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INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Distinguished Members of the Panel Ladies and Gentlemen, It is indeed a great pleasure and honour for me to join you, Mr. President, in this informal panel dialogue on Information and Communications Technologies for Development between our two organs of the United Nations. I see this meeting as an important opportunity and privilege for me, as President of the Economic and Social Council, to report on the leadership role of the Council in taking comprehensive action to bring the question of ICT for development to the forefront of the intergovernmental attention at the United Nations. The Council’s high-level segment at the Ministerial level last July was the first time ever that a United Nations intergovernmental forum, with the active participation of the private sector, gave in-depth attention to the power and promise of information and communications technologies in the emerging knowledge-based economy. The theme of the high-level segment was decided upon against a background of rapid globalization propelled by ICT with the promise and expectations of tremendous economic growth and development for all. The ECOSOC recognized this power and its potential role for fostering the well-being of all peoples and for addressing issues of overarching importance to our common development goals, and most prominently that of reducing and eventual eradicating poverty. It also recognized that ICT could bring people closer together and that they could provide a magnificent tool for accessing and sharing knowledge, and thus are key to competitiveness in the knowledge-based economy. It was also clear that these technologies could provide new and unprecedented opportunities to poor countries and small and medium-sized companies to compete successfully in the global marketplace. Yet, as we all agree, billions still live ‘Beyond the Pale’, untouched by the digital revolution, thereby creating a troubling digital divide. A real fear exists for many of being left out of this unprecedented revolution. Developing countries, and in particular the least developed, run the risk of being bypassed by the revolution in information and communication technologies as well as their application in education, health, commerce or governance, and the benefits that they promise for development. Indeed, as a result, a backlash is already brewing from those who feel such isolation from the new economy and the fear that the widening economic gaps could be even further accentuated by these new and powerful technologies. It was against this background that the Council took action and we embarked on an intensive process to harness ICT in the service of development. Mr. President, We at ECOSOC recognized early on that the Council members or even the UN as a whole could not come up with viable solution by ourselves. It became abundantly clear that closing the digital divide could not be the sole responsibility of any one group of stakeholders. In fact it was clear that it was the private sector that was spearheading the ICT revolution and that a broad spectrum of stakeholders should be involved. Thus, starting with the preparations, an attempt was made that the process would be participatory and inclusive. In order to intensify its preparations for the high-level segment the Bureau organized, in cooperation with various international organizations and the subsidiary bodies of the Council, a series of panel discussions and regional dialogues co-sponsored by the Council and the Regional Commissions. In addition, during the segment, the Council undertook a plethora of formal meetings, Ministerial breakfast round-tables and a public exhibition. All of these were designed to stimulate discussion and help foster exchanges and understanding of this complex issue. The staging of an ICT public exhibition with 41 leading private ICT companies that ran concurrently with the High-level Segment was unprecedented and unique undertaking for the United Nations. It is said that the high-level segment was a resounding success, which succeeded in transforming the Council into a truly global, strategic and open forum for dialogue inclusive of all key players and stakeholders. The Council’s Ministerial Declaration affirmed the key role of the UN system in bringing ICT to the service of development for all. It recommended the establishment of an ICT Task Force and a Trust Fund to promote universal and affordable access to ICT and the use of ICT for development. Crucially, this effort is aimed at bringing together all relevant stakeholders, from developed and developing countries, the public and private sector, academia, foundations and civil society, to build partnerships for forging digital solutions and mobilizing new resources for the well-being of all, and especially the world’s poor. The Council’s recommendations were subsequently endorsed in the Millennium Declaration of Heads of State and Government of 8 September 2000. And, the IT Charter of the G-8 Summit meeting in Okinawa, Japan in late July recognized the significance of the ECOSOC Ministerial Declaration. In follow-up to the Council’s relevant decisions, the Secretary-General has started a comprehensive process of consultations with all relevant stakeholders on the composition, governance structure, mandate, terms of reference, secretarial support and project implementation arrangements for the Task Force and the Trust Fund. Mr. Jose Maria Figueres, former President of Costa Rica and myself, together with other members of the Advisory Group, are now conducting consultations aimed at gathering relevant input from the many stakeholders. I am sure that Mr. Patrizio Civili, ASG in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, will brief us on the status of these consultations. One of the primary objectives of this process is to make it inclusive, to integrate the many other initiatives that are aimed at dealing with the complexities of the digital divide, and to create synergies among them. I am therefore particularly pleased to have here on the podium with us, in addition to Mr. Civili, representatives from UNDP and the World Bank who are leading the efforts on the implementation of the G-8 initiative on the creation of a dot.force, and I look forward to hearing from them. We are all aware that we will not turn the digital divide into digital opportunities overnight, or simply with the creation of the Task Force. But the Council is committed to pursue this initiative with the necessary persistence and investment of time and effort that will bring visible and clear benefits for all, and especially the world’s poor. I expect that the Secretary-General will report back to the Council early next year on the results of the consultation process now under way, so that we will be able to take the necessary action to formally establish the Task Force, and lay the groundwork for the formation of the Trust Fund. Thank you
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