New York, 9 October 2026

Madam Chair,

My Delegation welcomes this discussion as an opportunity to reaffirm that “technology can become an instrument of growth, justice and fraternity.”[1]

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have already increased access to knowledge, healthcare, education, and economic opportunities for many people, and they have the potential to further accelerate progress towards achieving sustainable development, particularly regarding eradicating poverty. When used to serve the human person, technology can truly promote integral human development.

However, this potential is not equally shared. The digital divide persists, both between and within countries. Data shows that 2.2 billion people are still not connected to the internet, most of whom live in low- and middle-income countries.[2]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) adds another new dimension to this reality. While its potential to serve integral human development is considerable, so too are the risks of a new divide. As Pope Leo XIV notes in Magnifica Humanitas, “in a context where the wealth of nations depends increasingly on knowledge and technology, when these goods remain concentrated in the hands of a few, without adequate forms of sharing and access, a new imbalance is created that contradicts the universal destination of goods.”[3]

It is, therefore, vital to increase international cooperation, including capacity-building and technology transfer, in order to bridge the current digital divide. Such cooperation must be accompanied by sustained investments in education and digital literacy. The ability to use ICTs critically, safely and productively is what transforms access into opportunity, particularly for younger generations. Having universal access to technology is not enough without the necessary education needed to use it.

Madam Chair,
Harnessing ICTs’ potential for sustainable development requires taking seriously not only the technical and economic dimensions of this progress, but also its social, ethical and cultural implications. Only then can technology become an instrument of growth, justice and fraternity.

I thank you.

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[1] Pope Leo XIV, Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, 180.

[2] Cf. ITU Facts and Figures 2025.

[3] Pope Leo XIV, Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, 67.