H.E. Mrs Reem AL HASHEMI Minister of State, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) At the forefront of this is the UN Specialized Agency, the International Telecommunications Union whose mission is to connect the world, and to bring informa-tion and communications technology within reach of the entire world’s population. The ITU has also been playing a pivotal role in the development of state of the art information and communication technologies. Over the years, there have been several remarkable ini-tiatives Mr. Chairman, taken at the ITU for enhancing the image and Ministers, Excellencies and Heads of Delegations, highlighting the role of this specialized UN Agency. One such exclusive, unique and distinct initiative was the establishment of the ICT Exploratorium at the ITU. We, at the United Arab Emirates are very delighted to sponsor funds for this project and are honoured to be the Sole founding partner of the ICTE. The Government of the United Arab Emirates has always savoured its long-established association with the ITU. We remain committed and anticipate on enhancing this support and cooperation over the coming years. Honorable Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General and the Directors of the Bureau, Distinguished Delegates, It is an honor and a great pleasure to address this Conference on behalf of the Government of the United Arab Emirates. First of all, I would like to extend my sin-cere In recognition of the important role of information and communications technologies in our lives, the Government of the United Arab Emirates has liberal-ized appreciation to the Government of Mexico for host-ing the supreme Conference of the ITU and welcoming us with their prominent warmth and courteousness to the, Mexican Pearl of the West, Guadalajara, the capital city of Jalisco. Mr. Chairman we would also like to wish you every success in leading all of us and steering the work of the Conference over the next three weeks. its telecommunications sector and introduced a competitive environment. Since then we have devel-oped an ICT policy framework which promotes fair access to the domestic infrastructure, enhances the quality of services offered and protects the consumer interests and encourages innovation. Telecommunications and ICT have emerged over the years to be a fundamental necessity and a sig-nificant At the same time we are constantly issuing new regula-tions indicator of any country’s economic progress. to meet the changing telecommunications regu-latory landscape and support the evolution of new tech-nologies Developments in the Telecommunication and ICT sec-tors have provided an opportunity to build a just and and services with the ICT sector in our country. equitable information society, in which the develop-ing As a result we have made numerous achievements that reflect the success of our policy; the UAE has the high-est world is catching up to connect to a globally-con-nected, information-driven, knowledge-based society. penetration of mobile telephone subscribers in the Information and communications technologies are now widely accepted to be a basic building block of the nation, backbone of the national economy, a medium to improve access and an absolute necessity which completes individual life. world with the current mobile penetration standing at 208%. Furthermore, the UAE is ranked second globally in terms of government’s vision in promoting the use of information and communication technologies. 74