General Assembly Session 56 meeting 102

Mr. Mahendran (Sri Lanka)

I listened with great care to the galaxy of speakers this morning, and what has to be said about information and communication technologies (ICT) has been said. What we have to do now is to take stock of how to proceed. In that regard, Mr. President, I was touched by a number of paragraphs of your statement, and I would like to read out some extracts:

"However, we are faced by the sad reality that this immense potential of ICT is not being adequately harnessed currently. The digital divide threatens to further marginalize the economies and peoples of the developing countries, as well as of countries with economies in transition. Moreover, given the very dynamism of the ICT revolution, every day that passes without effective action further widens the divide, making the need for concerted effort by the international community a matter of utmost urgency." (A/56/PV.101)

Mr. President, these words of yours are what it is all about. Take the digital divide, for example. Whether it is between developed and developing nations, whether it is between the North and the South, whether it is between cities and villages, whether it is between communities, whether it is between races, ICT can play a very effective role in reducing that divide. But how do we proceed with this? That is the question that needs to be answered.

Mr. President, in your wisdom, you said much more, and I wish again to quote your words:

"I think we all agree that political leadership and commitment at the highest level are necessary in order to integrate ICT for development programmes into national development strategies." (ibid.)

There again we come to the essence of the argument. We all know how beneficial ICT can be to all of us. But how do you bring about a marriage between the private sector, the governmental agencies, the United Nations and all other stakeholders in order to achieve substantial progress towards attaining what we are aiming at? That is going to be the real crux of what we face in the coming decade.

Fortunately, we have the umbrella of the United Nations, and we can go forward under that umbrella. I am sure that the giants of industry in the private sector would not begrudge a United Nations effort to bring about such a marriage. What we need here is a meeting of the minds. In order to bring this about, I think that you touched a chord, Mr. President, when you said to let this be a beginning: the political commitment of all of us to work towards a very necessary goal. If not, in countries such as ours, Sri Lanka, the people in the cities and in the villages will not be able to speak the same language in the future. The poor will get poorer, and the city folks will be much better off. The same applies to the North and the South, or to the developed and the developing world. That is going to be our problem.

The Sri Lanka delegation fully supports the statement made by the Chairman of the Group of 77 this morning. We feel that it is time for all of us to sit down together, whether it be with IBM, Microsoft, Sony or Samsung. I am sure that those giant corporations can and will be convinced to join the ministries of our countries that handle ICT and to work with the United Nations to bring about the revolution we seek. As the President told us this morning, the digital divide is getting wider, not narrower. I hope we can achieve something in the future.

Mr. Arias (Spain)

I have the honour of speaking on behalf of the European Union (EU). We are witnessing the beginning of a new era marked by the birth of the information society, which is causing a profound change in our way of life. This will be a new civilization with characteristics and consequences similar to those of the industrial revolution in its time. It is our responsibility not to waste this opportunity, so that technological advances can promote greater well-being for society as a whole and provide a better quality of life for all citizens. Progress must reach all humanity.

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have been the motor for the growth of economies since the beginning of the 1970s. They are probably one of the most powerful tools of globalization. The world is witnessing a transformation in the concept of information. It is no longer the heritage of the few. It has become a prerequisite for economic and social development. These technologies are creating a new economy in which the main challenge is to make the great benefits of the information revolution accessible to 4 billion people. We cannot afford to the let the digital disadvantage of two thirds of humanity continue to worsen. We must fight with determination against information poverty, for which we will need leadership and commitment at the highest level in the developing countries.

Information and communication technologies can bring great advantages to humanity. They are a tool in the fight against poverty, and they offer an opportunity for wealth creation, social cohesion and cultural diversity. Furthermore, they offer individuals -- including in the developing countries -- an opportunity for access to information and knowledge, which is essential for progress in the areas of education and health, and for economic progress in general.

The United Nations has a fundamental role to play in the information society, because the Organization provides a unique framework for the design of appropriate mechanisms to close the digital divide affecting humanity. The Economic and Social Council, conscious of its responsibilities, adopted its important resolution 2000/29, in which it decided to create the Information and Communication Technologies Task Force under the leadership of the Secretary-General. The European Union considers the establishment of the Task Force to be a timely and necessary initiative since information and communication technologies constitute a valuable instrument for the eradication of poverty.

However, the challenge is great. Therefore, the Task Force must mobilize Governments as well as civil society and the private sector in order to meet precise objectives on the path we must travel to close the digital divide. These meetings are among the milestones in this process; they provide an extraordinary sounding board for identifying the actions that must be taken to promote the information society.

The European Union is convinced that these meetings, together with the associated panels, will contribute to enriching the work of the World Summit on the Information Society, to take place in Geneva in 2003 and in Tunisia in 2005, with the objective of developing a strategic plan of action. It will be a United Nations summit at the level of heads of State or Government to which the European Union entrusts a crucial role in the design of tomorrow's society. The European Union will spare no effort to ensure its success.

However, it is not only United Nations Member States that are responsible for a positive outcome of the Summit. Non-governmental organizations, the private sector and civil society in general also have a fundamental role to play. In this regard, the European Union believes that the Summit must not limit participation to heads of State or Government. Rather, from the preparatory process onward, it must be open to the participation of the private sector and of civil society. In addition, the European Union considers that the Summit must be organized in such a way that all sectors with a share of responsibility in the world of ICT will be able to contribute to its beneficial outcome. I am referring to a range of actors ranging from academia to the financial sector.

In our view, the Summit is the forum in which the following key issues must be addressed: the design of policies and regulatory frameworks to promote the growth of the ICT sector with a view to reducing the digital divide; the role of ICT in alleviating poverty and in promoting economic well-being, keeping in mind the role ICT can play in making Governments more transparent and more accountable to their citizens and in ensuring freedom of expression and full respect for democracy; the promotion of access to information and knowledge, including extremely important issues such as secure Internet access; and the establishment of new mechanisms for the governance of technologies -- what has been called the regulation of globalization.

A good example of the attention that the European Union has been giving to the grave problems caused by the digital divide was the European Union's decision to sponsor the Group of Seven (G-7) Conference on the Information Society held in 1995 in Brussels. Since then, the European Union has on a number of occasions expressed its ambition to share the benefits of the new technologies on a global scale. In that context, we should consider the Okinawa Charter on Global Information Society adopted by the G-8, which established the Digital Opportunity Task Force, which has been doing important work.

Allow me to refer briefly to the efforts that the European Union has made so that the benefits of ICT can reach all its citizens, including those of European Union candidate countries. One of the top priorities of the European Union is the adoption of policies to strengthen a European information society. That has led to an initiative known as e-Europe, whose goal is to bring information closer to our citizens while being mindful of their cultural diversities. ICT provides new space for freedom of expression and intercultural dialogue, and can thus contribute to an affirmation of the cultural and linguistic diversity of peoples. In addition, at the European Council session in Barcelona, member States requested the Commission to draft a plan of action called e-Europe 2003, whose priorities include the strengthening of the three pillars of the information society: e-education, e-health and e-government. In this context, the international conference on e-government for development, held in Palermo, Italy, on 10 and 11 April, stressed the fact that ICT should not be considered in isolation but should instead be part of the overall strategy for development that the European Union wishes to promote in its cooperation programmes with other countries.

The EU wishes to reaffirm that it considers information and communication technologies to be an effective tool to fight poverty in order to attain the goals of the Millennium Declaration. Therefore, we are working closely with the international community to encourage the use of information and communication technologies, especially in the area of capacity-building. Those technologies will be a cross-cutting theme in all European Union programmes. In fact, significant resources are available in the Alliance for the Information Society programme for Latin America, in the Asia Information Technology and Communications programme for Asia and in the Euro-Mediterranean Information Society programme for the Mediterranean region. A programme for the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries is in its conceptual stage.

In that context, the EU understands that the International Telecommunication Union is a forum in which countries can exchange points of view on access to information. Moreover, the EU considers that, in its global strategy to close the digital divide, mechanisms of cooperation among United Nations agencies should be strengthened. Therefore, links should be established with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to work on e-education issues, with the World Health Organization to share experiences on e-health, and with other agencies of the United Nations system, without forgetting the regional economic commissions, always seeking the involvement of public and private actors that can contribute to a more balanced sharing of digital opportunities.

I should like to conclude my statement with an appeal for realism. It is certain that the new technologies are not the panacea for all the problems that humanity faces. However, they can assist decisively in eradicating poverty, thus contributing to the attainment of the great goals of the Millennium Declaration.

Mr. Alvarez (Andorra)

First of all, I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for your initiative to convene this important meeting, and to thank the Secretariat for the background documentation and for the preparation of the panel meetings.

Two years ago, information technology was at the core of the discussion during the substantive session of the Economic and Social Council, underlining the significant role that information and communication technologies (ICT) play in the process of development. The United Nations ICT Task Force was then created to ensure the follow-up of those discussions and to undertake efforts to bridge the global digital divide, which remains a worrisome reality. Today, we are here to continue the review of the role of ICT in development and to prepare ourselves for the World Summit on the Information Society, to be held at Geneva and at Tunis.

I would like to underline four points of major interest to my Government. First, we believe that the international community should focus on ways and means of strengthening the structures that are crucial for technological development. The first step is to support national efforts aimed at establishing the necessary human and physical infrastructure for information and communication technologies. In that context, the private sector can play a significant role, especially in capacity-building and in encouraging investment in research and development. The second step consists of strengthening international research cooperation, which is a valuable tool to ensure access to and transfer of technology. In that respect, South-South cooperation has yielded good results. However, we believe that a key complement to successful South-South cooperation is North-South cooperation.

My second point relates to ICT and sustainable development. In general terms, information and communication technologies have been identified as the key determinants for creating a global knowledge-based economy, generating growth and creating employment and wealth. In more concrete terms, information and communication technologies help countries to better develop national policies -- through, for example, the collection of data and the generation of indexes -- and to better implement them via the transfer of information and knowledge.

Thirdly, we believe that partnerships between the private and public sectors within and among countries, as well as partnerships with the United Nations, play a unique role in forging development. Partnerships, especially between the public and private sectors, can be used to promote access to ICT, especially for the youngest members of society and for those whose access to new technologies may be compromised by an economic, social or physical handicap. For those reasons, we hope that the World Summit on the Information Society will be an opportunity for us to review the situation and to analyse additional partnership strategies to narrow the global digital divide that exists within and among countries.

Fourthly, and in conclusion, I would like to draw the Assembly's attention to the need to develop and promote the use of new technologies that are not only user-friendly but also low in cost. In that context, I would like to cite as an example a project that has been put forward by my Government -- more precisely by its Commission for the Information Society -- that we call the United Nations Mobile. In brief, the United Nations Mobile is a new communications channel, based on personal digital assistants, that can act as an information bridge between the members of the United Nations community and other users around the world. It allows users to obtain the most updated information, which Permanent Missions can then publish very easily on the Internet. In fact, this project was presented this afternoon, with great acceptance among some Assembly members, which may predict its success.

Mr. Niculescu (Romania)

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on the initiative to convene a meeting of the General Assembly devoted to information and communication technologies (ICT) for development. For all those who invested a great deal of effort in making this event happen, it is especially gratifying to see so many prominent personalities, representing Governments, civil society, the business community and relevant international organizations, attending this special meeting.

Information and communication technologies are undoubtedly powerful tools for development, creating jobs and transforming, inter alia, education, health care, trade and politics. One of the most pressing challenges in the new century will be to harness that extraordinary force, spread it throughout the world and make its benefits accessible to all humanity, in particular the poor.

Our discussions over the past several years have proved very useful in shaping the common vision set out in the Ministerial Declaration of the 2000 High-Level Segment of the Economic and Social Council and in the Millennium Declaration. We welcomed the ensuing steps taken, such as the launching of the United Nations ICT Task Force by the Secretary-General and of the Digital Opportunity Task Force within the Group of Eight, and especially their agreement to work together to advance a shared agenda. In the same vein, we salute the initiative to hold the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva in 2003 and in Tunis in 2005. Our meeting is thus well timed to sustain the momentum and to continue an inclusive approach that includes the participation of all stakeholders.

We are convinced that the United Nations system should play a leading role in all efforts directed at expanding the impact of ICT on development. That is why we hope that this meeting will address the digital divide in the context of globalization and the development process -- both in plenary meeting and in panel discussions -- and promote coherence and synergy among various regional and international information and communication technologies initiatives.

In that spirit, I would like to make a few comments about our experience using ICT in Romania and our specific contribution at the international level. A national strategy for the implementation of the information society has been developed in Romania through cooperation among civil society, the business community and the public administration. Just last year, an ICT promotion group was set up. That group is led by the Prime Minister and composed of e-ministers with a stake in e-development. The group has as mandate to facilitate and integrate all e-development for the benefit of citizens and the business community. At the same time, a package ICT of legislation was initiated by the specially created new Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The Parliament has also adopted specific laws to provide regulation in various areas in this field. Those include laws on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data, the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the telecommunications sector, electronic signatures, electronic commerce and e-procurement.

The expansion of Internet use makes e-government possible. It also makes it necessary to reinvent the concept of Government, as well as its activities. The Government is therefore committed to using new technologies to better fulfil its obligations towards its citizens; to provide better education and social protection and to promote economic growth and ensure free-market competitiveness. Providing government services online will encourage better penetration of new technologies and will help boost infrastructure development. To illustrate this point, I would like to mention just two of the pilot projects that have been developed at the national level. One of the those projects involves online payment of local taxes, in order to reduce the delays and costs related to the slowness of circulating cash. The other involves utilizing e-procurement to ensure transparency and efficiency in public procurement processes.

On the international level, Romania is a member of the United Nations Information and Communication Technology Task Force, and is fully involved in the preparatory process for the World Summit on the Information Society. Within the context of the preparations for the Summit, a pan-European regional ministerial conference will be held in Bucharest from 7 to 9 September 2002. The Bucharest conference, which is being organized in cooperation with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, will provide both thematic debates and partnership events.

As far as the thematic debates are concerned, the themes will include knowledge-based society, e-government, access to infrastructure and institutional frameworks, trade in the new economy and quality of life in the information society. The partnership events will include a business round table and a civil society forum. In preparation for the Summit, the conference is designed to conduct a regional assessment, to establish a platform for dialogue that includes all major stakeholders, to develop a vision for a knowledge-based society and to prepare positions and identify key subjects, initiatives and networks in the region.

It is our understanding that by working together to bridge the digital divide, we can make an important contribution to global peace and progress. I extend our full support to the Assembly for a successful meeting.

Mr. Mahmood (Pakistan)

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the convening of these General Assembly meetings devoted to information and communication technologies (ICT) for development. The topic itself assumes importance in view of the tremendous potential that information technologies have with regard to addressing development issues in all their aspects.

We would also like to avail ourselves of this opportunity to fully align ourselves with the statement made earlier by the Chairman of the Group of 77. His statement reflects the collective aspiration of developing countries to address development issues, specially the reduction of poverty.

In line with the Millennium Declaration, the Government of Pakistan recognizes the great potential of information and communication technologies in developing a knowledge-based economy and helping to reduce poverty. However, the widening digital divide is seriously undermining that potential. To bridge the digital divide it is necessary that concerted efforts be made for the development of human resources conversant with ICT. It is also necessary to expand telecommunication infrastructures and to ensure the widespread use of computers. Unless those three fundamental ingredients are present, the goal of using ICT to bridge the digital divide will remain elusive. It is therefore essential that we take a realistic view of the situation and address the issues that might obstruct attaining these very fundamental goals.

First, it is unreasonable to expect poor people struggling to earn their living to make an investment in computers. It would be equally naive to think that Governments of developing countries will have resources to roll out telecommunications infrastructure in uneconomic rural areas, where poor people live, or to make investments in raising people's computer literacy at the village level.

Secondly, the unaffordable cost of software and business strategies that involve frequent upgrades that require a continual drain of resources from a poor man's pocket are great deterrents. It is therefore necessary that multilateral donors, bilateral donors, aid-giving agencies and large entrepreneurs take the lead in meeting the costs of expanding and operating ICT infrastructure and of developing open-source software to help the poor have access to the immense resources and potential of ICT.

It would be desirable for a suitably large ICT fund to be created by business, entrepreneurs, technology companies and a variety of donors to help provide the means for poorer countries to gain access to the potential of ICT. Investment through such a fund could be viewed as a means of opening new markets in the long term. For companies that want to be independent of a common fund, appropriate tax incentives or insurance schemes could be devised by developed countries to provide the necessary funding to developing countries.

In conclusion, I would like to state that the Government of Pakistan is fully committed to promoting ICT as one of the vehicles of development. An aggressive programme for human resources development has been launched, bandwidth prices have been reduced from $83,000 per E-1 line to $6,000 per E-1 line, and access to the Internet has been provided for more than 700 towns. The availability of reliable international bandwidth has been increased to 410 megabits per second. Four mobile companies are rolling out mobile telephone services, and programmes, including those relating to e-government and e-commerce, are being launched.

We look forward wholeheartedly to working with the United Nations and its Information and Communication Technologies Task Force towards the implementation of information communication technologies for development. We also welcome the decision to convene the World Summit on the Information Society, to be held at Geneva in December 2003 and at Tunis in December 2005.

Mr. Villanueva (Peru)

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