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Program :: Hans Armfelt Hansell
/Closing Ceremony Abstract Address by Dr. Hans Armfelt Hansell Hans Armfelt Hansell DEAR MINISTERS, DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES The so-called "Information Society" proposes a vision of an inclusive society, where all citizens "without distinction of any kind", share the right "to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers". Therefore, any strategy, be it national or international, aimed at achieving the peace, security and development goals of the international community for the 21st century, must include in a prominent position the full exploitation of the new opportunities as well as a clear response to the threats of new divisions arising out the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). By your presence here today, Ministers, for the signing of an ESEEurope Agenda for the Development of the Information Society, you have responded to this challenge and taken a decisive step towards the realisation of an Information Society in your countries. You can be proud of this success and I congratulate you on your achievement. The ESEEurope Agenda for the Development of the Information Society is very ambitious, including first the adoption of policies, second the adoption of legal infrastructure and third the establishment of implementation mechanisms. Today we are witnessing the first in a series of steps being taken towards building an information society in your region. The Information Society will change the traditional role of government; inevitably. We can already see the effects of the Internet and other information and communication technologies. These new technologies can be used to improve good governance principles and achieve public policy goals. Public administration can make use of these tools to enhance transparency, to increase efficiency in the use of public funds, and to improve the delivery of services to citizens. In this process, reforms must focus on the citizens, and technology should be seen as a means to support governance development rather than as a tool in itself. The availability of, and access to, public administration for citizens should be increased, and the interactive services enlarged. Two newly emerging important task for Governments, business, and community leaders and regional organizations are (one) to assess how these new technologies can contribute to European integration, within both the present and future membership of the Union, and (two) to determine how to prevent negative effects. To understand the economic and social implications of the new technologies, we need to address many different aspects. Three immediately come to mind: 1. The transformation of the market place - how will the technology
modify the way the economic activities are conducted? 3. Reduction in time and space - how will the technology affect the reduction in production cost and cycle and the geographical location and interactions? For these new economic models to contribute to economic growth, it is essential to have an effective rule-based environment for trade at the macroeconomic level. Cross-border procedures will have to be developed that are consistent with the related procedures operated by the traders, such as regarding transport or payment. This can be done through coordinating policy making at the macroeconomic level and technical developments at the microeconomic level, thereby providing the certainty and stability of the ground rules to enhance participation of the countries of the region in the European markets. Thus, to be part of European supply chains Governments must be aware of the need for a coherent regional regulatory framework that is consistent with the procedures operated by the enterprises. Another area where the new technologies are going to play an increasingly important role is security, especially in the international trade area, where requirements for advance information are now becoming the norm. In fact, the role of information in facilitating the flow of goods through customs has changed dramatically in recent years and most noticeably since the September 11th last year in New York. We see an increasing emphasis being placed on pre-shipment information, post audit and risk management methodologies, with importing countries demanding extensive information both on the shipper and on the buyer before the products arrive at the border. Information technologies and methodologies have the potential to greatly simplify and facilitate the flow of goods through the entire trade transaction process. However, there is the obvious danger that less developed countries, who do not have the necessary ICT infrastructure and technical and managerial expertise to provide detailed advance information on cargo contents, passenger lists, etc, could be excluded from trading to the major developed countries, who are increasingly conscious of security. This could create a form of "security divide", with the less technologically developed nations being seriously disadvantaged. Security, and the information requirements of security, could, in fact, become the new technical barrier to trade. Even in those countries where the private sector and the free interplay of market forces are seen as the main actors for the development of the Information Society, Governments have undertaken significant efforts to enhance the national awareness of the potential benefits and requirements of this new technology. In most of the countries that were successful in these efforts, three elements were central to that success: " All the major relevant ministries, administrations and sectoral
interests likely to be affected by the technology were involved; Furthermore, as the health and administrative sectors count for about 20 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), Governments are also major actors in promoting the use of the technology and especially when applying it for simplifying administrative procedures and constraints. Thus, Governments play a leading role as catalysts for change. We at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) believe that we are in a strong position to contribute to ICT for development and provide assistance to Governments in developing national strategies and goals for the Information Society. Further, we can strengthen the application of ICT for development and transition to support improved economic performance in the region as well as capacity building programmes and the integration of all countries into the world economy. The UNECE has a particular responsibility for supporting transitional economies in adopting the bold economic and social reforms needed to bridge the gap, including the digital divide, with the more advanced economies in Europe and North America. The global Information Society is evolving at tremendous speed. Indeed we are in the midst of a revolution that is perhaps of greater significance than the Industrial Revolution. The United Nations World Summit for the Information Society in Geneva in 2003 and in Tunis in 2005 will provide a unique opportunity for all key players to develop a better understanding of this unprecedented type of revolution and to adopt action plans for coordinating their approach to establishing the information society in their individual countries. The UNECE is happy to support the ESEEurope Agenda. We are convinced that this work will provide a substantive contribution to the World Summit for the Information Society (WSIS) 2003. In preparation for the Summit, a Pan European Preparatory Meeting will take place from 7 to 9 November in Bucharest, organized by the Government of Romania. The Meeting will adopt a political Declaration and discuss how strategic action could be undertaken on a region-wide level. In this context it is important that your work is recognized and taken into account in the subsequent follow up. I wish you success with the implementation of your Agenda. Thank
you for your attention. |