Using ICT as an economic catalyst

Johannesburg, 17 Jun 2004

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the Commonwealth Business Council will jointly host the first Global ICT Forum for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Mauritius from 7 to 9 July.

The forum aims to identify development solutions and practical strategies for deploying ICT projects to integrate the poorest countries into the global economy.

It will achieve this by bringing together high-level decision-makers for a mixture of plenary and multi-stakeholder roundtables that will focus on using ICT as an economic catalyst.

The forum is seen as an essential step in meeting the targets for improved access and connectivity by 2015 that were endorsed by 175 member states at the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

A panel discussion will provide LDC ministers with an opportunity to give a first-hand account of the challenges they face in overcoming obstacles to achieving development objectives such as the WSIS targets and the UN`s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

"To leverage the potential of ICT for sustainable universal access, a coordinated approach by all those involved is of paramount importance," says Hamadoun Tour'e, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau.

"The Global Forum provides a platform for the sharing of experiences and ideas, and the mapping out and coordination of strategies that can help the LDCs in their efforts to attain the MDGs set to be achieved by 2015."

There will also be a focus on identifying ICT projects that have been successfully implemented, projects that need support to continue and proposals for new projects and an exchange of views with the donor community.

"LDCs will now have an unparalleled opportunity to examine how ICT can be deployed to help them achieve their MDGs."