On September 9, 2020, Chief Representative Hiroyasu Izumi delivered an address at the opening ceremony of the GCTF workshop themed “Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the Digital Economy.”
The virtual format linked up participants from a range of countries via a video conferencing system and was the third virtual GCTF workshop this year. It was the first such event to be attended by participants from Central and South America, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala. While the worldwide spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on our lives, it has also provided an opportunity to optimize our use of digital technology and to create a better social environment. This was a significant workshop in this respect, with experts from a wide range of fields (including experts from Japan) gathering to discuss and exchange their views.
Chief Representative Izumi’s address
Distinguished guests,
On behalf of the Japan–Taiwan Exchange Association, we would like to extend a warm welcome to you. We are delighted to co-host the GCTF virtual workshop on COVID-19 and Digital Economy with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan, the American Institute in Taiwan, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala participates in this webinar as the first co-hosting partner from Latin American countries. It is our great pleasure to have a new partner join our webinar. The GCTF was launched by Taiwan and the U.S. in 2015, followed by the Japan–Taiwan Exchange Association joining as a full partner in 2019. We are in high hopes that an increasing number of countries will join the GCTF in the future.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant influence on the society and lifestyle we have built up so far. In a post-COVID-19 world, information technology will unquestionably play an even greater role in our society along with the introduction of teleworking, remote education, drones, and artificial intelligence. The digital economy created by IT has important implications, especially in a region like Latin America where there is considerable room for the further development of the latest IT infrastructure.
On the other hand, since IT is very closely related to our privacy and democratic system, it is highly essential to build up an open and transparent system to avoid the domination of information by specific groups or individuals. Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Taiwan has successfully utilized IT to control the virus while ensuring transparency. We believe that this “Taiwan Model” will serve as a good example for the international community.
Today's webinar has very significant implications where experts from all over the world, including Japan, Taiwan, the U.S. and Guatemala discuss the future of digital economy. We will continue to fully support this meaningful effort. Last but not least, we would like to thank everyone for their efforts and commitments in organizing today's GCTF virtual workshop. Thank you.