8 December 2010, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Fratel a contribué de façon essentielle à renforcer le développement des TIC dans le monde francophone et continuera de jouer un rôle vital dans toute la Francophonie. C'est indispensable, car les TIC font aujourd'hui partie intégrante de nos vies à tous, sous des formes que nous n'aurions pas pu ne serait-ce qu'imaginer il y a à peine dix ans...

4 December 2010, Bamako, Mali: Education – and notably higher education – underpins everything we do; every service which is provided by governments or industry; and every opportunity for social and economic development and empowerment...

29 November 2010, Geneva, Switzerland: I am convinced that the outcomes of the Plenipotentiary Conference leave ITU in good shape to face the future. Indeed, one of the most important outcomes was the approval of sound strategic and financial plans for the period from 2012 to 2015. We passed many other important resolutions, addressing important subjects including...

23 November 2010, Trieste, Italy: This laboratory is all about technology transfer – about capitalizing on the greatest and most abundant natural resource of all, which is of course human brainpower...

18 November 2010, Costa Rica: I am often asked whether broadband is really that important – when you consider such basic pressing issues as the lack of safe drinking water, or rising food prices, which affect billions of people worldwide. And I answer that yes, I do firmly believe that broadband is the most extraordinary enabler, and will transform the lives of everybody. This is especially true in the developing world, and especially true in countries with large rural and remote populations...

17 November 2010, Costa Rica: No-one can doubt the power and potential of the Internet. It plays an ever-increasing role in government, industry, and in our daily lives. But, as we know, the Internet also has its negative side. It is an environment that brings wonderful opportunities, but that also conceals predators. In particular, there are criminals who target our children...

15 November 2010, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: The challenge we now face is to do for the Internet – and especially for broadband – what we have already done for mobile. It is no exaggeration to say that broadband represents perhaps the greatest opportunity we have ever known for global social and economic progress...

14 November 2010, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: This Symposium will help point the way forward, and will offer potential roadmaps towards achieving universal and affordable access to broadband across the region. And it is absolutely clear, here, that business and innovation will be key drivers...

11 November 2010, Hammamet, Tunisia: In Africa a knowledge-based information society starts to be a reality today, as opportunities offered by ICTs have led to socio-economic empowerment and have enhanced human development...

11 November 2010, Hammamet, Tunisia: This afternoon we are looking at the role that youth should play in national ICT development strategies. What youth lacks in experience is dramatically counterbalanced in the modern world of ICTs by the flexibility and agility which is necessary to succeed in an incredibly fast-moving and fast-changing environment...

10 November 2010, Dakar, Senegal: Effective regulation and sound regulatory frameworks are absolutely key for stimulating growth, increasing access to ICTs for all, extending broadband rollout, and ensuring that we speed up progress in meeting the MDGs. For the ICT industry, good regulation delivers predictability and stability, and it reduces risk. It encourages investment in ICT infrastructure and rewards competition and innovative business models...

4 November 2010, Geneva, Switzerland: Just like Europe, ITU faces similar challenges of crafting consensus from diversity, and standards from plurality, while recognizing the richness and strength to be found in different cultures and different perspectives.  There are more similarities, and more common heritage, between our institutions than you might think...

2 November 2010, Oran, Algeria: L'Afrique a prouvé à maintes reprises que la révolution numérique avait jeté les bases d'une révolution sociale et économique entraînant dans son sillage des changements positifs à l'échelle du continent tout entier...

22 October 2010, Guadalajara, Mexico: I do not believe that we can answer the really big questions, but I am sure that you have put in place the right framework to allow the ICT sector to embrace and profit from whatever new developments and trends occur in the next four years. You have set sound foundations in place, and you should be proud of what has been achieved here...

7 October 2010, Guadalajara: All of us had a dream, a great dream. We shared that dream. It has become a vision – a very ambitious but nonetheless achievable vision for a better world in which ICTs play and will go on playing a preeminent role. We are in the process of creating a world in which all the planet's inhabitants have the opportunity to develop...

6 October 2010, Guadalajara, Mexico: I don’t believe that there is any longer the slightest room for doubt that empowering women, and delivering equality between the sexes, is not just for the benefit of women, but is essential to all of humankind...

4 October 2010, Guadalajara, Mexico: It is sometimes too easy, within the narrow focus of our day-to-day work, to forget that the world we live in today would simply not function without ICTs and the communications networks which underpin them. And that it is ITU’s work – across the three Sectors – which makes the modern world possible. In today’s world, ICTs and broadband networks have become vital national infrastructure – similar to transport, energy and water networks, but with an impact that is even more powerful and far-reaching...

4 October 2010, Guadalajara, Mexico: I cannot over-emphasize the importance of the work we will undertake here in Guadalajara at ITU’s 18th Plenipotentiary Conference. We are here to shape the future. Not just the future of the ITU, but the whole future of the ICT sector – which now influences every other business sector worldwide, and which now reaches into the lives of almost everyone on the planet...

2 October 2010, Guadalajara, Mexico: ITU has continued to be both busy and productive since the full session of Council closed on 22 April. Each of the three Sectors has been doing exemplary work since we last met – though I must single out the Telecommunication Development Bureau here, as it held its quadrennial World Telecommunication Development Conference at the end of June; I will say more about this in a moment...

27 September 2010, Geneva, Switzerland: I don’t think it would be too controversial to start by saying that empowering women and delivering equality between the sexes is essential to human progress. Indeed, it might even be stating the obvious...

23 September 2010, Brazzaville, Congo: In this session, I would like to share with you the latest developments related to the ITU/UNESCO initiative to set up the Broadband Commission for Digital Development, in particular aspects related to e-education, capacity building and digital literacy...

23 September 2010, Brazzaville, Congo: It is from here — from the banks of the river Congo — that the drum beats of African culture and music have resonated across the world. And it is from here that we can continue to build upon these vibrant traditions, ensuring that the drumbeats of 21st century information and communication will reach everyone on the African continent, fostering peace and sustainable development through the millennium...

16 September 2010, Geneva, Switzerland: We are deeply honoured to be hosting this exhibition, which traces the history of communication through the ages. Indeed, it is particularly relevant to  ITU and our work, since our mission is to ‘Connect the World’ – so that people everywhere can enjoy the fundamental right to communicate...

14 September 2010, Wroclaw, Poland: Here in Poland, tremendous progress has been made in the adoption and use of information and communication technologies, ICTs, especially over the past decade. Indeed, with mobile cellular penetration of 117% at the beginning of 2010, it would be hard to find a Polish person of any age today without access to a mobile phone...

9 September 2010, Odessa, Ukraine: I am here this afternoon to discuss ‘Problems and Perspectives of Infocommunication Development’. And I would like to focus on one very specific area, which I believe will be crucial to the social and economic deveopment of every country on earth in the 21st century. I am referring to broadband networks and communications, which will transform the world as we know it...

2 September 2010, London, United Kingdom: For those of you not familiar with ITU, we are the world’s oldest intergovernmental organization, and were recognized in 2002 by Booz Allen as one of the world’s 10 most enduring institutions. Our roots are here in Europe, where we were set up over 145 years ago to connect the first telegraph systems across national borders...

20 August 2010, Erice, Italy: I am here to discuss ITU’s perspective on Cyberspace and the Future of Science. The sum of scientific knowledge and understanding has increased exponentially over the past two decades, and I believe that this is in very great part due to the massive uptake and proliferation of information and communication technologies...

17 August 2010, Accra, Ghana: The subject of my speech here today is ‘The Critical Role of Connectivity in the Socio-economic Development of the African People’...

12 July 2010, London, United Kingdom: As many of you know I have long been a passionate believer in satellites, and I am still amazed and impressed by their ability to bring connectivity to very corner of our planet...

29 June 2010, St. Michael, Barbados: As we all know too well, the earthquake on the 12th of January caused unprecedented loss of life and livelihoods in Haiti, and brought true devastation to a country which was already confronting development challenges...

17 June 2010, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Alors que nous entrons dans cette nouvelle décennie de la connaissance, l'accès à l'Internet se développe à un rythme sans précédent dans le monde entier et surtout dans les pays en développement. De 2006 à 2010, 600 millions des 777 millions de nouveaux internautes dans le monde venaient de pays en développement...

8 June 2010, Singapore: The title of my talk today is ‘Broadband Paving the Way’. And what better example could we look at than Singapore, one of the most networked and connected cities on earth?...

4 June 2010, Hyderabad, India: We have shared a remarkable two weeks together. After hours and hours of discussion and negotiation, Members have forged a common vision and plan of action for the coming years...

31 May 2010, Turin, Italy : Your discussions this week in the UN Strategic Leadership Programme are of special interest to us at ITU, as you will examine the ways ICTs are affecting societies everywhere and how we can best use these technologies in our work...

26 May 2010, Beijing, China : ITU has enjoyed a long and productive relationship with the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development. AIBD’s contribution to broadcasting in the region is well recognized...

25 May 2010, Hyderabad, India: This Roundtable is an opportunity to share experiences and build momentum for this important initiative to connect schools. I look forward to hearing more from you on what you are doing in each of your countries, and how we share resources and work together towards common goals...

24 May 2010, Hyderabad, India: I think we are all well aware of the importance of this fifth WTDC, and I am encouraged to see such a high level of participation. What we decide and define here over the next two weeks will shape not just the future of ICT development over the next four years, but the future shape of the very world we live in...

21 May 2010, Vientiane, Laos PDR: As you are no doubt aware, one of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society, held in 2003 and 2005, was that heads of state and heads of government assigned ITU with the responsibility to facilitate the ‘building of confidence and security in the use of ICTs’...

20 May 2010, Vientiane, Laos PDR: I have come here from China, where ITU has been participating in a number of activities relating to Expo 2010, including the ICT & Urban Development Forum which was held in Ningbo last weekend, and the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day celebrations which were held in Shanghai on Monday...

17 May 2010, Geneva, Switzerland : Nine years ago, following ITU’s proposal, the UN General Assembly endorsed the World Summit on the Information Society, in two phases, in Geneva 2003 and Tunis 2005...

17 May 2010, Shanghai, China: World Telecommunication and Information Society Day – WTISD – is celebrated annually on 17 May, to mark the founding of ITU and the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865...

17 May 2010, Shanghai, China: The world has changed almost beyond recognition over the past century and a half, and much of this change has been driven by advances in information and communication technologies...

15 May 2010, Ningbo, China: In honour of the theme of Expo 2010, ‘Better City, Better Life’, ITU’s members have chosen the theme of ‘Better City, Better Life with ICTs’ for World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. This is being celebrated just two days from now, in Shanghai, on Monday, which marks the 145th anniversary of the founding of ITU back in 1865...

12 May 2010, Geneva, Switzerland: As you know, one of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society, held in 2003 and 2005, was that heads of state and heads of government assigned ITU with the responsibility to facilitate the ‘building of confidence and security in the use of ICTs’...

10 May 2010, Geneva, Switzerland: Today we are meeting here for the 5th time since the Tunis Summit, and I believe that we are doing better each year in implementing the task assigned to us in organizing an annual meeting of Action Line Facilitators...

10 May 2010, Geneva, Switzerland: As you all know, the World Summit on the Information Society has been an important landmark in the global effort to eradicate poverty and achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The WSIS has placed ICTs at the center of the UN Agenda...

8 May 2010, Moscow, Russian Federation: Since its foundation at the end of 1991, RCC has proved itself a very valuable asset in the region, harmonizing communications networks; coordinating scientific and technical policy; managing radio spectrum; and participating in ITU’s activities and work...

6 May 2010, Chisinau, Moldova: It is a particular pleasure to be able to celebrate the successful conclusion of the ITU project to establish broadband Access Points to Internet (PAPI) in rural areas of the Republic of Moldova...

3 May 2010, Geneva, Switzerland: It is a privilege and great pleasure to have you with us today. I know I am looking forward to some productive and incisive debate here over the next two days covering the financial crisis, its impact on the information society and the range of legislative response options, and I hope you are too...

27 April 2010, Geneva, Switzerland: Power Point presentation

22 April 2010, Geneva, Switzerland: We are coming to the close of the 2010 Session of the ITU Council. We began our debates last week with a very heavy agenda before us. I am very pleased that we have managed to complete this agenda and that we have achieved this in a cordial, friendly spirit throughout our discussions...

13 April 2010, Geneva, Switzerland: Over the past six months I am pleased to note that ITU has continued to be both busy and productive. And I am particularly pleased that we have continued to leverage the benefits of the federative structure of the Union...

06 April 2010, Yerevan, Armenia: In the five years to the beginning of 2009, mobile cellular subscriptions in Armenia grew at over 90% annually, to reach 100% mobile teledensity by the beginning of last year – giving Armenia the third highest penetration in the whole CIS region, behind only Russia and Ukraine...

31 March 2010, Geneva, Switzerland: Peut-être avez-vous déjà appris la nouvelle du décès, il y a quelques jours, du Dr. Pekka Tarjanne, ancien Secrétaire général de l'UIT de 1989 à 1999. Le Dr. Tarjanne croyait passionnément que les technologies de l'information et de la communication (TIC) ont le pouvoir de changer le monde et était convaincu que le Droit de communiquer avait sa place au rang de droit fondamental de l'être humain...

31 March 2010, Bamako, Mali : L'année qui débute est très importante pour l'UIT, puisque nous célébrerons le 145ème anniversaire de sa fondation en 1865. Elle sera aussi marquée par la tenue de deux grandes conférences qui contribueront pour beaucoup à définir les orientations futures des technologies de l'information et de la communication...

18 March 2010, Bamako, Mali   : C'est avec grand plaisir que je m'adresse à vous à l'occasion de la Journée Télésanté 2010. Je suis aussi très heureux que ces discussions importantes se tiennent par visioconférence dans plusieurs villes d'Afrique, d'Europe et d'Amérique du Nord. Les services de télémédecine sont une nécessité vitale pour les millions d'habitants des zones très éloignées des centres de soins médicaux spécialisés...

15 March 2010 New York, USA: I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the ITU and its work, and to talk you through how this fits in with the work of the UN system, particularly concerning ICTs for Development; the MDGs; and the World Summit on the Information Society...

11 March 2010 San Diego, USA: The title of my talk today is ‘The Future is Broadband’. Sitting here in one of the most networked and connected cities on earth, that may seem a bit strange – but I will explain… Here in California, and around the world today, information and communication technologies – ICTs – are now virtually ubiquitous...

9 March 2010 Kampala, Uganda   : Africa has demonstrated time and again that the digital revolution has paved the way for a social and economic revolution which is driving positive change across the continent. Mobile technology has connected millions of Africans and, by the end of 2009, ITU estimates that mobile cellular penetration in Africa stood at 39 per cent. This penetration level is un-matched by any other ICT service in the region...

8 March 2010 Mexico City, Mexico: The first months of the new year have seen two devastating earthquakes strike this region, first in Haiti in January and then just ten days ago in Chile. Our thoughts go out to all of those who have lost loved ones or seen their homes or businesses destroyed by these terrible catastrophes. We cannot stop earthquakes happening, but with ICTs we can hopefully get much better at predicting them and warning people in advance...

8 March 2010 Mexico City, Mexico: I would like to speak this morning about a subject which is very close to my heart: the future of ICTs, and in particular broadband networks – which to my mind are the future of ICTs. I am absolutely convinced that the second decade of the 21st century – starting right now – will be the decade of broadband.

2 March 2010 Dhaka, Bagladesh: With over 50 million mobile cellular subscriptions, Bangladesh is clearly one of the world’s major mobile markets. And there is still tremendous potential for growth, with mobile cellular penetration of around 30% countrywide at the end of 2009, compared to an average of over 50% in developing countries as a whole...

24 February 2010 Geneva, Switzerland: 2009 was a very busy and important year for the Telecommunication Development Sector – and 2010 promises to be no different. Indeed, we got off to a very busy start with the terrible earthquake in Haiti six weeks ago, and I think we can all be proud that the Development Sector has been putting such serious efforts into helping with the disaster recovery there...

22 February 2010 Manama, Bahrain: Bahrain is of course itself one of the world’s greatest ICT success stories – with mobile cellular penetration already close to 200% a year ago, at the beginning of 2009, and over 80% of households with a computer...

15 February 2010 Barcelona, Spain: It is a great pleasure to be here with you this morning – and in particular to be given an opportunity to say a few words about the most important issue facing every single one of us: building a sustainable future. My organization, ITU, takes this matter very seriously indeed – especially in the light of the recent Copenhagen conference...

13 February 2010 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: I would like to say a few words this evening about the role of ICTs in the economic crisis, and about ITU’s vision of the transformational role of broadband networks in delivering social and economic progress...

31 January 2010 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: It is a tremendous privilege and a great pleasure to be with you here today in Addis Ababa for the 14th Session of the African Union Assembly and I am grateful to you for putting ICT for development in the agenda and I am proud of the response by so many stakeholders who are present here today...

20 January 2010, Geneva, Switzerland: I am here today to discuss the Millennium Development Goals, and how Information and Communication Technologies – ICTs – can help us to achieve them... 

15 January 2010, Geneva, Switzerland: I am here today as one of the newest members of the GCI’s Climate Change Task Force – and I am deeply honoured to join a group which is led by President Mikhail Gorbachev and which includes Nobel Peace Laureates, the Club of Rome, the Club of Madrid, and other very distinguished members...

8 January 2010 Las Vegas, USA: Around the world, information and communication technologies – ICTs – are now virtually ubiquitous. As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, there are now more than 4.6 billion mobile cellular subscriptions globally, and over 1.7 billion people use the Internet...