It is vital that we use opportunities such as ITU TELECOM WORLD 2009 for a frank debate on the way forward for the ICT industry that will translate challenges into real and workable solutions. Information and communica-tion technologies are increasingly critical for global development and human well-being. We must not allow today’s economic downturn to slow progress in providing widespread access to these essential tools. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General KEY FEATURES OF WORLD 2009 Heads of State Programme. Exclusive gathering of Heads of State and Government focused on key global issues and ICT solutions. VIP Programme. Exclusive activities engaging VIPs from public and private arenas for maximum contact for advancing crucial agenda items. Forum. Extensive debate on today’s foremost issues involves and attracts leading figures from across the ICT community and around the world. Showcase of latest technological advan-cements. Step into the future of ICTs at the Exhibition. Make contacts, find innovative solutions, probe partnership prospects and evolve your business. Youth Forum. Like no other sector, the ICT community em-braces and supports our global youth, acknowledging their role in fu-ture developments. Telecommunication Development Sympo-sium. Development themes and issues are woven directly into the main forum, reflecting the importance and momentum gained over re-cent events. Networking Opportunities. From online networking services, to onsite mingling and evening socials, every moment is lev-eraged for relationship-building. Complementary event components are designed to maximize synergies among participants and leverage the power of the ICT community as a whole. The sector and its agenda continue to evolve. Markets are shifting, roles are changing, and new players are emerging. As the world looks to innovation for viable structures towards global recovery, WORLD 2009 provides the arena from which stakehold-ers will emerge with bold proposals focused on recovery. 2 | 3