Policy Statement
by
Prof. Yoshio Tsukio
Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination
Japan

Tuesday, 19 March 2002

Thank you Mr. Chairman,
Secretary General Mr. Utsumi,
Excellencies,
Distinguished guest,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very honored to have this opportunity to present a policy statement at this third World Telecommunication Development Conference.

Looking back, we can see that it was the Conference in Valletta four years ago that took the lead in calling attention to the importance of the digital divide. Since then, concern about the digital divide has grown rapidly within the international community, with the issue being raised in such venues as the 2000(year two thousand) G8 summit in Okinawa and APT summit in Tokyo. In that sense, it would seem that we had excellent foresight at Valletta.

Yesterday, there are many key note speeches which include practical problems involved in bridging the digital divide, such as infrastructure, local content and training. Issues like these continue to mount up, and they highlight the real concerns resulting from the digital divide.

I believe we can address these problems through paying attention to the key phrase "information sharing." This principle can be said to be the essence of the IT revolution. The obstacles to information sharing are the very issues causing the digital divide in a variety of areas, such as differences between countries or between urban and rural areas with respect to opportunities and the ability to take advantage of IT.

Obstacles to the sharing of information are found in every area, including problems with infrastructure, application languages, Internet access and literacy.

If we see the problems but do nothing to resolve them, we cannot take satisfaction in our foresight at the last WTDC. I believe that what is important for us is to do now is to work persistently to address the many different issues and generate solid results. In that sense, the purpose of this conference is to develop a practical action plan that will become our policy for eliminating the digital divide, and the implementation of that plan must take the highest priority over the next four years

One important point that has not been in the forefront of our considerations to date is that IT can be effective in resolving environmental problems, if its use is promoted worldwide. I would like the results of this conference to include this perspective.

At the same time, as we grapple with individual issues in this manner, it is also important to have a clear vision of the IT-based society we are aiming to create.

Will achieving that kind of society make us happier than we are now? We have been given the important job of offering a practical vision that will allow this question to be answered with a clear "yes". Of course, no society will ever be perfect, and there will be many problems along the way. However, we will never make progress unless we are energized by aiming for an ideal.

During this WTDC conference, as well as at meetings in connection with the forthcoming World Summit on the Information Society, I believe it is important for us to use the collective wisdom of participants in all fields to delineate the ideal that this generation and the next generation must strive to achieve.

The battle against poverty continues to be a serious issue in the twenty-first century. Telecommunications is an invaluable tool that can serve as a major driving force for the enrichment of daily life. It is clear that the ITU will place increasing emphasis on this area in the future.

Japan, as a member of the ITU, is proud to have played a leading part in addressing the issue of the digital divide. We have reflected on the role the ITU must play, and we would like to join with everyone here at this first development conference of the twenty-first century, to discuss what we must do to develop more effective telecommunications that truly reach everyone.

Thank you for your attention.