The TDS is an activity that has matured over a nine-year period, since the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (Kyoto, 1994) resolved that special measures should be taken to assist developing and least developed countries. Within the wider context of ITU TELECOM Forum, the TDS provides fellowships to senior officials from developing and least developed countries, enabling them to participate in world and regional TELECOM events. As such, the TDS helps to address the information gap that lies at the heart of the wider digital divide.

The features of the TDS include:

• A special programme of presentations and panel discussions, focusing on the theme of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development. The programme is put together with the assistance of a Forum Programme Committee and with the help of the staff of the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau and the ITU Regional Offices.
• A privileged forum, open only to TDS fellows and invited guests, to allow for debate over hot topics of high currently policy interest and to develop their own conclusions and resolutions.
• National Reports, by which TDS fellows conduct studies and prepare a report on the telecommunication development activities in their country, to share with their counterparts.
• An evaluation programme that allows for feedback on the usefulness of the TDS and permits constant improvement.
• A focus on gender equality and capacity building.

One of the main goals of the TDS is to extend participation in the TELECOM exhibitions and forums to all ITU Member States. The Table below shows the success of previous events. The TDS is entirely dependent on sponsorship. The principal sponsor of the TDS at World TELECOM 2003 is the State of Geneva. Other TDS sponsors at previous events are shown below. If you are interested in sponsoring future TDS, including at Africa TELECOM 2004 and Asia TELECOM 2004, please contact Sunny.Bekele@itu.int.

The TDS is grateful to the following organizations and corporations that made the programme possible and without which the Symposium could not have achieved its goals.

Special website showcase of the TDS donors is as follows: