UN General Assembly
2016

An open Internet is an amplifier of economic growth and thus a crucial element of sustainable development in the twenty-first century. That is an essential conclusion, incidentally, of the World Bank’s World Development Report 2016, entitled “Digital Dividends”, whose preparation I co-chaired. Information technology can lead to transparent governance and economic growth but only if it is open and unfettered. The challenges we face in the coming years are enormous. Estonia firmly believes in a rules-based international order. The only international organization global enough to achieve that end is the United Nations. Finally, let me say that the 10 times I have appeared here over the past decade have been genuinely rewarding experiences, and I trust that my successor will continue to believe in the work that the Assembly does. I would like to thank the members for their attention and for all that they have given me.