United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Saturday that international cooperation on digital technology is essential to help defeat COVID-19.

In a video message marking the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, which falls on May 17 annually, the UN chief said: "World Telecommunication and Information Society Day reminds us that international cooperation on digital technology is essential to help defeat COVID-19 and achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development."

"Information technology can be a beacon of hope, allowing billions of people around the world to connect," said Guterres.

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, these connections – with loved ones, with schools and colleges, with workplaces, with healthcare professionals and essential supplies – are more important than ever," the secretary-general added.

"The International Telecommunication Union continues to work with the information and communication technology community and UN agencies to help manage and end this crisis, and recover better," he said.

"New technologies, from 5G and big data to cloud computing and artificial intelligence, are powerful tools to tackle the world's most pressing challenges, including the pandemic," the UN chief said, adding that "leaving no one behind means leaving no one offline."

Zhao Houlin, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), also believes it's time to harness information and communication technology to accelerate social, economic and environmentally sustainable growth.

"We need to coordinate and redouble our efforts to connect everyone to the global digital economy, and that for those connected, more must be done to ensure that connected life is safe and trustworthy," Zhao said in a message.

(With input from Xinhua)