21st May 2013, Dublin, Ireland : It is a great pleasure to be here with you in Dublin today, and to have this opportunity to take part in the IIEA’s ‘Development Matters’ lecture series...

17 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : As we come to the end of an extraordinary week here in Geneva, I would like to thank you for having joined us for the full five days of the 2013 WSIS Forum.You have contributed passionately towards enriching the content of the forum, and I am touched to see the commitment and dedication each one of you has put into making it a success...

17 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this ceremony on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. As you know, we celebrate this annually on 17 May to mark the founding of ITU in 1865...

16 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : Before I close, let me give my sincere thanks, on behalf of ITU to the Member State delegations which have taken part in the conference, and the States they represent.I would particularly like to thank the Member States that have broadened their delegations to include civil society and industry representatives – and let me once again encourage all Member states to follow this excellent example, at future events, by making their delegations as inclusive and multi-stakeholder as possible...

15 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : It is a great honour to welcome you to this afternoon’s workshop focusing on Azerbaijan, and in particular on the Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway project, TASIM...

15 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : It is a great pleasure to be with you here this afternoon for the 4th edition of the High Level Dialogue on building confidence and security in the use of ICTs...

15 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : It is a great pleasure to be with you here this morning – and let me start by expressing my sincerest gratitude to Deborah Tate, our COP Special Envoy, and to Sylvia Poll, from the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations, for accepting the invitation to co-chair this important meeting...

15 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : It is a tremendous pleasure to welcome you all – both those here onsite and all of the WSIS stakeholders following remotely – to WSIS+10 Plenary Session One.It is a tremendous honour this morning to be able to welcome the former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, who is joining us for this session...

14 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : It is a tremendous pleasure to be with you this afternoon for this very important High Level Dialogue on Women’s Empowerment in the Information Society...

14 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : The WTPF is a very different type of event from the big global treaty-making conferences ITU is well-known for, such as the World Radiocommunication Conference which is held every three years or so here in Geneva, or the WCIT-12 event which took place in Dubai last December...

14 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : It is a tremendous honour and a real pleasure to welcome you to the fifth World Telecommunication and ICT Policy Forum. We are joined here for this opening ceremony by Her Excellency Doris Leuthard, the Swiss Minister for the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications; Fadi Chehadé, the CEO of ICANN; and Dr Robert Kahn, one of the original founders of the Internet...

13 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : Broadband already affects every sector of human activity and endeavour, and is already a key driver for development – both in the developed and the developing world...

13 Mai 2013, Genève, Suisse : J'ai l'immense plaisir de vous accueillir cet après-midi à l'occasion du Dialogue stratégique de haut niveau, à la veille de l'ouverture du cinquième Forum mondial des politiques de télécommunication/TIC...

13 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : It is a tremendous pleasure to welcome you this afternoon to the High Level Strategic Dialogue, which comes just ahead of the opening of the fifth World Telecommunication Policy Forum tomorrow morning...

13 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : The WSIS Forum is an international multi-stakeholder engagement to meet the goals of the World Summit on the Information Society which met in Geneva in 2003 and in Tunis in 2005...

13 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : As UNGIS members, we have a very important mandate to promote policy coherence and programme coordination in the UN system, and this role becomes more important than ever as the international community builds a common vision for the WSIS Process beyond 2015 and the Post-2015 Development Agenda...

13 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : A very good morning to you all – both onsite here in Geneva and to those of you who are following us remotely all around the world.On behalf of the host and main organizer ITU, and the co-organizers UNESCO, UNDP and UNCTAD, let me offer you the warmest welcome to the WSIS Forum 2013...

07 May 2013, New Delhi, India : It gives me immense pleasure to be here in India on the occasion of the 7th NTA ICT World Communication Awards, hosted by the Communication, Multimedia And Infrastructure Association of India, with the support of the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organization and the Government of India as well as several industry associations...

06 May 2013, New Delhi, India : It is a great pleasure to be here with you in New Delhi this afternoon, and it is of course a tremendous honour for me to receive this award. As Secretary-General of the ITU, it has been my mission – and remains my mission – to connect the world and to see the benefits of ICTs brought to all the world’s people, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances...

06 May 2013, New Delhi, India : It is a great pleasure to be here with you in New Delhi this morning – and it is a great privilege to be able to address you at this honourable and prestigious university.Universities are an essential part of the fabric of all great nations, imparting the wisdom of past generations to the leaders of the future, and it seems more than appropriate here to quote from the great Jawaharlal Nehru himself...

04 May 2013, Bangkok, Thailand : It is a tremendous pleasure to be here with you in the wonderful city of Bangkok today – and to have this opportunity to discuss ‘Broadband trends in a converged environment’.As Secretary-General of the ITU, my mission is to ‘Connect the World’ – and I firmly believe that if we can succeed in achieving our mission, then we will see unprecedented social and economic improvement for all...

02 May 2013, Phnom Penh, Cambodia : In the short time at your disposal, you have demonstrated a great sense of purpose and dedication, by crafting a strategic framework that will no doubt be a very important and meaningful contribution to the WTDC next spring...

30 April 2013, Phnom Penh, Cambodia : First of all, let me wish you a very happy Khmer New Year: Chaul Chnam Thmey! We are very grateful to the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia for hosting this WTDC-14 Regional Preparatory Meeting for Asia and the Pacific.

29 April 2013, Phnom Penh, Cambodia : It is a great pleasure to be here with you in beautiful Cambodia this morning for the Asia-pacific Regional Development Forum – and I am looking forward very much to a busy day of fruitful discussions and deliberations on the development agenda for this vibrant region...

25 April 2013, Brussels, Belgium : It is a great honour and a tremendous pleasure to be with you here in Brussels to celebrate Girls in ICT Day 2013 – and I am delighted to have this opportunity to address the Parliamentary Hearing on Women in ICT...

25 April 2013, Brussels, Belgium : It is a great pleasure to be with you this afternoon, and to see so many smart, bright and enthusiastic people – men as well as women – who have come together here in Brussels to celebrate Girls in ICT Day 2013 with us...

25 April 2013, Brussels, Belgium : It’s a tremendous pleasure to be here in Brussels with you today and to get Girls in ICT Day 2013 off to a great start.I know that we are going to hear some interesting commentary and insights on the European situation later on, so let me – as the head of a specialized agency of the United Nations – spend a few minutes looking at the bigger, global, picture, first...

24 April 2013, Brussels, Belgium : It is a great pleasure to be able to join you here in Brussels this morning for this EIF Breakfast Debate.We are now less than three weeks away from the start of the fifth World Telecommunication Policy Forum, WTPF-13, which is taking place in Geneva from 14 to 16 May – an event I am personally very much looking forward to...

23 April 2013, Brussels, Belgium : It is a great pleasure to be here with you in Brussels for this meeting of the European Commission’s High Level Group on Internet Governance.I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the key outcomes of the World Conference on International Telecommunications, WCIT-12, which took place last December in Dubai...

17 April 2013, Chisinau, Moldova : It is a great honour and a tremendous pleasure to be here with you in Chisinau this morning for the Ministerial Session of the Moldova ICT Summit.This session addresses the theme of the ‘Digital Agenda for Development’ – and this is a subject which is very close to my heart...

11 April 2013, California, USA : It is a great pleasure to be here with you at Stanford University for this symposium on international cybersecurity – and to have the opportunity this evening to share with you the key outcomes of the World Conference on International Telecommunications, WCIT-12, which took place last December in Dubai...

03 April 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : It is a great pleasure to be able to join you here this afternoon for this roundtable discussion on ‘Technology, Innovation and Multilingualism’ which is being organized by the Organisation Internationale de Francophonie.As those of you who know me well will have heard before, I am personally passionate about multilingualism...

03 Avril 2013, Genève, Suisse : Je suis très heureux d’être parmi vous cet après-midi pour cette table ronde sur le thème "Technologie, innovation et multilinguisme", organisée par l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.Comme le savent déjà ceux qui me connaissent bien, je suis un fervent partisan du multilinguisme...

03 April 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : It is a great pleasure and a great honour to be here with you at the World Health Organization this morning for World Health Day...

21 March 2013, Rome, Italy : It is a great pleasure to be able to join you in Rome this morning, using the power of technology to attend your forum in Rome from my office here in Geneva.In the second decade of the 21st century, we all recognize the vital importance of broadband as a key enabler for competitiveness and for sustainable social and economic development for all countries...

21 March 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : It is an honour and a great pleasure for me to be here with you today to celebrate World Meteorological Day 2013, and fifty years of the World Weather Watch...

19 March 2013, Mexico City, Mexico : It is a great pleasure to welcome you to this Seminar on the Economic and Financial aspects of telecommunications/ICTs, as well as to the Meeting of the Study Group 3 Regional Group for Latin America and the Caribbean...

17 March 2013, Mexico City, Mexico : Once again, I am stunned by the passion and energy you all show for broadband. This has been a remarkable meeting, and I am still digesting your rich ideas and insights.And above all, the passion and energy of our Chairs, Carlos Slim, and President Kagame, for his giving us their insights at the highest level...

​17 March 2013, Mexico City, Mexico: To give you a short background on this Commission, it was set up in May 2010 following discussions between myself, UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-moon and UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova...

​17 March 2013, Mexico City, Mexico: Globally, broadband continues to be at the top of the global political agenda – and nowhere was this more clear than at the World Conference on International Telecommunications, WCIT-12, which took place in Dubai last December...

​16 March 2013, Mexico City, Mexico: Connecting the unconnected is right at the heart of what ITU does, and is fully-consistent with the significant role we have played in enabling the Internet – through standards, spectrum, fibre optic networks, satellites and much more...

08 March 2013, Rome, Italy : It is a great pleasure to be here with you in Rome today for this workshop entitled ‘Beyond Dubai – A New Global Agenda for the Internet’.As you will know, the ITU’s mission is to connect the world, and to bring the benefits of ICTs to all the world’s people – wherever they live and whatever their circumstances...

08 March 2013 : The technology industry itself also represents an exceptional opportunity for girls and women to carve out rewarding careers that offer both economic independence and a stimulating fast-evolving work environment. My own organization is leading global efforts to attract more women into the tech sector, as well as to train women in poorer countries in basic ICT skills, to enable them to find better-paid jobs and even start their own small businesses...

27 February 2013, Barcelona, Spain : It is a great pleasure to be here with you in Barcelona this afternoon for the launch of Broadband Commission’s Working Group on Education’s new report, entitled ‘Technology, Broadband and Education: Advancing the Education for All Agenda’.This report, which is the principal outcome of the working group on education, highlights a number of key messages...

26 February 2013, Barcelona, Spain : It is a great pleasure to be here with you in Barcelona this morning for the opening session of the Government Mobile Forum, which will be discussing ‘The Roadmap to a Mobile Broadband Future’.This is a subject that is very close to my heart.At the ITU, our mission is to connect the world, and to bring the benefits of ICTs to all the world’s people – wherever they live and whatever their circumstances. This we do together with our 193 member states and more than 700 sector members drawn from industry, academia and civil society organizations – including many of you in this room...

25 February 2013, Barcelona, Spain : I firmly believe that if we can succeed in achieving our mission, then we will see unprecedented social and economic improvement for all, and that we will continue to make bold steps in accelerating progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals – and indeed other sustainable development goals as we move forward...

25 February 2013, Paris, France : ITU is proud to have taken a leadership role in WSIS and other international processes which mark the transition from the information society to the knowledge society...

25 February 2013, Paris, France : Concerning WSIS+10, let me take a moment to update you on actions taken following the ITU Council Resolution last year and my subsequent presentation to the 67th session of the General Assembly.Regarding the WSIS+10 Overall Review, the 67th session resolved that the modalities for the review process will be considered by the end of this year...

24 February 2013, Paris, France : A good and well-rounded education is the basis on which future livelihoods and families are founded, and education opens up minds, as well as job prospects.Bring broadband into the picture, and students in developing countries can access prestigious university libraries anywhere in the world; unemployed workers can retrain and improve their job prospects in other fields; and teachers can gain inspiration and advice from the resources and experiences of others...

20 February 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : This is a tremendous initiative from Diva International Magazine, and in particular from its Editor-in-Chief, Marit Fosse. The International Telecommunication Union – the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies – is honoured to sponsor it...

7 February 2013, New York, United States : It is a great pleasure to be here with you in New York this afternoon for the Beyond Money Roundtable, which is being kindly hosted by the UN Office for Partnerships and our good friend Amir Dossal. As the Secretary-General of the ITU, the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies, my mission is to connect the world, and to bring the benefits of ICTs to all the world’s people – wherever they live and whatever their circumstances...

7 February 2013, New York, United States : I am pleased to see that these new centres will be modelled in line with Multipurpose Community Telecentres, MCTs, which have been developed and supported by organizations such as ITU and UNESCO since the mid-1990s...

06 February 2013, New York, USA : It is a great pleasure and a great honour to be here with you in New York this morning for the Global Education and Technology Health Summit – GETHealth. I would like to thank the organizers – The Center for Clinical Global Health Education at Johns Hopkins University and the Global Partnerships Forum – for the wonderful programme they have put together...

1 February 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : It is a great pleasure to be here with you today – and let me offer a very warm welcome to all participants.In the second decade of the 21st century, we are doing an extraordinarily good job of increasing access to ICTs around the world – and in the process we are enriching the lives of everyone on the planet...

30 January 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : It is a great pleasure to be here with you today – and let me offer a very warm welcome to all participants.This is the first time many of us have met face-to-face since the conclusion of WCIT-12 in Dubai last month, and before we go on to discuss the work of this Council Working Group, I would like to say a few words about the Conference...

29 January 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : Presentation by Dr Touré covering GSS, WTSA & WCIT outcomes, and main events for 2013, including WSIS Forum / WTISD (13-17 May); 5th WTPF (13-16 May); 2013 Session of the ITU Council (11-21 June); Global Youth Summit (9-11 September); and ITU Telecom World 2013 (18-21 November)...

25 January 2013, Davos, Switzerland : In 2013, we live in a society where almost everyone is connected to information and communication technologies (ICTs) – with over six billion mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide and more than 2.5 billion people online...

25 January 2013, Davos, Switzerland : I have the honour, along with Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, to act as one of the co-vice-chairs of the Broadband Commission, which works to advocate for increased broadband rollout and access, as a key tool in accelerating progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals...

25 January 2013, Davos, Switzerland : We can discuss the norms and values being changed by digital media, and we can discuss the areas of convergence in opinions here – but arguably the most important thing, in terms of having a healthy digital ecosystem, must be its universality, its ubiquity...

24 January 2013, Davos, Switzerland : Data gathering and data storing continue to be essential and valuable activities across all societies today.Look at the global ICT data we collect at ITU, for example, which allows everyone to see the state of the global ICT sector, and to see where investment – for example – has been successful, or where it is most needed...

23 January 2013, Davos, Switzerland : The new International Telecommunication Regulations chart a globally-agreed roadmap that promises to bring the digital era within reach of the 700 million people around the world who still don’t have mobile phone network coverage and the 4.5 billion people not yet online...

11 January 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : Since we last met, you’ve been working very hard on your negotiations, and on drafting your Resolutions.Many of you have also been carrying out very valuable support functions, including interpretation, document translation, and liaison between the work of the various Committees...

09 January 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : As I said just a few minutes ago during the FerMUN opening ceremony, we at ITU are delighted to welcome this event, which embodies so many of the values that ITU and the UN system stand for.Your presence here testifies to the fact that you are among the brightest and most talented students of your generation...

09 January 2013, Geneva, Switzerland : Let me offer you a very special welcome this afternoon, and say what a tremendous honour it is for us to host the Lycée International of Ferney-Voltaire’s 2013 Model UN Conference here at ITU headquarters in Geneva...