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By Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon,
United Nations
Starting with the earliest
drumbeats, telegraphy—“writing in distance”—has been with us
in dynamic, evolutionary motion. The ability to relay important
information quickly across vast distances, closing the gaps of time
and space, has expanded exponentially all manner of human activity,
from sending out personal messages to completing complex financial
transactions to engaging critical matters of war and peace. World
Telecommunication and Information Society Day heralds the enabling
and transformative role of communications and information in
societies, and the universal need to communicate and cooperate
across borders.
It is also the day in 1865 when
the International Telecommunication Union was founded. At the time,
the idea to transmit electronic signals across wires had already set
forth a dramatic chain reaction of competing technologies. ITU was
formed to address the growing need for international standards. From
these early days, ITU has played a key role in connecting the world,
a challenge which continues today with 3G mobile and broadband
technologies.
Yet the reach of communications
technology is not universal, its benefits have not been shared
equally. The World Summit on the Information Society, held in Geneva
in 2004 and Tunis in 2005, linked information and communication
technology (ICT) with human development and called on Member States
to build a global “inclusive, people-centered and
development-oriented information society” through the sharing of
information and knowledge.
The Summit also urged Member
States to address the special requirements of persons with
disabilities and other vulnerable groups. The theme of this year’s
observance “connecting persons with disabilities”, highlights
the importance of making ICT equipment and services accessible to
meet the needs of persons with disabilities. There are an estimated
650 million persons living with disabilities worldwide. Including
their almost a third of the world’s population. It is important to
remember that anyone can become disabled at any moment.
It is vital that we change
attitudes and approaches to persons with disabilities, ensuring that
all fundamental rights and freedom are honored, including the right
to fully participate in the information society, and bring input,
ideas and effort from the disability community.
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