GAID Meetings Convene in Geneva
24 Sep 2007GENEVA – The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs through the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) and in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) are organizing the Global Forum on Youth and ICT September 24-26, 2007 at the International Conference Center in Geneva, Switzerland.
Delivering the keynote speech for the opening session, Her Excellency Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, First Lady of Egypt emphasized on the role of the youth in achieving peace and economic development which are the basic rights for all nations.
She stressed that peace is an obtainable dream.
"Promoting the "Culture of Peace" is the responsibility of everyone. Youth are the partners of the future and have the capacity to promote change; from a world that suffers from injustice and fear into a world of fairness and peace," Her Excellency noted.
UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, in his message to the GAID, stated that the "Digital revolution has increased young people's capacity to bring positive social change."
"GAID brings together two of the most powerful agents of change in our world today- Youth and ICT," he elaborated.
In addition, Mr. Ki-moon encouraged all the attendees and participants to benefit from the Forum not only by exchanging views and experiences, but also by helping create "a new mechanism for development".
In addressing the High-Level Panel Session on the “Private Sector and Civil Society for Youth”, Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman and CEO of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAGorg) emphasized the role of the youth and its importance in spearheading changes and developments for a brighter future.
He expressed his opinion concerning the "handing over process" by older generations of trainers and facilitators to younger generations.
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh stressed the role ICT plays in this process and the high commitment of his Organization, TAGorg, in providing the required resources and dedicating the time to motivate younger generations into capacity building and self-empowerment.
Last week's approval by GAID Executive Board to create "Community of Expertise in ICT in Education" (within the GAID framework) reflects TAGorg's continuous commitment to these goals.
TAGorg is in the process of launching a global youth initiative called ICT for Global Youth Center (ICTGYC). The Center will hold an annual conference entitled "ICT for Youth Forum" and will establish a knowledge center "Tomorrow Youth Professionals Center" to support projects and ideas spurred by the conference.
This initiative will encourage an open and result-oriented dialogue (followed by actions) among young people and other concerned stakeholders aimed at tackling problems such as; poverty, education and economic situation in the developing world.
The three-day Forum will be discussing ideas for innovative solutions and issues dealing with ICT and its application to development objectives in the area of education, health, entrepreneurship and governance.
Attending the Forum are high-level representatives from governments, civil society, private sector, and international organizations including Dr. Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union, H.E. Mr. Robert Hensler, State Chancellor, State Chancellery of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, H.E. Mr. Ali Abbasov, Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Mr. Nerses Yeritsyan, Minister of Trade and Economic Development, Republic of Armenia, Mr. Abdul Waheed Khan, Assistant Director-General, UNESCO, , Mr. Guy Sebban, Secretary-General, International Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Renate Bloem, President, CONGO, Honorable Datuk Seri Azalina Othman, Minister for Youth and Sports, Malaysia and Dr. Martina A. Roth, Director, Education, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Intel Europe
The Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) is an initiative created by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in 2006. It is an inclusive, cross-sectoral, multi-stakeholder platform for promoting the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to contribute to the achievement of the internationally agreed developments, notably the reduction of poverty.
Follow us
