UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visits ITU

Photo: Ban Ki-Moon (L) addresses ITU on 6 July 2007. (R) ITU Secretary-General Dr. Hamadoun Touré. Source: ITU/J.M. Ferré

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited ITU headquarters on Friday, 6 July during his visit to Geneva in connection with the high-level ECOSOC meeting and the Global Compact Summit. He brought a clear message of support to ITU, which he termed "one of the most powerful organizations in the UN system."

The UN Secretary-General emphasized the need for connectivity without which "the whole world would be in darkness" and we would continue to live in a medieval age without the means of communication. He said the work of ITU will act as a catalyst in reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by 2015, and pointed to ITU's work in bridging the digital divide, enhancing cybersecurity and strengthening emergency communications for disaster prevention and relief.

Addressing ITU, Ban Ki-moon called for strong ownership and commitment that would encompass a broader vision. He said ITU is providing the basic groundwork for the international community and should contribute to global agendas such as climate change, which would have long-term implications for the future of humankind. "ITU is one of the very important stakeholders in the area of climate change," said Mr Ban Ki-moon.

Dr. Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General of ITU, welcomed Mr Ban Ki-moon to ITU, hailing it as a historic visit -- the first to ITU by a UN Secretary-General. Appreciating the importance accorded by Ban to the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in world development, Touré said that the first priority for ITU is to close the digital divide by 2015, in line with the UN's Millennium Development Goals. "If ITU does not meet the MDG, then no one else will -- because ICT is a tool for everyone," said Touré. Applauding the UN Secretary-General's support for ITU's mission, Touré added, "Together we can help the world to communicate. If we do this, the world will be a better place."

Earlier, Touré laid out the framework for bridging the digital divide and his vision for achieving cyberpeace. He called for all partners to engage in cybersecurity and for a global approach to emergency communications to enhance disaster preparedness and relief.

UN Secretary-General endorses Connect Africa Summit in Kigali, Rwanda
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave his full support to the Connect Africa initiative, spearheaded by ITU and the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID). The Connect Africa Summit will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, 29-30 October 2007 under the high patronage of President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and the Chairman of the African Union, President John Kufour of Ghana. Ban said that the initiative would help overcome the serious problem of the digital divide, which "is hampering the smooth and balanced development of our international community."

Ban Ki-moon stressed the importance of the ongoing reform process within the UN system to make it a more efficient and effective organization. "ITU is very well advanced in terms of reforms, but as a UN organization we still need to overcome negative perceptions," said the UN Secretary-General. "We need to have a determined will to change positively."

The UN Secretary-General praised ITU for joining hands with other agencies to make a better future. "I hope we will work together to make this world more prosperous, more secure, more harmonious, and more developed through ICT," said Ban Ki-moon.