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<div align="right"><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=5 color="#008080"><b>Bangladesh
NGOs Network for<br>
Radio and Communication<br>
</b></font><font face="Arial Narrow, Helvetica" size=2 color="#0000FF">Promoting
Communication Technology for a Fairer World<br><br>
<br><br>
<br>
</font></div>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=6 color="#0000FF"><b>Global
Alliance for ICT and Development launched<br>
in Kuala Lumpur <br>
</b></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=5 color="#0000FF"><i>
<br><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size=2>19 June 2006
:</font><font face="Verdana"> </i>In Kuala Lumpur today, Malaysia's Prime
Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched, along with Deputy
Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown, the Global Alliance for Information
and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Development (
<a href="http://www.un-gaid.org/">http://www.un-gaid.org </a>), a new
initiative by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to promote the use of ICT for
development. <br><br>
We are all gathered here today for a common cause, said Prime Minister
Badawi, motivated by a vision of a truly united global community brought
together through the power of ICT. A vision where every nation, every
society and every individual is a participant in development that is
people-centered, people-oriented and people-driven. <br><br>
However, despite the fact that we live in a time of vastly advanced
technologies, there are still too many nations too poor to take advantage
of these new tools of development and extricate themselves from their
present lack of progress into better circumstances for their people,he
said. <br><br>
The Alliance recognized ICT as a vital tool for development, Mr. Badawi
said, and with the lead given by the United Nations to this Alliance we
hope to be able to see more widespread applications of ICT where poorer
nations will benefit through greater access to technology and to
knowledge. <br><br>
"The Alliance , said Mr. Malloch Brown, provides the platform and
network of international experiences in which partnerships can be
based.Information technology never developed in a vacuum, he said: it
should be part of a strategy involving people and institutions, and
should be accompanied by investment, human capital, infrastructure and
national plans. <br><br>
Smart public polices, harnessing the power of public-private partnerships
should give incentives to the private sector, Mr. Malloch Brown said,
adding that technology is not just a privilege for the rich, but a tool
for the poor?, and should be applied to work towards the internationally
agreed development goals. <br><br>
Craig Barrett, Board Chairman of Intel Corporation and the Alliances
first Chairman, said the Alliance was about people and ideas. <br><br>
Information technology has become a powerful force in our life,
accelerating the ability to access, process, and exchange information, he
said. Technology, however, is necessary but not sufficient. <br><br>
Mr. Barrett indicated that four conditions are needed to accelerate the
opportunity for nations and their citizens -- access and ownership,
content, connectivity, and skills. He added I look forward to working
with the UN. <br><br>
Welcoming the creation of the Alliance , Kim Hak-Su, head of the UN
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), said ICT
had brought ?tremendous benefits to the peoples of many countries of the
region. Outsourcing and the establishment of high-tech research and
development facilities were benefiting India , China , the Philippines ,
Viet Nam and other countries, also spawning new industries such as
microelectronics and textiles. The challenge was now to reduce the very
wide digital divide in Asia and the Pacific through the speedy and
thorough implementation of the decisions countries had adopted at the
World Summit on the Information Society. <br><br>
The Alliances Strategy Council also met for the first time in Kuala
Lumpur today. The 60 members of the Council -- from the fields of ICT,
development, public policy, education, health and other spheres -- will
establish priorities for the Alliances work. <br><br>
The Alliance will seek to stimulate dialogue on formulating policies and
exchanging experiences on ICT for development. It will
operate as a decentralized network, complementing the work of existing
networks and institutions. <br><br>
</font><font color="#0000FF">For More information: Edoardo Bellando
<bellando@un.org><br><br>
<br><br>
<br>
</font><font face="Courier New, Courier" color="#800000"><b>----------------------<br>
</font><font face="Courier New CE, Courier" color="#0000FF">AHM Bazlur
Rahman-S21BR<br>
Chief Executive Officer<br>
</font><font face="Courier New CE, Courier" color="#008080">Bangladesh
NGOs Network for Radio and Communication<br>
&<br>
</font><font face="Courier New CE, Courier" color="#0000FF">Member,
Strategy Council<br>
UN- Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID)<br><br>
</font><font face="Courier New CE, Courier" color="#800080">House: 13/1,
Road:2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207 <br>
Post Box: 5095, Dhaka 1205 Bangladesh<br><br>
</font><font face="Courier New CE, Courier" color="#0000FF">Phone:
88-02-9130750, 88-02-9138501<br>
01711881647 Fax: 88-02-9138501-105<br><br>
</font><font face="Courier New CE, Courier">E-mail: info@bnnrc.net,
bnnrc@bd.drik.net, <br>
bnnrc@siriusbb.com
<a href="http://www.bnnrc.net/"; eudora="autourl">www.bnnrc.net<br><br>
<br>
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