Policy Statement
by
Mr. David Fransen, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister
Spectrum, Information Technologies & Telecommunication
Industry Canada

Tuesday, 19 March 2002

Check Against Delivery

Thank you Mr. Chairman. First, I would like to thank our Host, the Government of the Republic of Turkey, for receiving us in this marvelous and historic city of Istanbul.

Canada is pleased to have the opportunity to present its views to the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference. The Development Conference is indeed timely, given the number of international initiatives currently being undertaken with the common theme of "bridging the Digital Divide". Among the Union’s basic purposes is the promotion of the benefits of the new telecommunication technologies to all the world’s inhabitants. This is consistent with the international development goals associated with the United Nations Millennium Declaration of September 2000. One of Canada's primary objectives in participating in this Development Conference is to promote the development of a coherent global strategy for bridging the Digital Divide. We believe that this must be done by building partnerships and increasing coordination among the various "ICT-for-development" initiatives and by encouraging the participation of all segments of society — governments, private sector and civil society. Canada’s contribution to this Conference draws upon our domestic and international experience in the application of ICTs for social and economic development. Based on this experience, we will suggest ways and means of moving the "ICT-for-development" agenda forward as a key part of the Istanbul Action Plan.

Partnerships and Coordination

The international community is mobilizing to find innovative ways of using ICTs to create new social and economic opportunities for citizens. Governments, international and regional organizations, non-profit organizations, and private sector have launched numerous initiatives in the "ICT-for-development" field, ranging from "bottom-up" community-based projects to "top-down" high-level policy dialogues.

The multiplicity of initiatives in ICTs-for-development shows a rapid acknowledgement of the unique possibilities offered by ICTs. Many countries will benefit from these initiatives. Many more, however, will benefit if they are part of a coherent global strategy.

A sound way of promoting coherence among the existing "ICT-for-development" initiatives is by building partnerships and increasing coordination. Two policy initiatives, the "G8 Digital Opportunity Task Force", or the DOT Force, and the United Nations ICT Task Force, have already undertaken to work closely together and coordinate their respective efforts.

The G8 DOT Force successfully fulfilled its initial mandate as set out in the July 2000 Okinawa Charter on the Global Information Society. The DOT Force presented the conclusions of its work in a report and proposed a nine-point action plan — the Genoa Plan of Action — both of which were fully endorsed by Leaders at their 2001 Genoa Summit. The current challenge is to implement the Genoa Plan of Action and, as requested by G8 Leaders, to present the results at the next G8 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada in June 2002. The implementation of the DOT Force Action Plan is well underway. DOT Force members and other interested stakeholders are now working in teams to develop concrete initiatives addressing the priority areas of the DOT Force Action Plan.

The UN ICT Task Force represents an important opportunity to maintain the momentum in addressing the global policy issues underlying the challenge of creating digital opportunities. Building on the Genoa Plan of Action, the work of the ICT Task Force will complement the work that DOT Force members and their partners have undertaken this year. It will carry out its work by drawing together key UN Agencies and reaching out to a broader audience through its Regional networks. A consistent effort has been made by the UN ICT Task Force and the DOT Force to ensure close coordination and synergy.

As a member of both the G8 DOT Force and UN ICT Task Force, the ITU brings its technical expertise in the development of telecommunications to the table. It also brings many years of experience in addressing the telecommunication needs of developing countries. These are the ITU’s core competencies. Through its own network of regional offices, the ITU understand and acts upon the specific needs and realities of different parts of the developing world.

Its membership base of 189 Member States and more than 650 Sector Members constitutes one of the most inclusive partnerships through which private sector players work alongside governments to transform inequities into opportunities.

Other efforts to strengthen linkages between "ICT-for-development" initiatives are also taking place. Private sector initiatives, such as those from the World Economic Forum and the Global Business Dialogue on E-commerce (GBDe), are reaching out to other ICT initiatives in an effort to build partnerships. Bilateral Donor Agencies are also recognizing the importance of coordinating their efforts in the ICT sector.

The ITU, along with other members of the UN family, is ideally positioned to further the international consensus that has developed on the key role of cooperation and partnership in putting information and communication technologies in the service of development. The endorsement, last December, by the UN General Assembly of a World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), under the leadership of the ITU, is a clear commitment to fulfil this goal. Canada believes that the WSIS will build upon the work underway in other forums — that it will deepen political commitment and develop a forward-looking vision for using ICTs to create new social and economic opportunities for all. As important will be the concrete actions it proposes to realize this vision. Mr. Chairman, this WTDC will provide critical input to the WSIS.

Multi-Stakeholder Cooperation

The challenge of creating digital opportunities for all is complex and requires the participation of all segments of the society — public, private and non-profit sectors. The private sector, through innovation, risk taking and investment, has a key role in developing a country's information and communications infrastructure. Governments, on the other hand, need to provide the supportive policy and regulatory framework, to allow the marketplace to flourish and economies to grow. Strategic investment by governments is also crucial. Civil society, including the full range of social interests, must also be engaged in efforts to facilitate the development of a truly inclusive information society, to maximize the potential for social, civic and community enrichment.

Canada has developed an effective approach to bridge its own digital divide and actively shares lessons it has learned with other countries bilaterally and in multilateral forums. Canada’s progress is based on a coordinated approach to connectivity, involving all parts of the society. This approach includes federal, provincial and municipal governments as well as civil society, including the private sector. The approach focuses on digital inclusion, connecting all schools, libraries and communities, developing human capacity, and relying on community champions to identify new opportunities for the creative application of information and communication technologies.

Similarly, the "Connectivity Agenda" for the Americas Region is premised on the need for society’s fundamental stakeholders — civil society, the private sector, and the respective governments — to come together for the purpose of achieving, inter alia, universal access to information, the development of an effective and transparent policy and regulatory framework, a competitive ICT industry, and training in the use of ICTs.

Mr. Chairman, the greatest challenge in a multi-stakeholder environment is leadership. Strong leadership is essential for building a common vision, a common cause, and most important, action.

In this context, we are witnessing a tremendous demonstration of leadership from African Leaders in the design and implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development. It is a vision founded on freedom and democracy, and the principle that the key to progress in Africa lies first and foremost, with Africans. In Genoa last year, G8 leaders resolved to work with committed African Leaders on this vital issue and I am proud to say that Canada was asked to take the lead on this initiative. G8 Leaders will be presenting a concrete Africa Action Plan in response to the New Partnership for African Development Initiative (NePAD), at the G8 Summit in June of this year, in Kananaskis. Likewise, all of us here today, whether we represent governments, the private sector or other stakeholders, must work to move the "ICT-for-development" agenda forward in ways that enable developing countries to assume genuine ownership of their own national development strategy. We must also work to achieve concrete and sustainable results over the next four years. For this, we will need to:

1. have a clear vision,
2. set practical goals,
3. identify program priorities in line with our resources,
4. adopt efficient and effective working methods, and
5. give ourselves the tools to assess and adjust our performance as we implement our Action Plan.

Mr. Chairman, there is no doubt that the ITU has the assets so that it too may be an important leader in international efforts to bridge the Digital Divide. The ITU is a legitimate player in this arena. But only by focusing its activities, developing innovative and effective partnerships especially through the BDT — and by mobilizing its resources to deliver concrete results can the ITU emerge as a "leader" and a champion in the field. But time is short. Cooperation is of the essence. Many nations today live on the margins of our globalized and networked world. Information and communication technologies are key enablers for transforming many of the challenges we face into accomplishments. Let us seize this opportunity together.

Thank you.