Bishkek Conference on Information Society
and Regional Cooperation in Information
and Communication Technologies for Development
16-18 November, Bishkek
Statement on behalf of
UNECE and UNESCAP
by
Mrs. Brigita Schmögnerová
Executive Secretary of UNECE
Mr. First Vice Prime Minister,
Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies
and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the two regional
commissions of the United Nations: the Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
(UNESCAP), it gives me great pleasure to
welcome you all to this important event,
jointly organized by the Government of Kyrgyzstan,
UNECE and UNESCAP, the UN ICT Taskforce
and UNDP, from 16 to 18 November 2004.
I commend the Government of Kyrgyzstan for
hosting this meeting and I also congratulate
the President for his foresight when already
in 1997 he declared his intention to lead
your country into the information age.
Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies
and Gentlemen,
Information and communication
technology (ICT) is one of the driving forces
of globalization and also an important tool
to reduce poverty and to promote socio-economic
development. To understand the economic
and social implications of the Information
Society, it is necessary to put this phenomenon
in a wider context. In particular there
are three important aspects for Governments,
business, and community leaders to consider:
(i) the challenges to close the digital
divide, (ii) the opportunities provided
by regional integration,
and (iii) the new knowledge-based
economy - which has become an engine
of growth in developed market economies.
Firstly, you may be aware
that the e-assessment of 16 member States
provided by UNECE and the assessment of
e-readiness of countries by the World Bank
and recent ITU statistics, show a growing
digital divide among and between UNECE/UNESCAP
members in Central Asia and Caucasus and
our other members in Europe and in Asia
and the Pacific. The challenge of bridging
the digital divide between the ICT-advanced
countries and countries with economies in
varying stages of development and transition
is pressing. However, some policies can
be identified to help bridge the divide.
These are:
(a) Improving ICT infrastructure
and ensuring affordable access to and
availability of information and knowledge
for businesses and households;
(b) Supporting the practical application
of ICT, especially in the areas of e-government,
e-health, e-education, e-business and
e-tourism;
(c) Enhancing efficiency and transparency
in the delivery of public services to
citizens through ICT;
(d) Promoting the integration of e-strategies
into national economic and social development
plans;
(e) Increasing human resource capacity
to meet the challenges of the information
society;
(f) Introducing an appropriate regulatory
framework.
In our respective areas
of competence both UNECE and UNESCAP can
provide assistance at the policy as well
as the technical level.
Secondly, with its central
location, Central Asia is a region of geopolitical
interest and together with its great natural
resources and vast human potential it has
become the focus of new interest for the
international community. I believe that
this conference can confirm that regional
cooperation and integration are essential
for long-term economic growth, poverty reduction
and social stability leading to human development
and security. Good examples of regional
cooperation are the establishment of the
Regional Communication Commonwealth and
SPECA. I trust that the conclusions of this
conference will reflect this potential for
regional cooperation in ICT.
Thirdly, transformation
to a knowledge-based economy is a complex
process that needs to be driven by a government’s
strategies, in cooperation with other stakeholders.
In particular investment in human capital
is a central investment for a knowledge-based
economy. The emergence of the knowledge-based
economy is shifting the focus from production
workers to knowledge workers. Workers engaged
in using information to produce goods and
services are beginning to play a central
role in economic growth. Investments to
develop, upgrade and improve the skills
and expertise of the workforce are therefore
crucial for increasing competitiveness.
Furthermore, world markets are increasingly
integrated, intensifying competition and
creating new opportunities, and knowledge
and innovation are emerging as key assets.
International structural, institutional
and business linkages and cooperation are
therefore crucial for knowledge economy
policy.
The development of the
knowledge-based economy is based on using
ICT in transforming the structure of governance,
institutions, innovation policy, business
models, education, telecommunication and
services, etc. No knowledge economy can
develop without a comprehensive effort of
learning and education. Typically Western
developed countries spend 5-7 % of their
GDP on education, Central European countries
4-5 % and Central Asian Countries 2-4 %.
These figures underline the importance of
a shift in priorities in order to ensure
sustained change.
Both UNECE and UNESCAP have a responsibility
to support the transitional economies in
their efforts to transform their economies.
We are providing assistance in legal, regulatory
and standardization matters; providing transition
economies with an information, meeting and
advisory platform; and facilitating new
business processes and applications for
information technologies.
In the UNECE we are e-mainstreaming
all aspects of our work to make full use
of the new IT tools. This not only includes
the use of ICT to support work in substantive
areas like environment, transport and statistics
but we also actually develop and set IT
standards. We are in the forefront with
developing standards for electronic data
interchange (UN/EDIFACT), web-based standards
and the integrated use of paper and electronic
trade documentation (UNeDocs project) in
the area of trade. In the area of transport,
UNECE is examining new technologies known
as Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and
introducing provisions on these new technologies
into relevant UNECE Agreements and Conventions,
to make transport more efficient, safer
and more environmentally friendly. Finally,
the UNECE Convention on Access to Information,
Public Participation in Decision-making
and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters
(Aarhus Convention) actively promotes the
principles of an Information Society beneficial
to all.
In the cause of its reform
and revitalization, UNESCAP has put ICT
at the forefront of its activities in the
three thematic programme areas of poverty
alleviation, managing globalization and
emerging social issues in the countries
of Asia and the Pacific including the countries
with economies in transition.
Upon request from member
countries, UNESCAP is organizing four sub-regional
meetings to generate inputs to the draft
Regional Action Plan towards building a
broad-based Information Society in Asia
and the Pacific, Internet Governance and
Financial Mechanisms for ICT for Development,
and this Bishkek Conference is the first
one in this process. At the end of the four
sub-regional events, UNESCAP will organize
a final high-level regional meeting which
will finalize inputs to the global discussions
on Internet Governance and Financial Mechanisms
and a regional input to the Tunis phase
of WSIS.
UNESCAP will focus on
bridging the digital divide and will work
closely with the private sector and other
stakeholders in areas such as e-government,
e-learning, e-business, e-health, e-environment,
e-agriculture and e-science. The ESCAP secretariat
will emphasize the following three roles:
1. A lead role in the
follow-up to Phase I of the World Summit
and preparations for Phase II. This was
mandated by the Commission at its sixtieth
session, held in Shanghai, China, last
April.
2. The role of a major partner in national
initiatives to promote regional cooperation
and the development of e-policies and
regulatory framework, like the Asia broadband
programme.
3. A catalytic role in national, sub-regional
and regional initiatives to promote ICSTs
for development, such as e-Asia.
As many of you are aware,
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan recently
launched an initiative to reinvigorate the
Special Programme for the Economies of Central
Asia (SPECA) - a programme jointly supported
by UNECE and UNESCAP - which is aimed at
promoting cooperation among Central Asian
countries and supporting their efforts towards
integration into the world economy. It is
expected that the thematic scope of SPECA
will be broadened in the near future to
include new areas of cooperation and we
are very encouraged that Azerbaijan intends
to take the lead within the SPECA framework
in matters related to ICT development and
fostering regional collaboration in this
vital area.
Furthermore, at the international
level, every effort should be made to remove
obstacles to the application of ICT in order
to ensure access and use for all. Two of
the most pressing issues identified in the
WSIS Plan of Action are Internet governance
and the financing of ICT for development.
Together with their member countries, the
UN regional commissions will strive to develop
concrete approaches to resolving these issues.
Together these measures
can contribute to the realization of an
Information Society in your countries. However,
this alone will not be sufficient and each
country will need to put effective actions
in place. I hope the Asia-Pacific Regional
Action Plan, as well as your commitments
to strengthen regional cooperation in this
area, will guide you in that direction.
Both UNECE and UNESCAP are prepared to assist
you further in your efforts towards building
an inclusive Information Society in the
sub-region.
I wish you great success in
your deliberations.
Thank you for your attention.
___________