Government, Business Leaders to Launch Online ‘Toolbox’ 21 September in New York,

 

in Parallel with United Nations Millennium Development Goals Summit

 

Government leaders and Chief Executive Officers from technology corporations from all continents, and senior United Nations officials will start the day right tomorrow, 21 September, with a high-level meeting at the Millennium Hotel and the launch of an online set of tools to help achieve world anti-poverty goals.

The “Millennium Development Goals eNabler” responds to demand from developing countries for better-fitting means to implement information and communications technology (ICT) strategies for development.  The infrastructure for the portal is being set up under the direction of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development.

According to Global Alliance Chairman Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, the eNabler will provide users around the world, including Governments in developing countries, with the resources and tools to accelerate progress on the Millennium Development Goals at the national level in the five years remaining before the 2015 completion targets.  The platform brings together many innovative components — an ICT solutions matrix, a strategic planner, a portal of ICT-for-development portals, simulation and game tools and a compendium of excellence.  It serves as a “one-stop-shop” for policymakers, planners, project managers and development practitioners to implement national development strategies and programmes.

To be opened by Cheick Sidi Diarra, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Adviser on Africa and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, the Meeting will take place in the context of the 20-22 September high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly.

Among the other participants are Suvi Lindén, Minister of Communications of Finland; Ivo Ivanovski, Minister of Information Society of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology of India; Kamel Morjane, Foreign Minister of Tunisia; Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the Prime Minister of India on the Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations; Amre M. Moussa, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States; Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); Jānis Kārkliņš, Assistant Director-General of Communication and Information of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); and Hans Vestberg, Chief Executive Officer and President of Ericsson.

The eNabler received important offers of support from Governments and private corporations, academia and civil society at a preparatory meeting at United Nations Headquarters earlier this month.

The Global Alliance for ICT and Development was established in 2006 as a multi-stakeholder platform to put in practice the spirit and vision of the World Summit on the Information Society and promote the use of information and communications technology to achieve the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.  It provides all stakeholders with a broad forum and a global platform for dialogue and partnership on cross-cutting issues.

Accredited journalists, who wish to attend the 21 September breakfast, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Millennium Hotel, should register in advance with Enrica Murmura, tel: +1 212 963 5931; e-mail:  murmura@un.org.  Interview opportunities can be arranged.

For more information, please visit http://www.un-gaid.org, or contact Franck Kuwonu, tel: +1 212 963 8264; e-mail: kuwonu@un.org; or Tim Wall, tel: +1 212 963 5851; e-mail: wallt@un.org, both of the United Nations Department of Public Information.

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For information media • not an official record