AIT Global, InfoSec Conference at the United Nations

[ Click on any image to enlarge that image ]

M. Samir KOUBAA, Ambassador and DPR, Permanent Mission of Tunisia to the UN

M. Samir KOUBAA

Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative

Permanent Mission of Tunisia to the United Nations

June 27, 2006

"Dear Mike and Carol Lackey, Guests and Friends,

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to address this important gathering.

Sarbuland Khan, Executive Coordinator, UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development

The participation of many representatives of the civil society and the private sector confirms the importance they attach to ICT and in particular to the outcome of the Tunis phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the follow up process.

Tunisia, which hosted the second phase of WSIS in November 2005, is convinced, like many other countries, that the effective implementation of the decisions adopted during the WSIS would assist the United Nations system in fulfilling the commitments stated in the Millennium Declaration and ensure access to information and communications technologies as a powerful tool for economic growth and poverty eradication, two of the major objectives of the Millennium.

Ambassador KOUBAA; Mike Lackey, AIT Global; Sarbuland Khan, UN-GAID

Jim Dykes, Senior Engineering Director, Seagate

As we all are aware, the digital gap contributes to the widening of the economic gap and aggravates exclusion and marginalization. Before being just a technological divide, the digital divide is essentially a development disparity and a gap impeding the dialogue of civilizations.

The WSIS, as a major event marking the beginning of the new millennium, constituted an historic opportunity for the international community to agree on a common vision of the Information Society and to develop an approach for action aimed at bridging the digital divide and ushering in an Information Society that is balanced and accessible to all.

Tom Sikorsky and visitors at the IBM Booth

Cincom Booth

As a host country, Tunisia did endeavor, during the preparatory process to put all efforts in order to achieve consensus on all items of the Tunis Agenda, in particular the two major issues on which consensus could not be achieved in Geneva, namely Internet governance and financing. Indeed, we were convinced that wisdom and a spirit of compromise of all actors will help us attain our common objectives and aspirations and ensure that the Information society is moving along the desired path, a society which brings together different peoples and cultures, promotes opportunities of peaceful coexistence, understanding and constructive dialogue, mutual respect for cultural differences and for the commonly shared universal values and principles.

Jim Dykes, Seagate, explains a point

I will, very briefly, present the main thrust of WSIS' outcome. I will later invite you to contribute to the effective implementation of those agreed Commitments:

The need to build a people-centered, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society, premised on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, international law and multilateralism, to eradicate poverty and to attain the internationally-agreed development goals and objectives, including the Millennium Development Goals.

Tom Nies, Founder, President & CEO, Cincom

Ensure that everyone can benefit from the opportunities that ICTs can offer, recalling that governments, private sector, civil society, the United Nations and other international organizations, should work together to improve access to information and communication infrastructure and technologies as well as to information and knowledge
Ensure that information and sharing of knowledge contributes significantly to strengthening economic, social and cultural development,
Inclusion of all peoples in the Information Society through the development and use of local and/or indigenous languages in ICTs and the need to protect and promote cultural diversity, as well as cultural identities, within the Information Society.

Expert Panelists

Promote the transfer of technology, including ICT's and to adopt policies and programmes with a view to assisting developing countries to take advantage of technology in their pursuit of development
Encourage multilateral institutions as well as bilateral public donors to consider also providing more financial support for regional and large-scale national ICT infrastructure projects and related capacity development.
International management of the Internet should be multilateral and transparent with the full involvement of governments, the private sector, civil society and international organizations. It should ensure an equitable distribution of resources, facilitate access for all and ensure a stable and secure functioning of the Internet, taking into account multilingualism.

Curtis Sliwa, Founder and President, Guardian/Cyber Angels

Ensure that WSIS implementation and follow-up is an integral part of the UN integrated follow-up to major UN conferences and should contribute to the achievement of internationally agreed development goals and objectives, including the Millennium Development Goals.
A new forum for multi-stakeholder policy dialogue-called the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), has been established and will held its first meeting, in Athens.

The UN General Assembly decided to declare 17 May as World Information Society Day to help to raise awareness, on an annual basis, of the importance of this global facility.

Curtis Sliwa and Ambassador Francis LORENZO, Permanent Mission of Dominican Republic to the UN
It is imperative that all Stakeholders: Governments, private sector, civil society, the United Nations and other interested regional and international organizations, should work together to meet the challenge ahead particularly that of harnessing the full potential of ICT for development and ensuring that the determination and commitment of the international community, in Geneva and in Tunis, to shape an information society accessible to all are translated into concrete actions. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the launch of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development, and the adoption of the Kuala Lumpur vision, which aims to strengthen collaboration between the public and private sectors and promote policies and partnerships that can help create an "arc of digital opportunity."

Curtis Sliwa and Ambassador KOUBAA, Tunisia
In conclusion, I hope that participants at this Conference will have the possibility to exchange views on how best we can, all stakeholders, ensure the implementation of WSIS outcome as well as on some related questions including the following:

How ensure a stable and secure functioning of the Internet?
How to encourage and build confidence concerning transactions through internet (financial, commercial, private, protection of personal data and identities)
How to reconcile between freedom of expression (our common objective) and the responsibility to safeguard public order, national specificities, cultural identities, peace and security?
How to ensure a larger access to Internet and strengthen confidence of people around the world on Internet content (one language, universal/common content?)
How civil society envisages contributing to: Availability of ICT infrastructure and equipments to those in need; the affordability of Internet access; and, how to ensure that Internet content reflects developing society's effective needs and aspirations?"