Ladies and gentlemen,

I have the pleasure of welcoming you today, not only to the Orientation Course for New Staff Members, but to ITU as well. This is the third orientation course ITU has conducted, but it is my first time to give you this special address. I myself was new to ITU not so long ago, in February 1999, and therefore I appreciate the efforts shown by the Secretariat to welcome new staff members and to make their new start as positive and as easy as possible.

As you may be aware, you have joined ITU at an exciting and dynamic moment.

The modern world is undergoing a fundamental transformation as the industrial society that marked the 20th century gives way rapidly to the information society of the 21st century. This dynamic process promises a fundamental change in all aspects of our lives - knowledge dissemination, social behaviors, economic and business practices, political engagement, media, education and health, as well as leisure and entertainment. We are indeed in the midst of a great revolution, perhaps the greatest that humanity has ever experienced. Several countries have already adopted ‘information society’ initiatives and the matter is under active consideration by several regional organizations.

Three recent events have drawn the attention of world leaders to the ‘information society’:

1.       the Okinawa meeting of G8 countries, which drew up a charter on the Global Information Society;

2.       the meeting in New York of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC-2000), which focused on the role of ICTs in sustainable development; and

3.       ITU’s World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-2000) in Istanbul, which created the platform for achieving communication “anytime, anywhere” via mobile communications.

Clearly, taking an active role in the “information society” is crucial to the relevance of the UN system in general, and to ITU in particular. In line with the ongoing reform process, ITU needs to seize new opportunities whereby our members can play a leading role in shaping tomorrow’s society.

The global nature of knowledge-based societies makes it vital that international dialogue takes place and that worldwide approaches be considered in order to narrow the digital divide and forestall the emergence of conflicting frameworks.

ITU’s ability to bring together representatives from competing companies and from governments of all ideological persuasions is perhaps its greatest strength. The Union’s broad membership base and the consensus approach taken by its study groups ensure that future developments benefit from a wealth of experience and creative ideas from representatives of leading entities in the telecommunications field around the world. The establishment of a partnership between the private and public sectors has come to play an increasingly important role for ITU in the implementation of telecommunication development activities designed to ensure that new technologies reach all parts of the world.

At the same time we have to bear in mind that ITU itself, like other telecommunication regulators and entities around the globe, is faced with the constant challenges of change. If the ITU is to remain the focal point for international telecommunications, we must be able to show the world that we are swift and flexible enough to do the work, and convince them to have confidence in us. I am certain we are able to carry out our mission.

The Secretary-General, Mr Yoshio Utsumi, has identified five main challenges faced by ITU:

1.       We must enlarge the membership and ensure active participation by the new players;

2.       We must enhance ITU’s role as the forum for harmonizing and coordinating policies and regulations;

3.       We must transform ITU’s traditional technical activities in order to meet the needs of the information age;

4.       We must transform ITU’s development activities in order to support the growth of and access to multimedia information networks in developing countries; and

5.       We must transform ITU’s management, functioning and structure.

To meet these challenges we should have an efficient and comfortable working environment. All staff should share a clear vision and goals for the future. In order to do so, it is important that communication with and amongst staff members be clear and constructive. This orientation course, in a sense, is a good opportunity to exchange information, knowledge and experience between fresh starters and those who have been here for some time. I am sure both parties will benefit from this exchange.

We need to show the world that we are changing for the better, to be the best in our business. It is the responsibility of ITU’s top managers to make every effort to enhance ITU’s visibility and credibility. At the same time, it is the responsibility of each and every staff member to sustain the pursuit of excellence so that we build ITU’s future together.

Your constructive suggestions for improving ITU are welcome and I look forward to the exciting years to come that will set the course for a new and bright future for the Union.

To conclude, I wish to reiterate that you, our staff members, are one of the most precious resources that ITU possesses. Without staff that are committed and motivated, even the best managers cannot bring about changes necessary for meeting the challenges faced by ITU.

I thank you again for having joined us and I hope you have an enjoyable and exciting working life in ITU.

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