General Assembly Session 57 meeting 43

Mr. Requeijo Gual (Cuba)

We are living in an era of technological revolution, in which information and communications technologies (ICTs) offer opportunities for countries to have access in real time to all events occurring in the world and to have information on the most recent technological advances.

That reality, however, contrasts against the asymmetry and imbalance produced by the neo-liberal globalization process, in which we are witnessing an increase in the levels of poverty, lack of health and illiteracy. Most of the world population is still living in conditions of poverty and the technological gap between the developed and the developing countries is increasing by leaps and bounds.

Data provided by the International Telecommunications Union show that 62 per cent of all telephone lines are in only 23 developed countries, covering less than 15 per cent of the world population; 84 per cent of all cellular service subscribers, 91 per cent of all fax machines and 97 per cent of all Internet servers are located in developed countries. Those figures are alarming. In Africa alone, there are 18 main telephone lines per 1,000 inhabitants, whereas developed countries, which account for 15 per cent of the world population, have 567 lines per 1,000 inhabitants.

The world's developing countries have limited financial resources, which must be devoted to the fight against poverty, malnutrition, lack of health and illiteracy, in order to prioritize economic development. They also lack the essential human and technical resources necessary to have access to the opportunities offered by the technological revolution.

At the General Assembly's June 2002 session devoted to information and communication technologies for development, emphasis was placed on the need for greater international efforts to assist developing countries in participating in this new technological era. The session recognized that, in order to resolve the problem of the technology gap, access to technologies was not enough. There are wider gaps, such as the gap between rich and poor and between urban and rural development, among others.

To be able to develop information and communication technologies, it is necessary first to resolve basic problems, such as access to electricity and basic infrastructure for telephony and the Internet. Official development assistance, which is spoken of so often and implemented so little, cannot be marginalized in this process of informatics globalization; nor can we speak of electronic trade as long as unilateral coercive sanctions are imposed against developing countries that not only cancel out trade opportunities, but also restrict free access to new technologies. It is clear that a radical change is necessary to enable developing countries to be participants in and beneficiaries of this revolution.

Cuba hopes that at the World Summit on the Information Society, to be held in Geneva in 2003 and in Tunis in 2005, a critical debate will take place from which concrete initiatives and actions will emerge that will enable developing countries to take part in global technological developments and remove their peoples from poverty and marginalization. It is essential that the international community provide assistance to developing countries in order for them to resolve the obstacles they face, such as lack of infrastructure, education, capacity-building, investment and interconnectivity.

There is a need to establish effective cooperation among all international actors aimed at increasing the effects of information and communication technologies on development, which will enable the transfer of technology to developing countries on a preferential basis, particularly knowledge-based technologies, so that our countries will be able to develop our own human resources.

Cuba has been the victim for more than four decades of an intractable brutal economic trade and financial embargo imposed by the Government of the United States. Despite major limitations in resources, it is carrying out a long-term strategy to introduce information technologies in all sectors of society, giving priority to the social aspects of computerization, so that, with our available limited resources, access to these technologies will be as broad as possible.

The first priority is human resources training, particularly of youth. The establishment of Youth Computer Clubs in all urban and rural areas of the country provides necessary equipment and instructors for free education on informatics to children and adolescents, as well as to the rest of the population who are interested in the subject.

In 2002, 12,074 teachers have been trained to teach computer use in all primary schools of the country. Computers have been installed in all primary and secondary schools, which allows us to develop children's capacities from an early age and prepare them to handle informatics and communications techniques.

In recent months, computer technology schools have also been established in Cuba to train millions of young people in the basic elements of computers and electronics as the necessary basis for dealing with increased informatics applications in all sectors of society, as required by the new era of informatics and communications.

We are still at the dawn of this new era but, unless we correct its present defects from the start, we will continue to speak about digital divides and technological alienation. If we really want humankind to make progress and for all of us to enjoy technological advances, it is necessary to immediately adopt, urgent and effective actions, before it is too late. That is our challenge.

Mr. Cheah Sam Kip (Malaysia)

ICTs have revolutionalized the world. They have immense potential and, if properly harnessed, could provide opportunities to developing countries, especially the least developed countries, to create innovative medicine to further develop their countries and catch up with the developed world. Nevertheless, the world quickly realized that ICTs could also widen the gap between the developed and developing countries by creating a digital divide. The Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union recently reported that, while more than 60 per cent of households in the Republic of Korea are enjoying broadband internet connections, there are 61 countries which have less than one internet user for every 100 citizens. The digital divide, if not carefully and promptly addressed, could further marginalize the developing countries. In this regard, the United Nations has an important role in coordinating global efforts to address this gap.

Malaysia welcomes the launching by the Secretary-General on 21 November 2001 of the United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force as an enabling factor in the building of a poverty-free world. We hope that the ICT Task Force will catalyse the bridging of the global digital divide and foster digital opportunity that would put ICTs at the service of development for all. Sustainable development on a global scale requires accelerated transfer of knowledge and technology, especially ICTs, to developing countries from developed countries.

It has been almost a year since the establishment of this new body. The third meeting of the ICT Task Force was held recently to review its work for the past year. My delegation is pleased that the ICT Task Force, although only one year old, is proceeding well in carrying out its responsibility to build the digital bridge to the billions of people outside the domain of the digital revolution. We note that the third meeting, inter alia, reaffirmed the validity of a multi-stakeholder approach and agreed to continue to apply ICTs to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, to focus on Africa and to contribute effectively to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

The holding of the WSIS in Geneva from 10 to 12 December 2003 and in Tunis in 2005 will be an important event in the history of mankind. One of the purposes of the WSIS is to come up with a vision: an understanding of the information society. ICT, with its warp speed, is changing the international community without our realizing it. Many of us take for granted, for instance, what our personal computer and the Internet can do for us. We only realize its importance when there is a disruption of our local area network or when a malicious virus attacks our personal computer. These are simple analogies, but they clearly illustrate how ICT is affecting our daily lives. The applications of ICTs, such as in e-government, e-medicine and education, would facilitate the implementation of broader social and economic goals, such as the eradication of poverty. As such, it is important that the human race understand this revolution so as to enable us to address the challenges and exploit its opportunities.

Clearly, the greatest challenge is to bridge the digital divide and foster digital opportunity for all mankind. This message was lucidly transmitted at the meeting of the General Assembly devoted to information and communication technologies for development, held on 17 and 18 June 2002 in New York. It is important that this political message be translated resonantly at the WSIS process so as to provide for a resolute and coherent programme of action for implementation by Governments, international institutions and all sectors of civil society to the benefit of all mankind.

The WSIS is the next world gathering that will shape international cooperation at the multilateral level. Genuine international cooperation is essential to ensure real, tangible and sustained transfer of knowledge and ICTs to developing countries. Information represents a powerful tool to enrich and empower all humankind, as a knowledgeable society would generate more benefits for the peoples of the world. Our leaders, at the Millennium Summit, hoped for the right of universal access to information and communication technology. The developed countries must therefore assist the developing countries in their efforts to develop these technologies, as embodied in the Millennium Declaration agreed to by our leaders. The work of the ICT Task Force and the Group of 8 Digital Opportunity Task Force will be critical in this regard. Malaysia looks forward to participating in the second Preparatory Committee meeting for the WSIS in Geneva from 24 March to 4 April 2003.

Knowledge has become a factor for change. The Government of Malaysia, since the early 1990s, has embarked on a quest to transform Malaysians into a knowledge society. In our quest to transform our society to adapt to the information age, we have also realized the importance of bridging the information and digital gap between local communities. The number of Internet users in Malaysia increased four-fold -- or 400 per cent -- from 1.6 million in 1998 to 6.5 million in 2001. We expect the number to surge to 10 million next year. Nevertheless, what is more critical is to foster the use of the technology so that all segments of society may grasp the opportunities emerging from the information age. Malaysia stands ready to contribute within our capabilities towards promoting international cooperation in the area of information and communication technologies, especially among the developing countries.

The United Nations is well positioned to take a lead role in shaping the global ICT vision for development. In this regard, Malaysia views the holding of the meeting of the General Assembly devoted to information and communication technologies for development, at the initiative of the Republic of Korea, as particularly important and timely. It was the first time that the General Assembly devoted a meeting to the issue and the meeting, among other things, provided political impetus on the need not only to bridge the existing global digital divide, but also to avert further widening of the digital divide. Otherwise, developing countries will be further marginalized in the information age by the globalization wave.

Mr. Escanero (Mexico)

My delegation welcomes the introduction of document A/57/280, entitled "Meeting of the General Assembly devoted to information and communication technologies for development -- Summary by the President of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly".

At that meeting, my delegation noted that information and communication technologies are decisive factors in creating a world economy based on knowledge, which we must build around a new concept of development with a human face; that there was a need to mobilize these technologies to accelerate growth, increase competitiveness, promote sustainable development, eradicate poverty and its extreme and harmful manifestations, and facilitate effective integration in all countries; and that it was necessary to consider the various aspects and actions to reduce or eliminate obstacles that hinder the participation of developing countries and their broad access to such technologies.

The delegation of Mexico wishes to take this opportunity to reiterate the importance my country attaches to the holding of the World Summit on the Information Society, and consequently to all activities that strengthen the appeal by the international community for this ambitious meeting to take place. We therefore welcome the resolution that has been tabled on this subject in the Second Committee by the delegations of Tunisia and Switzerland.

The resolution emphasizes the activities that have been carried out by the United Nations, the International Telecommunication Union and other international forums in support of the preparatory process leading to the World Summit on the Information Society.

We urge all countries to intensify their work at the international and national levels, and United Nations agencies, inter-governmental organizations and international institutions to step up their cooperation as part of the preparatory process for the Summit, as well as their support for it.

With reference to the operative paragraphs of the above-mentioned resolution, the Mexican delegation wishes to insist on one point that we consider key -- cooperation in the preparatory process that would lead to the Summit. My delegation recognizes the specific interest shown by some countries, as well as some international bodies and institutions, to work towards an information society that could become an effective link in the transfer of knowledge and at the same time contribute to the reducing of the development gap among countries.

Mexico notes, however, with concern that these efforts may not be realized in the context of the deliberations taking place in the working sub-groups of the Preparatory Committee in Geneva. We consider it essential for activities and meetings related to the Summit to take place in a framework of complementarity. Thus these initiatives that are no doubt of value may help increase the value-added of the work of the Preparatory Committee, especially in respect to the holding of regional meetings.

In view of the above, the Mexican delegation wishes to invite countries, inter-governmental bodies and international institutions to strengthen the work of the Preparatory Committee for the Summit which will make it possible to make progress in a coordinated, effective and comprehensive manner towards the objectives of the World Summit on the Information Society.

Ms. Viotti (Brazil)

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have become one of the main elements of globalization. These new technologies are so important that we have even created a new concept: "information society", to describe all the changes they have brought about. In fact, the spread of ICTs have far-reaching consequences. In that connection Brazil put in place three years ago an information society programme that adopts a multi-sector approach encompassing areas such as education, health, trade and Government.

Given the priority it attaches to this area, Brazil is taking active part in the preparatory process of the World Summit on Information Society to be held in Geneva and Tunis. As an inter-governmental forum of universal composition, the Summit will be well placed to look at the issues from different angles and take decisions whose legitimacy will gain from broad participation. This is especially important, since nowadays many decisions, in particular on policy issues, are taken by forums of limited membership without adequate representation on the part of developing countries.

The economic field is the first to come to mind when we refer to this new concept. ICTs have given rise to innovation and dynamism, reshaping the way we produce goods and services, and trade them. An enterprise can hardly be competitive without the use of ICTs in its activities.

Another important area where ICTs have proved essential is Government. In Brazil, for instance, ICTs have allowed us to improve Government services and strengthen democracy, citizenship and the rule of law. Income tax declarations, for instance, can be made on-line, avoiding cumbersome bureaucratic procedures. Information on Government procurement can be obtained on the Internet, ensuring transparency.

An even more important example is the use of ICTs in the electoral process. The Brazilian presidential elections, held on October 6 and 27, were conducted entirely through electronic voting, including in the most remote rural areas. This system avoids fraud, strengthens legitimacy and allows for a fast and reliable vote count. In spite of a large electorate of 115 million voters the results were announced shortly after the end of the voting. Moreover, the clarity and simplicity of the electronic system contributed to a reduction of nearly fifty per cent in the number of blank and spoiled votes.

ICTs must also be looked at from a social and cultural perspective. In this regard, our information society programme aims at spreading the use of ICTs to all segments of the population by developing local content, interconnecting libraries and universities, and promoting distance-learning. It is with great satisfaction that we have witnessed, for instance, a sharp increase in the number of Internet users and domain names over the last three years.

ICTs have become such a powerful tool that that can either help narrow the gap between developing and developed countries or further increase the distance between them. This is the great challenge that lies ahead: how can we tap into the potential offered by ICTs?

The answer has both national and international components. At the national level, Governments must put in place public policies that stimulate research into ICTs and disseminate the results of that research. The importance of partnerships between Government, the private sector and universities cannot be overemphasized.

At the international level, cooperation is crucial to bridge the digital divide. Brazil has taken part actively in multilateral forums, such as the Group of 15 and the Rio Group, and followed closely the developments of other initiatives dealing with information technologies, such as the DOT Force. Furthermore, Brazil is a member of the United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force since its inception.

The potential for North-South and South-South cooperation is vast and still unexplored. All relevant actors should join efforts to promote, for example, transfer of technology, investment in infrastructure and capacity building. In promoting partnerships, we should also avoid a commercial approach and not lose sight of our development priorities.

The World Summit on the Information Society will give us the opportunity to intensify this cooperation. Although we are aware that ICTs can be looked at from a number of important angles, we believe that development should be the priority of the Summit. If we succeed in pursuing vigorous policies and in setting up strong partnerships, the information society will become not only a concept with which to understand the world we live in but also an instrument to transform this world, making it possible for all countries to quickly advance to new stages of development.