Connectivity – Best Practice "COVID-19 Initiatives, What does work, What does not"

With the COVID19 outbreak affecting most countries around the globe, most schools and businesses are entering their second month of remote learning and working, with governments around the world encouraging society to maximize distance learning and teleworking flexibility for all telework-eligible employees so as to allow social-distancing. However, even in wealthy countries, poor families, elderly people and students have limited access to the fundamental infrastructure and basic digital devices needed for online presence –lacking both the connectivity in their homes and the skill or experience with digital technologies that would allow them to more easily transition to a fully online environment in this time of crisis. Government and industry have already demonstrated a few possible strategies or immediate ways of fostering connectivity and the use of digital technologies to make a big difference in response COVID19, support citizens, and ensure business continuity.This webinar is the second in the series of “Digital Cooperation during COVID19 and beyond” webinars, hosted by the office of the Special Advisor, UN Under Secretary-General Fabrizio Hochschild in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), aiming to share best practices, initiatives, or approaches, in response to COVID19, and to study what does work and what does not. In particular, discussion will focus on what lessons could be drawn from responses so far that could also apply to the COVID19 response for the most vulnerable populations, including those in least developed countries. World Bank Groupis astrategic partner of this webinar