H.E. Ms Judith MACGREGOR UK Ambassador to Mexico The United Kingdom has been a member of the ITU since its inception one hundred and forty five years ago. We are great supporters of the ITU and are proud to have played a part in its development throughout that long period. In addition to our direct contribution to the ITU, both financial and in human resources, the United Kingdom makes a very large financial contribution to telecommu-nications development throughout the world through the Department for International Development (DfID) - whose budgets are being protected despite the UK Governments reduced spending plans; This Plenipotentiary Conference will be important in setting the future direction of the Union and we look forward to contributing our ideas and to engaging in lively discussion. This time we are meeting in a challenging economic landscape. The European region, like much of the world, is facing difficult economic times. In the UK the public sector is under scrutiny; we have to dem-onstrate Mr Chairman, Honourable Ministers; value for money and we have be even sharper about the most effective and cost efficient ways to achieve our strategic goals. Ambassadors; Ladies and Gentlemen: Thank you for this opportunity this morning / af-ternoon So it is all the more important to us that the ITU now demonstrates clear leadership in identifying where it commits resources and where it does not; where it can make a real difference – and where other International bodies are best placed to take a role . to speak to you on behalf of the Government It is also important that the issues that are discussed here are covered in the most strategic way and that we take this valuable opportunity to seize on the im-portance of the United Kingdom As UK Ambassador to Mexico I am no stranger to Guadalajara but it is great to be here for this very im-portant of information and communication tech-nologies not only for improving the efficiency of com-munication UN plenipotentiary conference. I would like but also in raising the quality of life of all to take this opportunity to congratulate the Mexican Government for hosting it and for your wonderful hospitality; Monday evening was simply splendid; I can just imagine stopping the traffic in London!. our citizens; I do not need to remind anyone here on the huge differences the mobile phone has made to the lives of billions of people throughout the world. 126