The opening ceremony will set the tone for the WSIS Forum 2015 and raise a wide range of issues within the global information society. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have proven to be essential and invaluable tools in government, communities, global society and individual lives. WSIS Forum 2015 provides a platform to address trends, challenges and opportunities in the ICT Ecosystem and further development of the information society beyond 2015. In particular, it focuses on strategies and policies towards the implementation of the WSIS Outcomes, with the aim of strengthening the impact of ICTs on sustainable development and discussing synergies between WSIS and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This unique event enables stakeholders from government, private sector, civil society, academia and international organizations to collaborate and innovate.
The ceremony will officially mark the beginning of the WSIS Forum 2015. The ceremony will begin with opening statements from the host, co-organizers, partners and representatives of stakeholders engaged in the WSIS Process.
The WSIS Forum 2015 is divided into two tracks: the High-Level Track (HLT) and the Forum Track. The High-Level Track will take place from the Tuesday 26 to Wednesday 27 May 2105 and will provide a platform for high-ranking officials to share their views on the WSIS Action Lines, emerging trends and matters of strategic importance to the development of the telecommunication and ICT sector. The High-Level Track will also consist of handing out prizes, formal statements and the endorsement of WSIS Outcomes.
The Forum Track will take place on Monday 25 May and will continue from Thursday 28 May to Friday 29 May 2015. It will consist of a series of high-level panels, a ministerial round table, action line facilitation meetings, country workshops, thematic workshops and knowledge exchanges, as well as an exhibition. We encourage onsite and remote participants to actively contribute to the programme throughout this week. Welcome to the WSIS Forum 2015!
Opening Ceremony (9:00-10:30):
- Mr Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General (Video Message)
- Mr Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General, ITU
- Visionary Speech: H.E. Mr Majed El Mesmar, Deputy Director General, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, UAE (Strategic Partner Platinum of the WSIS Forum)
- Mr Francis Gurry, Director General, WIPO
- Mr Getachew Engida, Deputy Director General, UNESCO
- Mr Mukisha Kituyi, Secretary-General, UNCTAD
- Mr Neil Buhne, Director, UNDP Office in Geneva
- Mr Philipp Metzger, Director General, OFCOM, Switzerland (Host of the First Phase of the WSIS in 2003)
- H.E. Mr Noaman Fehri, Minister, Ministry of Communication Technologies and Digital Economy, Tunisia (Host of the Second Phase of the WSIS in 2005)
- H.E. Mr Thomas Luhaka Losenjola, Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and NTIC, Democratic Republic of Congo (Strategic Partner Gold of the WSIS Forum)
- Dr John E. Davies, Vice President, World Ahead Program, Intel Corporation (Strategic Partner Gold of the WSIS Forum)
- Mr Cyril Ritchie, President Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (CoNGO)
- Mr Joseph Alhadeff, Chairman International Chamber of Commerce Commission on the Digital Economy (ICC)
Appointment of the Chairman and Vice-Chairs of the WSIS Forum 2015
- Mr Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General, ITU
- Chairman: Ms Magdalena Gaj, President, Office for Electronic Communication, Republic of Poland
High-Level Opening Session by UN Facilitators (10:30-11:30):
Mr Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General, ITU
Chairman: Ms Magdalena Gaj, President, Office for Electronic Communication, Republic of Poland
Mr Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization, World Meteorological Organization (WMO)*(Statement at 18:00)
- Mr Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization, World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
- Ms Arancha Gonzalez, Executive Director, International Trade Center (ITC)
- Mr Pascal Clivaz, Deputy Director General, Universal Postal Union (UPU)
- Ms Elia Armstrong, Chief of Development Management Branch Division of Public Administration and Development Management (UNDESA)
- Ms Loide A.N. Lungameni, Chief of the Organized Crime and Illicit Trafficking Branch, Division of Treaty Affairs, UNODC
- Ms Xiangjun Yao, Director of FAO Liaison Office with the United Nations in Geneva Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)
- Dr Haidar Fraihat, Director of Technology for Development Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA)
- Mr Mario Castillo, Chief of Joint ECLAC/UNIDO Industrial and Technological Development Unit
Opening Policy Statements (11:30-12:30):
Mr Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General, ITU;
Chairman: Ms Magdalena Gaj, President, Office for Electronic Communication, Republic of Poland
- Mr Günther H. Oettinger, Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society, European Commission
- H.E. Mr Yasuo Sakamoto, Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan
- H.E. Mr Faisal bin Hassan Trad, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, Saudi Arabia
- Ms Majedah Al-Naqeeb, Deputy Director General of National Projects, The Central Agency for Information Technology, Kuwait
- H.E. Mrs. Rosemary Mbabazi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and ICT (MYICT) Ministry of Youth and ICT (MYICT), Rwanda
- Mr Fadi Chehade, CEO and President, ICANN
- Mr Olaf Kolkman, Chief Internet Technology Officer, Internet Society (ISOC)
- Ms Brenda Aynsley, Chairman Ifip Ip3 , International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP)
WWSIS Prize Ceremony (12:30-13:00):
Mr Houlin Zhao, Secretary General, ITU
Awarding 18 Winners of the WSIS Prizes for their excellence in implementation of the WSIS outcomes.
Group Photograph (12:55-13:00):
Please note that the group photo graph will take place in WIPO Auditorium and will take place at the podium.