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STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
We are going through a historic transformation in the way we live, learn, work, communicate and do business.
We must do so not passively, but as makers of our own destiny. Technology has made the information age
possible. Now it is up to all of us to build an Information Society.
We are all familiar with the extraordinary power of information and communication technology (ICT). From
trade to telemedicine, from education to environmental protection, we have in our hands, on our desktops and
in the skies above, the ability to improve standards of living for millions of people.
Information and communication technology is not a panacea or magic formula. Rather, it provides tools in
our quest to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, advance the cause of freedom and democracy, and
propagate knowledge and mutual understanding. Our challenge is how to make the most of this potential.
At the 2005 World Summit at the United Nations in September, world leaders reaffirmed the importance of
information and communication technologies. They reiterated commitments made at the first phase of the
World Summit on the Information Society two years ago in Geneva. And they agreed to continue efforts to build
an inclusive, people-centred Information Society. The second phase of the Summit, in Tunis, will continue our
efforts to create more digital opportunities and put the potential of information and communication
technologies at the service of development.
Governments cannot bridge the digital divide by themselves. The business sector, civil society, the media and
others all have essential roles to play. Partnerships among all Information Society stakeholders will be crucial as
we continue our efforts to extend the benefits of the communications revolution to all.
Digital Reach
includes
contributions from many of those stakeholders, and I commend this publication to a wide global audience and
appeal to all involved to make the vision of the Information Society a reality.
Kofi Annan
Secretary-General of the United Nations
UN I T ED NAT I ON S
NAT I ON S UN I E S