Secretary-General, in Message, Encourages Businesses, Governments to Generate New

 

Proposals to Use Information and Communications Technologies for Development

 

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Message to the sixteenth Conference for International Telecommunications and Information Technologies, in Baku, Azerbaijan, today, 22 November:

I am pleased to send greetings to the sixteenth Exhibition and Conference for International Telecommunications and Information Technologies in Azerbaijan.

As a bridge between Governments and companies, and a platform for introducing and developing the latest technologies, Bakutel offers an opportunity for the telecommunication sector to expand and strengthen its role in efforts to achieve sustainable development.  I encourage business and Governments to focus on generating new proposals for the use of information and communications technology for development and innovative ideas for green technologies.

The United Nations system, for its part, continues to work with Governments and other stakeholders to develop the information and communications technology sector in the region.  Advances can contribute greatly to our intensified efforts to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals as we approach the internationally agreed deadline of by 2015.

I commend the organizers and participants for their efforts to achieve our common development objectives.  Please accept my best wishes for a productive exhibition and conference.

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For information media • not an official record