November 20th, 2013

CTO Calls for ICT Vision in Asia-Pacific that Caters for Marginalised Groups

LONDON, 19 NOVEMBER 2013 – The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), Professor Tim Unwin has called for countries in Asia and the Pacific to commit to providing access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) to all of their citizens by 2020, especially to the disabled and other most marginalised groups.

Professor Unwin was taking part in a high-level panel discussion on ‘Envisioning Asia-Pacific 2020’ at the Connect Asia-Pacific 2013, a summit held in conjunction with the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) WORLD TELECOM 2013 conference and exhibition taking place this week in Bangkok, Thailand.

“My vision for 2020 is that the best of what the countries and peoples of Asia and the Pacific have already achieved in the field of ICTs and telecommunications should be available to all, everywhere” Professor Unwin said to the panellists and delegates.

Fellow panellists alongside Professor Unwin included:

• Dr Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General, ITU
• His Excellency Keat Chhon, Deputy Prime Minister, Kingdom of Cambodia
• Dr Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of UN-ESCAP, and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
• Senator Monthian Buntan, Senator, and Person with Disabilities (PwDs) Champion, Thailand
• Dr Javad Mottaghi, Secretary-General, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union
• Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and CEO, Telenor Group
• Gabrielle  Gauthey, Executive Vice-President, Global Government and Public Affairs, Alcatel-Lucent, and
• Josh Rice, CTO, Worldwide Public Sector, Microsoft.

According to Professor Unwin, countries in the region must resolve four main challenges by 2020:

1. Implement national broadband strategies to benefit all, including the most marginalised groups;
2. Devise novel regulatory mechanisms to enable the ICT market to function more efficiently where possible, but also to ensure that those beyond the reach of the market can benefit;
3. Ensure people with disabilities, currently representing 10 per cent of the world population contribute productively to national economies in the region through the use ICTs;
4. Effectively harness the potential of technology not only for environmental monitoring and disaster management, but also to enhance the efficacy of response efforts to support those whose lives destroyed by natural disasters.

Professor Unwin encouraged countries in Asia and the Pacific, like the rest of the international community, to place much more emphasis on delivering effective solutions in the interest of all. Addressing Commonwealth Foreign Ministers at last week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka, Professor Unwin had warned that unless concerted action was taken, ICTs would rather exacerbate already existing social and economic inequalities globally.

Download Professor Unwin’s full statement.