 It's absolutely critical that as we develop, look at the development of standards to assess digital transformation, to enable us to attain the sustainable development goals, that we do so in a collaborative manner and ensure that we do not stifle innovation and creativity bearing in mind that different parts of the world are developing at different levels. It's also important to encourage the different regions to build interoperable systems so that we know that we're all growing together. I use an example of how the development of railways on the African continent have made it impossible to move goods and people across borders because each railway was developed for each country without thinking about continental integration. We can't do that. We can't commit the same mistakes with digital transformation. We have to build to our borders mindful of the need to interconnect and to build interoperable systems and to build standards that work for all. I also spoke about the standards that may be applied differentially in different parts of the world, looking at the ESG, the environmental, social and governance frameworks that are being developed to guide businesses and how critical it is that things like living income differentials which are applied to cushion the impact of some of these practices are not in their implementation frustrated by other interests because Africa, the global south needs to develop just like the global north because we're all in this together. If that's one lesson that pandemic has taught us it is that we will all grow together using technology as the key. So in the sense my message in the keynote was for all the global standards development organizations to work together to think about the needs of the different parts of the world to build interoperable standards and to foster innovation and creativity while doing so and to do so within strict timelines because 2030 is fast approaching and we don't have the luxury of time. Opportunities are many, the challenges are equally many. One of the key challenge that has been highlighted by our increasing use of digital technology tools and systems is the lack of infrastructure, digital infrastructure and the digital divide across many parts of the country and the world. We're working actively to ensure that we bridge the gender digital divide, the skills gap and create opportunities for young people to acquire the skills that they need to thrive. It provides an opportunity as well because if we give them the right tools that they need today they can help solve multiple problems like use unemployment and create opportunities for them as well and for all of us. We've seen how digital tools helped us survive and thrive by using virtual platforms across many sectors be it health, education, commerce, financial services and all of that. It's incumbent on us to put in place the infrastructure, applications and services that will enable our citizens to engage in the fourth industrial revolution that's unfolding. Now one key aspect of that which I find exciting is that if we do so and we do it right with Africa's demographic dividend it can help with the right digital skills, provide the manpower for the rest of the world, solving critical problems for both the global north and the global subs. And so let's see how we can work together through technology, pooling our resources together to lift the entire globe by its bootstraps and help us all to develop together and it's only digital technology that can enable us to do that. It is very very timely, this symposium couldn't have come at a better time. As we're rolling out applications and systems, digital tools are across the world. We need to look at the standards which are underpinning them, global standards are universally applicable, universally available, we're talking about machine readable standards so we're even even in the standards regime we're moving from manual processes to digital processes powered by technology and so it couldn't have come at a better time and to see the three global standards organizations sitting together at the same table, the IEC, the ISO and the ITU pledging, even deeper collaboration and cooperation moving forward to enable us all achieve our goals of providing applicable, interoperable standards for our digital initiatives was very refreshing and so I must commend the ITU Technical Standards Bureau for organizing this symposium on the eve of the World Telecom Standardization Authority meetings here in Geneva. It couldn't have come at a better time and I'm hopeful that the outcome of it would feed into the WTSA-20 proceedings as well and enrich the process so it's timely and it is a conversation that is long overdue but I'm glad that we're having it now.