VIET NAM

STATEMENT BY His Excellency Dr. Trung Ta DO
Minister of Posts and Telematics

Mr. Chairman
Mr. Secretary General
Honorable Ministers
Distinguished delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honor for me to address this conference on behalf of the Government of Viet nam. I would like to express our gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Turkey for its magnificent hospitality extended to us and all other delegates of this Plenipotentiary Conference. And I would also like to congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, on your election and I am confident that under your chairmanship, the Conference will be of a great success.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are now living in the information age and the whole world relies heavily on Information and Communication Technology. The success of any country or individual depends on their ability to access to and to process information resources. Indeed, ICT is the most important key for the fast development towards prosperity and progress.

In recent years, Vietnamese Government has been taking various measures to accelerate the ICT development, focusing on the four important pillars such as to set up a modern and sustainable ICT infrastructure, to promote ICT applications, to give priority on the Human Resource Development and to foster the Market Liberalization. Hence, significant achievements have been reached. ICT sector remains its highest development rate among others with the growth rate of more than 30% per annum. By the end of October this year, the telephone penetration has reached 28%, internet penetration (including broadband internet) has reached 18%. All the communes nationwide are served with telephone and internet service; 100% of the high school and 70% of primary and secondary school can access to the internet. Indeed, ICT has been contributing significantly to the success of Viet nam in the fight against poverty to reach the target of the Millennium Development Goal, and to maintain its impressive economic development rate of 8% every year.

Mr. Chairman,

Each Plenipotentiary Conference of the ITU reflects a milestone in the development history of the world's ICT industry. This time, the 2006 Plenipotentiary Conference has a special meaning for all of us with many opportunities and challenges. ITU now is dealing with many critical issues beside the technical one. The fast development toward the Next Generation Network, the rapid growth of wireless and broadband telecommunication industrie, the need for a sustainable Internet Governance, the increasing Gap of the Digital Divide worldwide, the tremendous challenge of connecting the world by 2015, the financial challenges, put ITU, its elected Officials and staff on the new demanding role and full expectation of the members.

Therefore, to facilitate ITU, along with Member States and Sector Members to effectively enhence the development of ICT, the adoption of Strategic Plan with priorities and concrete implementation measures for 2008-2011 during this Plenipotentiary Conference 2006 is of great importance.

Viet nam is strongly committed to continue its support and collaboration with all members to make the ITU more accountable, efficient and effective and to make the ITU the ideal body to organize a worldwide transfer of knowledge and expertise in advanced information and communication Technology.

To conclude, may I wish you Mr. Chairman and all distinguished delegates good health and great success for the Conference.

Thank you for your kind attention.