GLOBAL FORUM TO DISCUSS YOUTH, AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

FOR DEVELOPMENT FROM 24 TO 26 SEPTEMBER, IN GENEVA

Young people, who are the most enthusiastic and knowledgeable users of information and communication technology (ICT), will engage in discussions with their peers and with leaders from Government, the private sector, civil society and the technology community at an event to be held in Geneva from 24 to 26 September.

At the Global Forum on Youth and ICT for Development, whose theme is “Youth and ICT as Agents of Change”, young people from around the world will explore ways to participate more fully in society through the appropriate and responsible use of information and communication technology.

Some 400 to 600 young people (18 to 28) as well as ICT for development policymakers and practitioners from all sectors and regions are expected to attend the Forum, to be held at the Centre International de Conférences Genève.  The meeting will conclude with recommendations for action.

Suzanne Mubarak, First Lady of Egypt, will be the keynote speaker.  Other speakers include:  Ali Abbasov, Azerbaijan’s Minister for Communications and Information Technology; Nerses Yeritsyan, Armenia’s Minister of Trade and Economic Development; Datuk Seri Azalina Othman, Malaysia’s Minister for Youth and Sports; Guy Sebban, Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce; and Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Twenty-four sessions will focus on, among other things, information and communication technology in education, as a tool for innovations by youth, as a generator of youth employment, and as an instrument for empowering young women and girls.

Private-sector participants will come from Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Ericsson, Google, Intel, Microsoft, STMicroelectronics and Telecom Italia, among others.  Civil society will be represented by the Development Gateway Foundation, the Digital Solidarity Fund and One World Youth Project, among many others.

A Marketplace will allow young participants and youth organizations to showcase and discuss their innovations, projects and initiatives, with the aim of sharing experiences, acquiring new partners and finding sponsors.  The Marketplace will feature presentations of projects, initiatives and case studies, as well as mini-documentaries, briefing sessions and demonstrations of innovative application of technology.

Interested individuals and organizations are encouraged to contribute to the online discussions on the Forum blog at www.un-gaid.org/en/gfyouth/blog.

The event is organized by the Global Alliance for ICT and Development of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs and ITU, in partnership with other major United Nations organizations and civil society organizations, such as ATHGO International, the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations, the Education Development Centre, TakingITGlobal, the Universal Education Foundation and the World Federation of United Nations Associations, among others.

For information, please visit www.un-gaid.org/en/node/587 or contact Enrica Murmura at the Global Alliance for ICT and Development, tel.:  212 963 5913, e-mail:  murmura@un.org.

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For information media • not an official record