Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations Secretary-General
Remarks at Rountable with Heads of State
Attending ITU Telecom World 2009
Geneva, 6 October 2009
Excellencies,
Distinguished CEOs,
Ladies and gentlemen,
This ambitious roundtable will cover many of the key issues of our time:
Your work can help address these challenges and advance the goals of the United Nations.
As you know, we are now in the midst of an intensive campaign to seal a deal at the UN Climate Change Conference, which will be held in just two months in Copenhagen.
You in this room can help us accelerate the negotiations. CEOs can inspire government leaders to be bold. CEOs can help government officials to understand the power of ICTs to address the climate threat and usher in a new green economy.
Information technologies contribute 2 to 3 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. But they can also reduce emissions in other sectors by at least 15 per cent. This means they can be a significant enabling technology in our fight against climate change.
Through good climate science and information sharing, ICTs can help reduce the risk and impact of natural disasters.
When an earthquake hits, a coordinated ICT system can monitor developments, send out emergency messages and help people to cope.
ICTs also help to create jobs in the tech sector and in other areas where innovations are generating jobs.
I look forward to hearing your views, and I am counting on your support to succeed at the Copenhagen Conference and beyond.
Thank you again for attending Telecom World and for supporting the United Nations.
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