Ooredoo Myanmar and UNDP sign MoU on furthering Sustainable Development Goals

November 9, 2018

Photo: UNDP Myanmar

Yangon, Myanmar: Ooredoo Myanmar, CEO Mr. Vikram Sinha and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Director Mr. Peter Batchelor signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enter into a two-year partnership undertaking catalytic joint activities to unlock the potential of digital technologies for the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a focus on women and youth. The MoU signing ceremony was held on November 9, 2018 at The Strand Hotel.

Mobile based applications, tools and solutions have disrupted conventional business models and are driving innovative, cost effective solutions across the entire spectrum of SDGs. Countries are increasingly adopting new innovative ways of connecting producers to consumers directly through e-commerce, using mobile money and digital banking, raising agricultural productivity, creating educational solutions and enabling a whole new generation of entrepreneurs across the economy who can deliver value.  Myanmar is catching up with the global trends and is increasingly embracing mobile based tools and development solutions, in this regard women and youth are worthy of special attention and hold great unharnessed potential to contribute to the growth of the country, economically and socially.

On the occasion of the MoU signing event, Ooredoo and UNDP organized a panel discussion on “Promoting innovative approaches to engaging women and youth in accelerating the achievement of SDGs”. At the discussions, new age entrepreneurs including Daw Hla Hla Win, Founder of 360ed and U Thaung Su Nyein, Serial Entrepreneur of Innovative Knowledge based businesses, spoke about the opportunities and challenges of building innovative and disruptive enterprises, some of which are expected to be leveraged and addressed under the partnership.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr. Vikram Sinha, CEO of Ooredoo Myanmar said, “Technology evolution and innovation are widely acknowledged as key drivers of SDGs. In order to harness the full potential of technological innovation for SDGs in Myanmar, we partner with a reputable organization like UNDP to provide our full support for SDG’s in the areas of disaster resilience, poverty alleviation, women and youth empowerment and agricultural sector based on our Corporate Social Responsibility core values of education, health and technology enhancement”.

Mr. Knut Ostby, the UNDP Resident Representative said, “This partnership will help us engage the enormous potential of young people and technology in moving Myanmar towards the SDG vision of ending poverty, leaving no one behind and ensuring human rights for all. We appreciate Ooredoo’s commitment to help lead this initiative with us”.

Ooredoo Myanmar and UNDP are determined to take the bold and transformative steps needed to support the people of Myanmar to shift to a sustainable and resilient path. As they embark on this partnership, they pledge to leave no one behind and contribute to the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development. This partnership will enhance access to entrepreneurial opportunities through innovative approaches to engaging women and youth in accelerating the achievement of SDG.

For more information contact:

Ooredoo Communication Team | +959 9733 33322 | mhan1@ooredoo.com.mm
UNDP Communication Team | +95 9 7916 39052 | yamon.phu.thit@undp.org  

About Ooredoo Myanmar

Ooredoo Myanmar is a leading provider of telecommunication services in Myanmar with a customer base of over 9 million as of May 2018. After having launched services in 2014, Ooredoo has a nationwide coverage of 3G and 2Gand has also set up the widest and strongest 4G network in Myanmar. Ooredoo was recently awarded as the fastest mobile network in Myanmar in Q2-Q3 2018 based on Speedtest Intelligence data from Ookla. It continues to expand its footprint of 4G covered townships which eventually stand at 285 townships as of September 2018.

Ooredoo Myanmar today has a range of life enriching services including mobile money, services to support farmers and agriculture, FTTH (Fiber to Home) and Supernet Wireless etc.  It also has a range of Business to Business products to help enterprise, government and SME customers grow their business to full potential. These include basic connectivity services such as Fixed and Mobile, along with the B2B solutions such as IPVPN. Ooredoo Myanmar is committed to enrich the lives of Myanmar people through its products, services and CSR initiatives such as “The more you speak, the more Ooredoo will donate”, Construction of Primary Healthcare Facilities Project with UNOPS and Clean Water project with Myanmar Red Cross Society across the country.

Instagram: @ooredoomyanmar
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OoredooMyanmar
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ooredoomyanmar

About UNDP

UNDP is on the ground in more than 170 countries, providing global perspective and local insight, and technical assistance, policy advice and development support services. Our objective is to support countries to end extreme poverty, reduce inequality, and achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In Myanmar, UNDP has been providing development assistance to the people of Myanmar since the 1950s. Today, UNDP in Myanmar is committed to the achievement of an ambitious agenda to support achievement of the 2030 Agenda and implementation of the SDGS by bring global best practices, international standards and working closely with partnerships, the UN system, Government and people of Myanmar to provide support to collectively deliver on the 2030 Agenda across Myanmar’s development, economic, and social and environmental priorities.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/UNDPMyanmar
Twitter: www.twitter.com/UNDP_Myanmar
Website: www.mm.undp.org