The United Nations (UN)
took a concrete step towards bridging the digital
divide between industrialized and developing
countries today at UN Headquarters in New York.
The Information and Communication Task Force
(ICT) was launched earlier today to facilitate
global interconnectivity and spread the benefits
of the digital revolution. UN Secretary General
Kofi A. Annan officially launched the task
force.
While
speaking at the launch, Annan said new technologies
were "enormously powerful tools for development." He
said their uses ranged from creating jobs to providing
health care and humanitarian assistance.
Jose Maria Figueres Olsen, Chairperson of the
task force said it was one of the first task forces
to include four sectors, namely the UN, governments,
nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and the private
sector.
Annan entrusted
the four sectors to inform the public of the
capabilities of the ICT. "We
look to you [the four sectors] to help build digital
bridges to the billions of people who are now trapped
in extreme poverty, untouched by the digital revolution
and beyond the reach of the global economy."
"The task force is global in its conception," said
Figueres Olsen. However, he stressed that it aims
to be regional in its outreach. Speaking to members
of the press during the daily press briefing at
the UN, he said that currently there is excess
band width in the industrialized world. According
to him, this should "become a public good." The
task force will also work towards finding ways
of reducing the cost of connectivity.
The objective of
the task force is to provide guidance to the
UN for it to devise strategies
for information and communication technologies
geared towards development. It will also establish
a website that will "serve as a platform for
sharing lessons learned and best practices."
The idea for this task force evolved after a meeting
of independent experts from industry, academia,
civil society and government, convened by the UN
in April 2000. One year later 191 countries adopted
the Millennium Declaration that resolved to ensure
that benefits of new technologies are available
to all. The Task force aims find ways to provide
new technologies to all.
The task force is not to be an operational or
implementing body, but work off of current and
emerging initiatives. It aims to increase collaboration
among all actors.
The launched was also attended by the President
of the General Assembly, Han Seung-soo, and the
President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC),
Martin Belinga-Eboutou.
The chairperson of the task force, Figueres Olsen,
is the former President of Costa Rica and served
for four years starting in 1994. He was also Special
Representative of the Secretary General on Information
and Communication Technologies and head of the
UN Information and Communication Technologies Advisory
Group.
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