Digital Affairs – Chancellery
of the Prime Minister

Secretary General,

Your Excellences,

Distinguished Delegates and Colleagues,

 

As we work toward the development of stable communication solutions it is our goal to have as little white spots with no access to services on our planet. Even during our session these white spots are appearing in Ukraine with Russian bombs and bullets ravaging the cities of Kiev, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Kherson and others. Actually, to be in full alignment with the truth, these should be called red spots as they flow with the blood of innocent women and children.

One cannot stand idle when a brother or sister is in need. My country, Poland, has welcomed over 2M refugees and the world of telecommunication has stood by them with companies providing them with a Polish number with free calls and data bundles to be in touch with their husbands and fathers that stayed behind to defend their fatherland. More and more of them stop answering as the invaders cut communications by bombing their cell towers fall and cutting fiberoptic cables.

All of this infrastructure must be promptly rebuilt and we should make good use of the Partner 2 Connect Digital Coalition launched recently thanks to the effort of Doreen Bogdan Martin. The pledging mechanism should be put into action and the upcoming WTDC is the ideal opportunity for a special Roundtable that would match needs with the offering. Therefore we call upon all stakeholders to demonstrate solidarity with those that went offline as the digital infrastructure of Ukraine became a target for Russian missiles.

This atrocity has to stop now and on behalf of the Republic of Poland I strongly urge all countries of the free world to disconnect Russia for as long as it takes from the global communications network. The reputation of the ITU is tarnished with each day that those who bring war sit in these chambers. I call on all states to vote against the membership of the Russian Federation in the ITU Council and to support Ukraine to fill its place.

Dear Delegates and Colleagues,

Recent days brought hundreds of civilian casualties that fell victim of Russian war crimes. Therefore I would like to propose that we all honor them with a moment of silence.

Thank you.