CONTROL OF INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS, CONDITION FOR MODERN FREEDOM PRESIDENT OF MALI TELLS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

Press Release
ECOSOC/5896*

CONTROL OF INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS, CONDITION FOR MODERN FREEDOM PRESIDENT OF MALI TELLS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

High-level Segment Continues, Hearing 21 Speakers, With Focus on Role of Information Technology in Global Economy

As the Economic and Social Council began the second day of its high-level segment this morning, the President of Mali, Alpha Oumar Konare, told the Council that Africans understood what was at stake in the areas of information and communication -- that control of them was the condition for freedom in the modern world.

“We reject the marginalization of Africa”, he added. He stressed the need for more assistance to Africa, so it could become a full-fledged member of the new global information order, and said he wanted to see each part of Mali linked through the Internet, contributing to transparent elections, enhancing communication and facilitating the exchange of products and ideas. Was that an impossible dream? he asked. It could be done. It should be done. “You need to help us”, he said.

Mali’s President was one of 21 speakers this morning, who addressed the high-level segment’s theme “Development and international cooperation in the twenty-first century: the role of information technology in the context of a knowledge-based global economy”. A number of the speakers stressed the need for local content to increase the relevance and value of available information to African users and users in other developing countries.

Anne Kristin Sydnes, Minister of International Development of Norway, said the dominance of ideas and values originating in developing countries and reflecting western culture might come in conflict with the values of local communities in developing countries. Cyberspace was not a value-neutral area and it must never become an ethics-free zone. “We must bring our values to cyberspace –- it must not become a place where the rule of law does not apply”, she stressed.

Reiterating that point, Ignacio Rodriguez Plana, Minister of Communications and Technology of Cuba, said that as more than 80 per cent of the contents transmitted on the Web were in English, the media was becoming a powerful tool to impose standardized cultural patterns, which were often aggressive and alienating. It was new method of colonizing the peoples of the developing world, he warned.

_____________ * The PM Meeting of the Economic and Social Council of 5 July should have been numbered Press Release ECOSOC/5895. Economic and Social Council - 1a - Press Release ECOSOC/5896 13th Meeting (AM) 6 July 2000

The President of the Council, Makarim Wibisono (Indonesia), said that unless there was affordable and equitable access and connectivity, prospects for integration into the knowledge economy were dim. Without linguistically and culturally diverse digital content and material, a large portion of people, especially in developing countries, might be unable to understand what was being offered.

He said the high-level segment should seek to answer a number of questions. What were the characteristics and structural features of the knowledge-based economy and what were the implications and possibilities for the economies of developing countries? How could access and connectivity to global information networks for all be ensured? How could explicit linkages be elaborated between an information and communications technology (ICT) development strategy and poverty eradication efforts? How could cultural and linguistic diversity be assured in cyberspace? How could the United Nations system further develop well-coordinated responses to the compelling new challenge of bridging the digital divide?

Ebitimi Banigo, Minister of Science and Technology of Nigeria, speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said the moving force behind ICT was primarily the private sector. It was, therefore, important to forge a partnership among governments, private sector corporations, civil society organizations and international organizations. He called on the private sector to contribute its expertise and resources towards bringing the information revolution to the marginalized regions of the world.

Statements were also made by: the Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus; Secretary of State to the Minister of Culture and Communication of France; Minister of Communication of Indonesia; Minister of Transport and Communications of Finland; Minister for Science and Technology of Costa Rica; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Italy; Secretary of State and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany; and the Minister for Development Cooperation and Human Rights of Ireland.

Introductory statements were also made by: Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary- General for Economic and Social Affairs and the Executive secretaries of the Economic Commission of Europe (ECE), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and the Economic Commission for Africa.

The President and Chief Executive Officer of NOKIA and the Vice-President of Business Development of Compaq also made statements this morning.

The Council will meet again at 3:30 p.m. to continue its high-level segment.

Economic and Social Council - 3 - Press Release ECOSOC/5896 13th Meeting (AM) 6 July 2000

Council Work Programme

The Economic and Social Council met this morning for the second day of its three-day high-level segment, initiating its substantive session for 2000 with a focus on development and international cooperation in the twenty-first century; the role of information technology in the context of a knowledge-based global economy. (For background information, see Press Release ECOSOC/5892 and 5893 dated 28 June 2000 and 5 July respectively.)

The Council also has before it this morning, the World Economic and Social Survey (document E/2000/50), which notes that following the widespread economic setbacks of 1997-1998, the healing process in the global economy gathered momentum in 1999 and is expected to broaden and deepen in the near future. The expansion in 2000 is likely to be even more dynamic than in the last two quarters of 1999, returning growth to the levels attained in the mid-1990s.

The report states that the growth of gross world product is expected to accelerate from 2.7 per cent in 1999 to 3.5 per cent in 2000, the highest since 1996. Global trade, made sluggish by the financial crisis and the concomitant economic slowdown, began to recover in the second half of 1999. Growth of world exports is forecast to be about 8 per cent in 2000-2001 compared with 4.8 per cent in 1999 and less in 1998. However, the recovery in world trade has largely bypassed countries that remain heavily dependent on non-fuel commodity exports.

According to the report, international trade did not respond immediately when world output started to recover in early 1999. Exports were an important factor driving the recovery of many crisis-affected economies. But their import demand did not pick up immediately because of slack domestic capacity, devalued currencies and rebuilding of foreign reserves. As the recovery in world output solidifies, the benefits of reinforcing demand through trade and other commercial links should be reaped by an increasing number of countries and regions. In addition to the impetus from strong export performances, it should also provide the wherewithal for domestic consumption and investment to sustain growth.

The report notes an improvement in access to international financing for a number of emerging market economies. With improving international investor sentiment towards emerging markets, net private flows to these countries are projected to increase in 2000, driven chiefly by foreign direct investment, strengthened portfolio equity flows and a moderate rebound in non-bank lending. But the outflow of commercial bank lending to emerging markets is likely to continue, as financial institutions in the former crisis countries reduce their liabilities to foreign banks. Net official flows are also expected to decline, as most countries deeply affected by the economic crisis are repaying the emergency assistance they secured at that time.

Rapid economic recovery in many of the developing and transition countries most adversely affected by the 1997-1998 financial crisis is a major cyclical factor for the current strength of the global economy, according to the report. Other factors include the strong economic performance of the United States for more than a decade. The diffusion, in depth as well as in breadth, of the new information and communications technologies has been an important long-term force behind the current global economic expansion.

The report goes on to note that inflation remained largely under control in 1999, despite sharp rise in oil prices; that global labour markets have improved, though less rapidly than global output; and that the new economic environment has encouraged and enabled economic agents to invest in the new technologies, causing their rapid dissemination. The new technology is fusion of primarily three simultaneous phenomena -- rapid technological progress in the computer and communications industries, the internationalization of the United States economy and changes in the financial environment.

A report on the contribution of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (document E/2000/73) outlines the recommendations adopted by the Regional Round Table on Information Technology and Development regarding the increasing threat of marginalization posed by the growing digital divide. The recommendations include the publication of a single composite index of each country's readiness for the digital era, the facilitation of extensive human resources development and innovations in community and private sector participation in integrating information and communication technology (ICT) into the economy and society.

While encouraging e-governance and community participation, socially relevant areas should be targeted, to develop and demonstrate cost-effective integrated solutions based on information, communications and entertainment technologies, according to a further recommendation. In addition, special programmes should be undertaken to enable landlocked and island countries to take full advantage of the location-independence of digital economic opportunity. Special programmes should also be undertaken to exploit the manufacturing and service opportunities afforded by ICT to small- and medium- sized enterprises to compete in the global marketplace.

According to the report, another recommendation calls for the creation of channels for sharing experience and information, and for the development of norms and standards towards international standardization. In addition, suitable technical assistance and technology transfer programmes should be designed to harness intra-regional competencies to facilitate the transition of member countries into networked societies and economies.

A report on the contribution of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) (document E/2000/74) contains the proceedings of a regional information technology meeting held in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil, on 20 and 21 June 2000. The Declaration of Florianopolis urged the Economic and Social Council to design and implement public programmes to ensure that the entire population has access to ICT-related products and services as soon as possible, to disseminate their use, and promote the growth of digital network infrastructure. The ECLAC member countries also urged the Council to create the necessary conditions and mechanisms for universal training in the use of technologies and for broader computer literacy.

Further, the report states, member countries urged the Council to provide opportunities for sensitization and training in ITC for political and community leaders, drawing upon the experience gained from programmes designed to promote the information society. They also urged the Council to promote more efficient, effective and transparent government administration at all levels by offering online information to citizens, management oversight mechanisms, services, administrative procedures and government outsourcing of goods and services via digital networks.

According to the report, the Council was further urged to develop regulatory systems that, in addition to protecting intellectual property, minimize the risks and uncertainties of the new environment generated by ICT. The Council was also urged to encourage the development of technology-based firms by creating such mechanisms as venture capital funds, technology incentive zones and business incubators, with the participation of academic institutions, research centres and the private sector. They urged the Council to actively seek out financing and the means of promoting corporate innovation and modernization, especially for small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Statements

The President of the Council, HAKARIM WIBISONO (Indonesia), welcoming all participants, said this historical high-level segment would strive to harness the most powerful technological revolution of our time in the service of development. Unless there was affordable and equitable access and connectivity, prospects for integration into the knowledge-economy were dim. Without linguistically and culturally diverse digital content and material, a large portion of people, especially in developing countries, might be unable to understand what was being offered.

Radical and decisive action was necessary if the differential access to information and knowledge was to be effectively redressed and the worsening digital divide successfully bridged, he said. With the emergence of a borderless world, collaborative efforts must be inclusive of all relevant actors, governments, multilateral and bilateral donors, the private sector, civil society and other stakeholders to foster information flows for development.

The high-level segment should seek to answer a number of questions, he said. What were the characteristics and structural features of the knowledge based economy and what were the implications and possibilities for the economies of developing countries? How could access and connectivity to global information networks for all be ensured? How could explicit linkages be elaborated between an information and communication technology (ICT) development strategy and poverty eradication efforts? How could cultural and linguistic diversity be assured in cyberspace? How could the United Nations system further develop well-coordinated responses to the compelling new challenge of bridging the digital divide?

He hoped that, in the end, the Council could launch a viable global campaign to effectively bring ICT to the developing countries, thereby empowering them.

ALPHA OUMAR KONARE, President of Mali, said the weak presence of Africa in light of the current issue did not mean that it was not aware of what was at stake in the areas of information and communication. Africans knew that control of those parameters were the conditions for freedom in the modern world. They had spoken several times throughout the 1990s about the necessity of a new world order in communication and the need to move away from unilateral information space and strategic satellites.

He said everyone knew that the least movement in any remote African village could be dissected in the minutest detail by sophisticated instruments of communication. Yet, Africa was only presented through its conflicts, its diseases and its famines. The continent always appeared as a person in the throes of continuous agony. Even though that was one of the images of Africa, it was not the only image of Africa, he stressed.

He said there was also an Africa today that was pushing ahead with small steps through hundreds of small-scale projects, micro-credit and the establishment of democracy. If Africa was the poor relative of the world, it was due to the prohibitive cost of advanced technology -- where the cost of telephones, for example, was beyond its reach. The Internet was an unprecedented revolution that allowed the continent to be present in the world without an intermediary. Through it, Africa was better known today than it ever was. The Web also helped Africans to have better grasp of common problems.

He called for the construction of societies where freedom of communication and expression were not just empty words, but the hallmarks of a truly democratic society. The question of world technology, information and communication raised the issue of overall assistance to Africa. Collective access and community measures must be given priority in African countries. While the new doctrine of planetary information technology was only an ideology to some, it was fundamentally based on the vigilance and maturity of Africans.

He said there was a greater push for cellular phones in Africa than there was to erect local infrastructure. Priorities had to be refocused. He wanted to see each part of Mali linked through the Internet, so that reliable statistics and information could be made available, which would contribute to transparent elections, enhance communication within the country and among the populations and facilitate the exchange of products, knowledge, tradition and ideas.

Was that an impossible dream? he asked. Was it not the best way to meet social challenges and for his country to help itself? It could be done, it should be done, and it “is our duty”. “You need to help us”, he said. The advocacy for Mali was also advocacy for Africa. It was the only way for the continent to become a fully-fledged member of the new global information order. African scientists were proposing a first communication satellite for the continent. Yet that proposal was being rejected in this current room as unfounded. “We reject the marginalization of Africa”, he said.

GENNADY NOVITSKY, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus, said the issue of ICT was critical for the United Nations itself. He supported a much stronger United Nations, by increasing its adaptability to the latest ICT. It was critical to ensure the participation of all Member States in the realization of initiatives such as “building digital bridges” and other innovative approaches outlined in the reports of the Secretary-General.

Regardless of the strains of the transition period, his Government had been consistently expanding the application of ICT in the areas of education, science, industry and governance. A special project intended to promote sustainable human development and create an open democratic society with the help of the latest information and telecommunication technologies had been implemented, with the involvement of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other partners. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development had been assisting in the advancement of technical infrastructure and legislation in the areas of telecommunication, connectivity and banking, he said.

As part of the process of accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) certain improvements had been made in the national legislation and institutional capacity, including the protection of intellectual property rights, he continued. The National Programme for the Development of Exports envisaged the creation of infrastructure for e-commerce and application of internationally acknowledged standards in that area.

He said there were problems in the modern world requiring a more active international involvement to manage various forms of trade in the globalizing information society in the twenty-first century, including: principles and norms of international policy in e-commerce; establishing frameworks and harmonization of national custom’s legislation; customs tariffs and duties on e- commerce transactions. The Secretary-General’s establishment of the so-called digital compact between the United Nations system, private sector and non- governmental organizations (NGOs) required further consideration.

The challenges of cyber-crime and information terrorism should be jointly addressed, he said. A closer and more effective coordination of global and regional cooperation would be crucial. He stressed the importance of the United Nations regional commissions as coordinating organs in the promotion of overall, systemic regional and subregional cooperation. His country was ready to promote cooperation in the areas of trade, statistics, transport and standardization, he said.

NITIN DESAI, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, introduced the report of the Secretary-General entitled “development and international cooperation in the twenty-first century: the role of information technology in the context of a knowledge-based economy”(document E/2000/52; for summary see Press Release ECOSOC/5892 issued 28 June). He said the report was a joint product of the United Nations system, the World Bank, UNDP, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and others.

He stressed the importance of recognizing the diversity of concerns. Regional meetings had contributed much to the preparation of the high-level segment. The Council’s session was unique in the way it brought into the process representatives of industry and civil society. Industry had been very enthusiastic about the endeavour. There was a critical need for a high-level policy discussion on information technology. Even though there had been discussions about technical aspects and specific problems, there was a need to look at information technology from the perspective of the central role it was likely to play in the economy and the future.

The most useful product of the session would be a sense of understanding of what could be left to market forces, and what were the gaps to be bridged. What had been done here so far was a simply a first step, he said. The exercise would have to be continued.

DANUTA HUEBNER, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe, introduced the Commission’s report (document E/2000/72; for summary see Press Release ECOSOC/5893 issued 5 July). She said four priority areas had been identified for her region. The first was to develop mass education programmes through schools, and specific training schemes targeted at enterprises and various groups of workers, with the aim of building up a knowledge-based society. The second was to develop the telecommunication infrastructure and networks to expand and intensify connectivity throughout the region and with the rest of the world.

She said the third was to establish a sound regulatory framework combining provisions that stimulated the use of ICT with those which protected consumers, prevented tax evasion, respected property rights and ensured the security of payments. The fourth was to develop a programme for small- and medium-sized enterprises, which would enable them to expand their business opportunities through electronic commerce.

JOSE ANTONIO OCAMPO, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, introduced the Commission’s report (document E/2000/74) entitled “Contribution of Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean to the theme for the high-level segment of the substantive session of 2000 of the ECOSOC”. He said his region had only 8 per cent of the world population, but had 3.5 per cent of Internet users and there had been strong growth. In some countries of his region, he believed the digital divide could be bridged.

To let the evolution of information be guided only by market forces implied the risk of increasing the gap, he said. A regional agenda should give training to all citizens in order to provide access of all citizens to information technology. That would imply curricula in national languages and regional servers.

HAZEM EL-BELAWI, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), introduced the report for his region (document E/2000/71; for summary see Press Release ECOSOC/5893 issued 5 July). He said it would be timely for the United Nations to convene an international conference under its auspices to deliberate trends in the emerging global knowledge-based economy, ICT capacity-building, as well as development priorities and new cooperation modalities for achieving more sustainable socio-economic development.

He said such a conference would help the international community take stock of past developments and ponder future prospects. It would also provide member countries with an opportunity for reassessing their national ICT policies, devise national initiatives aimed at ICT capacity-building and jointly formulate regional and international plans of action. Obstacles to ICT access by developing countries should be tackled in this conference. Enhancing the capacity of those countries to adapt, develop and properly implement modern ICT should be given higher priority than mere access to physical facilities.

K.Y. AMOAKO, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa, introduced the Commission’s report (document E/2000/70; for summary see Press Release ECOSOC/5893 issued 5 July). He said by the end of 1999 virtually all capitals in Africa had access to the Internet. There were, however, huge challenges to be overcome if all Africa -– including the 70 per cent of its people living in rural areas -- were to experience the improvements in quality of life that the new technologies promised. There were two closely related issues that needed more attention from an African perspective if the ICT potential was to be realized: the need for rapid expansion of ICT skills; and the limited absorptive capacity in countries.

The Commission’s role was that of an advocate, convenor and catalyst of ICT development and application in Africa. Implementation came through its national partners and the “Partnership for Information Technology in Africa”, a broad-based coalition of public and private sector institutions that shared the Commission’s commitment to the potential in Africa of information society initiatives.

He urged that Africa’s needs receive priority attention in any new programmes that emerged from the session. Much work had already been done in the region on establishing a base of data on the readiness of the countries to participate in the global information society. The Commission was ready to work with organizations to refine that database as a foundation for the development of operational programmes at the country level.

KAYOKO MIZUTA, Deputy Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) introduced the Commission’s report (document E/2000/73). She said the digital divide had increasingly deepened within and across countries in the region. It threatened to further marginalize the developing countries and exclude them from the information technology revolution.

She said ESCAP viewed regional cooperation, including South-South cooperation, as a useful means to provide technical assistance to developing member States in their efforts to strengthen national ICT capacities and pursue knowledge-based development. India's Information Technology Minister had said at the Regional Round Table in New Delhi that, while the industrial revolution had been competitive in nature, the information technology revolution was cooperative. It was not diluted when spread among millions or billions of people.

EBITIMI BANIGO, Minister of Science and Technology of Nigeria, speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said the global shift to an information age, driven by the developments in the field of ICT, was a revolutionary and definitive step in the history of civilization. For the Group, the challenge was how to ensure that the potential of the digital revolution would play a crucial role in accelerating growth, facilitating the eradication of poverty and promoting sustainable development.

The Programme of Action adopted at the South Summit in Havana, Cuba, in April pointed out that while information technology was one of the most powerful technological revolutions of the times, countries of the South were lagging behind. There was an urgent need to bridge the digital divide. The Programme of Action, therefore, called for measures and solutions to address basic infrastructure problems, such as inadequate electricity and poor communication facilities. The very nature of the complexities of ICT made concerted international cooperation an absolute necessity. It was imperative to eliminate existing barriers in developing countries, which restricted the ability of developing countries to fully utilize the capacities of ICT.

He said the goals and expectations for the use of ICT in promoting international cooperation and development included the issue of poverty eradication, access to education, good health delivery systems, transfer of technology and general advancement in the social, political and economic fields. The moving force behind ICT was primarily the private sector. It was, therefore, important to forge a partnership between governments, private sector corporations, civil society organizations and international organizations. He called on the private sector to contribute its expertise and resources towards bringing the information revolution to the marginalized regions of the world.

He said international cooperation in ICT must, among other things, strive to: mobilize resources to assist developing countries in the development of the necessary infrastructure; assist developing countries in the development of strategic objectives in accordance with their national priorities; encourage investment by private sector ICT firms in developing countries; establish a trust fund through which private sector operators, international financial institutions and global business associations would provide the resources; and to support South-South cooperation in the field of ICT.

MICHEL DUFFOUR, Secretary of State to the Minister of Culture and Communication of France, speaking on behalf of the European Union and Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Turkey, Liechtenstein and Iceland, said the emergence of the information society was the emergence of a new world that was decentralized, immediate, interactive and global.

The developing countries might find information technology a formidable tool in combating poverty, he said. But the benefits of information technology were inequitable, divided between North and South and within countries themselves. The quantitative need for equipment infrastructure should not be underestimated. Without electricity, a computer would service nothing. Literacy programmes for individuals were necessary, as was local content. Tailored services had to be offered at acceptable costs.

He said that many initiatives to bridge the digital divide had already been launched nationally and multilaterally. The digital divide had been mentioned as a key theme of the Group of 8 summit in Okinawa, and a conference on cyber-crime had been held in Paris.

Addressing the role of the Council, he said that it could raise the awareness of the public in general and of decision-makers. Experiences could be compared. Even if the situation in one country could not always be projected on another country, it could contribute to the debate. The Economic and Social Council could also involve the private sector in its work, and it had a key role in coordination. However, new administrative mechanisms had to be avoided.

He said there was a need to involve many partners in the efforts -- States, corporations and (NGOs). There was also a need to progress pragmatically, endeavouring to work out good practices that would lead to the strategies with the greatest chance of success.

AGUM GUMELAR, Minister of Communication of Indonesia, said what was desperately needed to bridge the digital divide was working together cooperatively to foster digital opportunities and to address the issues that prevented many developing countries from participating fully in the information and communications revolution. He fully agreed with the Secretary-General's sense of caution concerning the tendency to present ICT as an immediate panacea for all development problems and challenges. However, that should in no way delay efforts at collaboration to bridge the gap and to pursue common objectives.

To harness ICT in the service of development, Indonesia had adopted a forward-looking vision -- called Nusantra 21 -- which was designed to better pursue the goal of becoming a competitive nation in an era of globalization. On the broader stage, Indonesia had also consistently demonstrated its strong commitment by providing its full support to various collaborative regional and global initiatives. Despite the severe economic crisis, his country had managed to continue its multi-year development programme, including efforts to improve infrastructure to facilitate connectivity in all parts of the country.

Universal access and connectivity to ICT, particularly for the developing countries, would not only require political commitment at the highest level, but would also require and environment that facilitated the diffusion of ICT. At the global level, the environment must be one that would increase investment in the field, as well as provide financial resources, facilitate the transfer of technology, promote training and research and facilitate the use of ICT for the benefit of the medium- and small-size enterprises.

Market forces alone could not ensure connectivity and integration of all countries, he said. To fully integrate the developing countries into the networked, knowledge-based global economy, the United Nations must facilitate the needed assistance for the provision of secure and reliable connectivity, including the development of human and institutional capacities and the development of content. The United Nations should continue to play a central role in mobilizing resources from development agencies, multilateral organizations, countries and the private sector in ensuring access for all to ICT and ensuring its full use in the development of all countries.

ANNE KRISTIN SYDNES, Minister of International Development of Norway, said Africa had 20 per cent of the world’s population, but only 2 per cent of its telephone lines. The continent’s access to the Internet was still marginal. Furthermore, there was a need for local content to increase the relevance and value of available information to African users and users in other developing countries. The dominance of ideas and values originating in developing countries and reflecting western culture might come in conflict with the values of local communities in developing countries.

She said cyberspace was not a value-neutral area. “We all worry about racist propaganda and our children’s access to pornography”, she said. The Internet must never become an “ethics-free zone”. “We must bring our values to cyberspace –- it must not become a place where the rule of law does not apply”, she said. She stressed the overriding importance of a national and regulatory framework that was conducive to ICT development. She also underscored the need to invest in human resource development and to build national competence and institutional capacity, in partnerships among government, universities, research institutions and the private sector.

Programmes that stimulated South-South cooperation were also needed, she said. They were a strategic necessity for the creation of local knowledge and in the use of ICT that could improve lives. Information technology, like any other, was a means to an end -– and that end would be determined by political choices that were either made or not made. “If we seize the opportunity, ICT can become an information highway from poverty to prosperity”, she said. “The choice is ours”.

OLLI-PEKKA HEINONEN, Minister of Transport and Communications of Finland, said the time was right for integrating developing countries into the global information society. Failure to do so would have negative effects on world trade as a whole, and on the entry of developing countries to the world market place as equal partners.

In those efforts, it was important that developed countries shared their experience with developing countries, he continued. The experience of Finland, one of the most advanced countries in terms of the use of ICT, had shown that it was important for government to create enabling conditions for the development of ICT, by updating existing social and economic structures, and by setting an example for the best use of the new technologies.

Competition and liberalization of markets, along with the removal of extra tariffs, assisted the private sector and made prices lower for the ultimate users, he said. In that vein, the trend toward the concentration of the communications business into the hands of a few large multinational companies was worrisome, as was the auctioning of licenses for third generation mobile systems. In addition, companies in developing countries should concentrate on meeting the needs of local languages, cultures and environments. In all those areas, his country strongly recommend an active role for the United Nations and the Economic and Social Council in ICT, in order to create a truly global information society.

FERNANDO GUTIERREZ, Minister for Science and Technology of Costa Rica, said the international community was facing a unprecedented challenge. The digital revolution was the puzzle of the new economy. Today, all were part of the new "universal city". Access by individuals to information technology was essential. The challenge of ensuring adequate use of information technology by narrowing the digital gap must be met . To do that, aggressive national policies, in which international cooperation was highlighted, were necessary.

Success or failure of nations in that regard depended on leadership, he said. Information technology was a particular challenge in developing countries and had revolutionized production, business and communication. In order to become part of the global economy, it was important for governments to act as facilitators, not as obstacles. "Depaperizing" was necessary in that regard, as were security protocols and the need to combat cyber-crime.

Costa Rica had modernized in the production sector as well as cultural sectors, he continued. Information technology was a commodity, vital for the development of local production. Democratization of knowledge was important. The goal was for all citizens to have access to computers. His Government was working towards computer coverage at the elementary and secondary levels of education. It had created an interactive Web site that gave citizens access to the full range of public services. There was a need to strengthen human resources in information technology industries and to promote development of local software. He was encouraged by the World Bank’s proposal to create a special fund.

The path ahead was difficult, he said. There were structural obstacles in developing countries, such as a shortage of financial resources and skilled labour, illiteracy and inadequate infrastructure. Those obstacles had to be overcome. Countries and the international community as a whole had to assume the commitment to narrow the gap.

IGNACIO RODRIQUEZ PLANA, Minister of Communications and Technology, Cuba, said that the importance and need to develop “local content” on the Internet was determined by the urgency of creating a culturally linguistic digital space as diverse as the world was large. Nevertheless, as more than 80 per cent of the contents transmitted on the Web were in English, the media was becoming a powerful tool to impose standardized cultural patterns, which were often aggressive and alienating. It was new method of colonizing the peoples of the developing world.

He said the plunder of Third World countries also expanded to the important issue of human resources. It was paradoxical that developing countries, through great efforts and sacrifices, were able to train specialists and scientists who were indispensable for national development, then had to impotently observe those talents being high-jacked by transnational corporations. The migration of those people towards industrialized countries was the result of official policies in those nations geared at resolving their own deficit of specialists.

He said one could not speak of the Internet to the half of humankind that had never spoken on a telephone. One could not speak of the goodness of software and intangible goods to the almost one billion people suffering from hunger, living in absolute poverty or having no access to medical services. A fundamental change and decisive actions by the international community were needed to keep the differences in access to information and knowledge from becoming more acute. The recognition of the principle of the universal right to information presupposes the establishment of a new international communications and information order, while ensuring a more equitable distribution and the linguistic and cultural diversity of digital content.

HUGO INTINI, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Italy, said the interface of the Council, the Millennium Summit, and the World Television Forum will foster the formation of a new strategy to deal with the challenges of the information and communications technologies.

Those challenges include the so-called digital divide between countries and groups within countries that have unequal opportunities for connectivity, he continued. He supported proposals for community access and an international network of small and medium enterprises, as well as partnerships among States, international organizations, the private sector, academia and NGOs. It is also of paramount importance that there be a convergence of the new technologies with the more traditional instruments of mass communications, such as television and radio. The Council must act as coordinator in those areas to create maximum synergy.

He said other challenges included the acceleration of globalization, as well as giving greater power to private finance over the real economy and politics. There were also risks that information systems that were not multicultural would prevail, and that virtual reality would foster virtual democracy. Dialogue on those subjects must come to the fore in the Council and other forums. The ultimate goal was to create positive interaction among information and communication technology, sustainable development, poverty eradication and political democracy.

GUNTER PLEUGER, Secretary of State and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, said that in past year, no technology had a stronger hold on the imagination of society than the modern ICT. Universal access to global networks opened new avenues to international cooperation and development.

He said ICT had boomed in recent years and was a driving force for economic development, providing an opportunity for both developing and developed countries. The Internet gave everyone the opportunity to participate in the global exchange of information and to participate in global competition.

The private sector was the motor for the development of information technology. It was the State’s responsibility to create the legal framework. The State should create equal opportunity for access, including the guarantee of freedom of information. International efforts were necessary to prevent cyber- crime. E-commerce could only develop if security was guaranteed.

Access to equipment was not enough, he said. People remained at the heart of development and needed to learn to use the new tools. That required new curricula in schools and universities, as well as in vocational training, offered in local context. There were four elements that were essential in order to properly take advantage of information technology opportunities: education; privatization, in order to reduce costs; open markets, to give access to small countries and companies, so that knowledge, not size, would dominate; and cooperation between the public and private sector.

LIZ O'DONNELL, Minister for Development Cooperation and Human Rights of Ireland said ICT was of great potential benefit to governments and organizations, providing goods and services to very poor people and obtaining the best possible use of scarce resources. The international community, however, must also remain focused on the wider development picture. Basic education, basic health, food security and the basic needs of very poor people were at the core of poverty eradication. The needs of the poor, the hungry, the diseased, the illiterate, those who might be starving and who were suffering from endemic diseases, such as malaria and HIV/AIDS must remain in the focus of the international community.

It was vital that partners in development should always remain in control of the international efforts to deal with the digital divide, she continued. Well-meaning ICT programmes should not be foisted on countries that might have a completely different view of their needs in that area. Just as the international community established an integrated framework for the delivery of trade-related assistance to the least developed countries, there might well be a case for examining an integrated framework, involving all the key agencies, to deal with assistance in the area of ICT.

It was fundamental that the development of a national information technology strategy should have strong political leadership, she said. There was also a need for close coordination at all levels of government to ensure that all sectors are moving in the right direction, at the right pace, without overlap. The transformation into a knowledge-based economy must be mainstreamed into all sectors of government and into the economy as a whole.

In Ireland's case, investment in education had been fundamental to it’s capacity to harness information technology, she said. Successive governments had given a high political priority to increased funding to all levels of the education system. Reduced class sizes, significant additional resources for schools in disadvantaged areas, efforts to ensure that children remained in the education system up to the age of 18, a focus on curriculum content, facilitating access to third level education to all sectors of society and government and support for life-long learning had all played a part in preparing the ground for the information society in Ireland.

JORMA OLLILA, President and Chief Executive Officer of NOKIA, said great strides forward had been made in information technology, but it was not only advances in technology that was changing lives. Access to knowledge had never been easier. Just as trade flowed from North to South, East to West, so must knowledge.

The Internet had shown that sharing information on an open technology platform created more revenue and value, he said. The open economy created an opportunity for “leapfrogging” beyond past information generations. That, in turn, created services in a global Internet economy for any nation or individual with open access to the Internet.

The creation of a focused national technology policy would help any developing country to play a role in leading-edge technologies and technical innovation, he continued. That could be achieved through opening markets to high-technology investments, competitive pricing and encouraging competition. The role of the International Telecommunications Union in promoting the development of telecommunications in developing countries was of great importance.

Education, education and education were the three things that would decide how any society could accommodate information technology, he said. A proactive stance in addressing the need for innovative ways to fund the knowledge-based society was necessary so that broad, basic education that was relevant to, and adapted to, today’s requirements could be offered.

RAUL RODRIGUES, Vice-President of Business Development, Compaq, said the Internet would become one of the dominant means of doing business and an agent of rapid social and economic change. The convergence of wireless technology and the Internet was a sign of the millions of devices, that would soon be able to access the World Wide Web. His company was now focused on situations that would enable the growth of what was referred to as “one world network”.

He said the expression “digital divide” must be eradicated and replaced with “digital equality”, since there was available technology to close that divide. The current ICT revolution did present some risks –- some communities could be left far behind. Individuals and governments must, therefore, invest in the technology to create the “one world network”.

He said the most exciting aspect was the potential new technology offered to individuals and small businesses. While it was all very affordable, more

Economic and Social Council - 4 - Press Release ECOSOC/5896 13th Meeting (AM) 6 July 2000

important was the effect ICT could have on basic human services, the developing world and public safety. It was a tremendous power that would allow small businesses to take their place on the world stage. The success of Amazon.com was one such example of a small company that managed to compete against established businesses. While wireless Internet offered great promise, however, it could not be implemented unilaterally on an international basis.

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