the face of common challenges such as climate change, which carry risks associated with the impact of increasingly frequent and intense extreme natural phenomena in the geographic area, the Secretary General noted.

In Thursday's sessions, regional leaders highlighted the importance of the event, the oldest of its kind in the Caribbean and the world (dating back to 2005), and emphasized the need to strengthen the region's digital ecosystem to create a collaborative common path to advance these issues.

Likewise, the reports of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) were presented at the national, regional, and global levels.

The event, which brings together experts, academics, technologists, and youth leaders in person and virtually, will conclude Friday with an update on Cuba's approach to managing issues related to digital transformation and the assimilation of information technologies in the national context.