Global Digital Divide Initiative
28 Jan 2003Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Vice-Chair of the UN Information and Communications Technologies Task Force (UN ICT TF) and Chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAGorg) drew a Road Map proposal from a private sector perspective to transform the world into an 'Information Society'.
- Tuesday, January 28 - 2003 at 15:14
- PRESS RELEASE
He did this through his participation in the private meeting for the business members of the World Economic Forum which was held on January 26th, 2003 during the gathering of stakeholders of the Global Digital Divide Initiative (GDDI).
In its third and final year, the Global Digital Divide Task Force has demonstrated itself as a successful incubator for projects that facilitate digital development in disadvantaged regions of the world. Set up by the Governors for IT, Telecommunication, and Media and Entertainment at the Annual Meeting 2000, the Task Force has developed a private sector-led multi-stakeholder community that serves to provide a business perspective to policy advocacy, awareness raising, project implementation, resource mobilization, and relationship building.
The upcoming World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), mandated by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, will take place in two parts: Geneva 2003 and Tunisia 2005. These summits are designed to significantly shape the ICT agenda.
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh together with HE Minister Adama Samassekou, President of WSIS Preparatory Committee, addressed the business members of the World Economic Forum to consider how to participate in this global process in a full and meaningful way. The WSIS program represents a valuable opportunity for focusing global attention on the importance and power of ICT and giving strategic oversight to the many strands of regulatory, commercial, and development agenda which are currently being taken forward in independent fora.
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh presented in his personal capacity a definition of the WSIS in order to create awareness across the board. "The information society teaches, communicates, innovates, generates wealth, governs, does business, rule-makes, and progresses in all walks of life through the use of digital technology. It is a society that has a digital nervous system, which utilizes the unlimited ICT resources to further progress and knowledge creation."
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh called for the adoption of a human rights declaration on ICT needs, which some countries are already working on drafting one.
He called for the assigning the UN ICT TF the responsibility to lead a specific function within the Summit agenda. The Task Force can probably play a leading role on the ICT and Education theme.
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh, who is also the Chair of the Commission on E-Business, Information Technologies and Telecom (EBITT) of the International Chamber of Commerce, concluded his statement by requesting to assign EBITT the responsibility to lead a specific function within the Summit agenda. EBITT can play a leading role on "The Needs of the User” theme as the private sector that generates the productivity and the knowledge, and should be equal partner to the government to achieve the set goals.
In its third and final year, the Global Digital Divide Task Force has demonstrated itself as a successful incubator for projects that facilitate digital development in disadvantaged regions of the world. Set up by the Governors for IT, Telecommunication, and Media and Entertainment at the Annual Meeting 2000, the Task Force has developed a private sector-led multi-stakeholder community that serves to provide a business perspective to policy advocacy, awareness raising, project implementation, resource mobilization, and relationship building.
The upcoming World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), mandated by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, will take place in two parts: Geneva 2003 and Tunisia 2005. These summits are designed to significantly shape the ICT agenda.
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh together with HE Minister Adama Samassekou, President of WSIS Preparatory Committee, addressed the business members of the World Economic Forum to consider how to participate in this global process in a full and meaningful way. The WSIS program represents a valuable opportunity for focusing global attention on the importance and power of ICT and giving strategic oversight to the many strands of regulatory, commercial, and development agenda which are currently being taken forward in independent fora.
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh presented in his personal capacity a definition of the WSIS in order to create awareness across the board. "The information society teaches, communicates, innovates, generates wealth, governs, does business, rule-makes, and progresses in all walks of life through the use of digital technology. It is a society that has a digital nervous system, which utilizes the unlimited ICT resources to further progress and knowledge creation."
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh called for the adoption of a human rights declaration on ICT needs, which some countries are already working on drafting one.
He called for the assigning the UN ICT TF the responsibility to lead a specific function within the Summit agenda. The Task Force can probably play a leading role on the ICT and Education theme.
Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh, who is also the Chair of the Commission on E-Business, Information Technologies and Telecom (EBITT) of the International Chamber of Commerce, concluded his statement by requesting to assign EBITT the responsibility to lead a specific function within the Summit agenda. EBITT can play a leading role on "The Needs of the User” theme as the private sector that generates the productivity and the knowledge, and should be equal partner to the government to achieve the set goals.
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