Abu-Ghazaleh to Tackle ICT for Development, world economic crisis, innovation and GAID mission at ESCWA Conference in Syria

Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman, UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID), will be tackling various topics among which are Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Development, the world economic crisis, innovation and GAID mission

DAMASCUS --- June 16, 2009 --- Under the patronage of the Government of Syria, Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman and CEO of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org), will be delivering the opening statement at the ?Follow-up to the Implementation of the World Summit of Information Society (WSIS) Outcomes in Western Asia? conference to be held June 16-18, 2009 in Damascus.

This event, organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), aims at tracking and revising the implementation of the outcomes of the WSIS, in addition to updating the regional plans of action to build the information society in Western Asia.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman, UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID), will be tackling various topics among which are Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Development, the world economic crisis, innovation and GAID mission.

In addition, Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh will shed light on various initiatives launched by TAG-Org to help humanity such as the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Society (TAG-Knowledge) and TAG-PEDIA, an Arabic monitored content, Wikipedia like and virtual encyclopedia.

During the Conference, the Arab Region Network of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) will be launched.

The conference will review developments in the ICT sector from a regional point of view, namely those concerning the implementation of WSIS outcomes, the Regional Plan of Action (RPoA) for Building the Information Society in Western Asia, and the Arab ICT Strategy.

It will give prominence to such issues as the promotion of the digital Arabic content industry and the online Arabic cultural heritage, as well as the progress and prospects on the Arabic Domain Names.

Participants in the conference include ministers, policy-makers and decision-makers who are directly involved in the implementation of WSIS action lines as well as regional and national plans in Arab countries in general, and particularly in the ESCWA member countries. Experts in ICT policies, applications and services, as well as representatives of the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), regional and international organizations will also attend.

Conferees will discuss issues directly related to the recommendations, resolutions and action lines of the two WSIS phases (Geneva 2003 and Tunis 2005) and of similar national and regional strategies and plans of action. They will also identify new projects for inclusion in the RPoA and in other plans of action, including the updated Arab ICT Strategy. The conference is expected to underline ICT use for regional development and empowering marginalized groups.

ESCWA conference is held in partnership with the two main WSIS coordinators, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Other partners include the League of Arab States (LAS), the Arab ICT Organization (AICTO), the Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics (AITRS), the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID), Cisco, the International Development Research Center (IDRC), Microsoft, the Syrian Computer Society (SCS), and Syrian Telecom (STE), and Talal Abu Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org).