STATEMENT
BY
H.E. AMBASSADOR MAKMUR WIDODO
OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
AT THE
RESUMED ORGANIZATIONAL SESSION
OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

NEW YORK, 8 MARCH 2001

Mr. President,

Let me first say that we sincerely appreciate and welcome the Secretary-General’s report on the ICT Task Force. We see the establishment of the UN Task Force as a major step towards fulfilling the goals of the United Nations in the field of ICT and we thank the Secretary-General for the comprehensive nature of the report as called for by the Ministerial Declaration of the High-level Segment of the ECOSOC last July. Let me also take this opportunity to express our appreciation to Mr. Nitin Desai, the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, for his insightful introductory remarks. I would also like to add that we associate ourselves with the statement by the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the Chairman of the Group of 77 and China.          

Few will disagree with the tremendous significance of the ICT revolution for economic growth and development.  Despite the recent poor press and major set-backs for many dot com companies the impact and continuing spread of the ICT revolution is unquestionable. Whether we see ICT as a fourth factor of production or a fundamental systemic shift to a new economy on a par with that of the industrial revolution, the fact remains that we now live in a global knowledge society in which knowledge, learning and information and communication technologies are the prime movers of social and economic development.

The harnessing and application of these technologies offer the developing countries unprecedented opportunities for development and the eradication of poverty. They also present them with the ability,  not only to accelerate their development but also to help bridge the economic  gap and digital divide and to assist them in leap-froging onto a higher level of development. Indeed, some developing countries, as noted in the report, have already made significant strides in embracing and accessing the opportunities and applications of the new information and communication technologies. Yet, at the same time, the 4.8 billion people living in the developing countries remain largely untouched by the digital revolution. Only 5% of the world’s population can claim connectivity. And, not being connected can, most definitely, result in being left behind in a cycle of poverty and instability.

Mr. President,

The ICT Task Force is being designed, as the recommendations in the report before us indicate, to be a vehicle for increasing awareness of the potential of ICT and, among other things, to forge new partnerships and coalitions particularly between the public and private sectors. It should also prove to be instrumental in steering the role of the United Nations and the wider UN system in the process of harnessing ICT.  To facilitate setting up this Task Force, the Secretary General with the assistance of the High-level Advisory Group on ICT, chaired Mr. Jose Maria Figueres-Olsen, the former President of Costa Rica, embarked on an intensive process of consultations to seek the views of all stakeholders on the composition, modalities, schedule of meetings, mandate and methods of work as well as the appropriate financial support.  In fact Indonesia’s former ambassador to the UN, Dr. Makarim Wibisono, in his capacity as President of the ECOSOC for the year 2000 participated in these widespread consultations. The results of these consultations have been used as an input to the Secretary- General’s report.

The resultant proposals, as outlined in the Secretary-General’s report, deserve our undivided attention. Likewise the key strategic elements listed in the report, including, among others, increasing awareness, promoting universal and affordable access, assisting member states in the creation of national ICT strategies, human resources development and institutional capacity building, the building of partnerships, the identification and mobilization of new and additional financial, technical and human resources and the promotion of North-South and South-South cooperation are worthy of our support. In this regard, we see the UN’s role as uniquely positioned due to its universality, moral authority and representative character to shape the vision for ICT.

Other initiatives, outside the United Nations, have also been launched for similar purposes.  What is now essential is that we seek to ensure complementarity between the UN ICT Task Force and other similar initiatives, particularly, that of the dot force launched by the Group of 8 Summit in Okinawa, Japan in late July 2000. The first steps in this direction are already in-place since, for example, the President of ECOSOC is both a member (ex officio) of the UN Task Force and of the G8 dot force.

In conclusion, Mr. President, let me just add that our vision and challenge for the future is to see ICT being fully utilized for harnessing ICT in the service of development and the eradication of poverty as well as empowering the world’s poor and disenfranchised.  It is my firm belief that all of us should remain engaged in this process and, acting together, we would be in a good position to ensure that the ICT revolution is an inclusive one and that connectivity to its process can advance the well-being and standards of living of all, thereby helping the world to become a more peaceful and secure place.

Thank you.