Business Leaders Descend On Tunis to Set Out their Vision of an Information Society
18 Oct 2005PARIS - Business leaders from four continents will set out their vision of the future of information and communication technologies and the Internet during a specially-convened session at the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis.
Hailing from as far a field as India, Korea, Egypt and the Americas, and representing companies which span the gamut of businesses – from multinational mobile phone companies to web-based start-ups and India’s largest Internet Service Provider (ISP) - the business delegation to WSIS will pause during the Summit deliberations to take stock of proceedings and offer a business commentary, a press release by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) stated.
“This will be an opportunity for the private sector to pass comment on the WSIS negotiations and outcomes, and set out what we believe are the essential ingredients for a truly inclusive information society,” explained Guy Sebban, secretary general of the ICC and chair of CCBI (Coordinating Committee of Business Interlocutors for WSIS). “Issues of internet governance, creating digital opportunities, how countries can best lay the groundwork for information and communication technologies (ICT) investment will all be examined.”
Sebban said he was encouraged by the wide cross-section of industry, from “all corners of the globe” who would be represented at the interactive session.
Participants in the CCBI session include business leaders from such large companies as, Vivendi Universal and Nokia, as well as the CEO of India’s largest ISP, Sify Corp and one of Korea’s fastest growing web companies, Netpia.com.
“The diversity of countries and experiences represented at this meeting will offer a wide range of business perspectives and experiences, from many different countries and markets, on the crucial issues being debated at WSIS,” he said.
Featured speakers at the meeting will include:
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman, Talal Abu-Ghazaleh and Co, Arab States
Jean-Philippe Courtois, president, Microsoft International; senior vice president, Microsoft Corporation, France
Mohamed Ibrahim, chairman, Celtel International, The Netherlands
Amin Lakhani, managing director, Lakson Group of Companies, Pakistan
Pan Jung Lee, founder and president, Netpia.com, South Korea
Jean-Bernard Lévy, chairman of the Management Board and chief executive officer, Vivendi Universal, France
Velusamy Mathivanan, chief executive officer, CrimsonLogic, Singapore
Richard McCormick, chairman Emeritus, US West; vice chair, United States Council for International Business; chairman, ICC (2001-2002)
Rama Ramaraj, chief executive officer, Sify Corp, India
Veli Sundbäck, senior vice president, Nokia, Finland
One of the focuses of the business-led session will be to identify the conditions that are required to encourage investment in ICTs and the importance of ensuring the Internet remains an open environment with a free flow of information.
“Business alone has the experience, capability and financial resources to turn many of the words at WSIS into action,” said Sebban. “But it cannot do it without the cooperation of governments or in isolation from civil society”
Follow us
