Home
Media accreditation
Elections
News/Briefings
Feature stories
Policy Statements
Documents
Structure
Agenda
General Timetable
This week's schedule
Today's programme
Photo material
Frequently-Asked Questions
Practical information
Info for delegates
Last Update

------

Statement by Elected Secretary-General

I am very honored to be elected as the Secretary-General of the ITU. I would like to thank Dr. Pekka Tarjanne for what he has done to help the ITU adapt to the changing telecommunications environment. I have the greatest respect for his achievements, and I hope to build upon them as a secure foundation for the future of our Union.

Our Union has made great efforts to adapt to the changing environment of telecommunications, by such means as establishing the Development Sector, the High Level Committee Report and the Additional Plenipotentiary Conference. But the telecommunication revolution is bringing an explosion of new global services, new telecom players and new regulatory frameworks.

In the years to come, as we enter a new millennium, the role of the ITU will become even more crucial. It is the only world intergovernmental organization capable of ensuring that the benefits of telecommunications are expanded and shared to create a global information society for all humanity.

Telecommunications is the strongest force in sustaining our increasingly integrated world. Nevertheless, there are still villages without a single telephone, while people elsewhere spend hours surfing the Internet. But we are a global family, and the circumstances of one member affect us all. None of us can enjoy the full value of telecommunications until we all have access to it. For that reason, the most important mission of the ITU is to bridge the gaps between people with access to telecommunications and those without. We should take every possible measure to encourage development; for example, by establishing effective information systems, by strengthening the ITU regional offices to respond effectively to regional conditions, and expanding the ITU's role in promoting technologies that are best suited to the needs of developing countries. If we fulfill this task, the ITU will truly help to lead global economic growth. And sometime not far in the future, all our children will be able to use the information infrastructure to make friends across the world.

Creating an information network for the 21st century is one of the world's most important tasks. It will only be accomplished through the essential work of the ITU as the world coordinator of frequency allocation, and as the setter of global standards. Furthermore, we must start building bridges between the public and private sector, between telecommunication and other related industries, and between those who have good access to telecommunications and those who do not.

But, in order to fulfill its mission, the ITU must itself be strengthened and even reborn as an effective force that can lead towards the achievement of clear goals. The process of strengthening will begin with decisions on the strategic plan, as well as such important matters as amendments to the instruments of the Union and consideration of the ITU budget.

Those decisions should be positive and ambitious if the ITU is to continue its success. Simply, my role is to help make a reality of the vision shared by the ITU membership. In doing so, I promise to do my very best to fulfill the mission of the ITU sincerely, effectively and efficiently.n