Dear Sir/Madam,
17 May marks the anniversary of the signature of the
first International Telegraph Convention in 1865 and the
creation of the International Telecommunication Union.
In 1973, this occasion was recognized as World
Telecommunication Day. Following the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS) in 2005 and the 2006 ITU
Plenipotentiary Conference, 17 May was designated as
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.
On 17 May 2010, ITU will celebrate its 145th anniversary. The global celebration of
this landmark event will be held in Shanghai at World
Expo 2010, which runs from 1 May until 31 October.
As the leading specialized agency of the United Nations
for ICT, ITU looks towards its Members to raise
awareness of the role of information and communication
technologies in creating the opportunities for a better
life through long-term, sustainable development, not
least among the most vulnerable sections of our society.
In the urban context, ICTs have increasingly dictated
lifestyles and behaviour patterns and contributed to the
growth of trade and commerce, improved governance and
municipal services, and revolutionized entertainment
through the development of rapid communications, both
mobile and fixed.
At its 2009 session, ITU Council adopted the theme: “Better city, better life with ICTs” to mark World Telecommunication and Information Society Day in 2010.
The WTISD-10 theme is juxtaposed with that of the
Shanghai World Expo, which is dedicated to promoting
“Better Cities, Better Life” and which will showcase a
number of initiatives aimed at achieving greener, safer,
healthier, prosperous, inclusive and well-managed cities
— where over half the world’s population resides.
ICTs provide solutions to many of the problems facing
cities even as they become magnets for migrating
populations as well as contribute to making them more
eco-friendly and economically viable. For many city
dwellers, it is nearly impossible to imagine life
without ICTs. From television to mobile phones and the
Internet, ICTs have reshaped the world, helping billions
of people to live, work and play. ICTs present
innovative ways of managing our cities — smart
buildings, intelligent traffic management, new
efficiencies in energy consumption and waste management,
and not least exchanging information and knowledge and
communicating on the move in an increasingly converged
information society.
While the world’s cities are undoubtedly endowed with
many advantages, the disparities between the haves and
the have nots among urban populations is often a vivid
reminder that the vast majority is left out of the reach
of development. It is ironic that even in densely
populated urban centres countless millions are deprived
of access to the means of communication and information
that are taken for granted by others. Along with this
growing digital divide, the lack of safe drinking water,
sanitation, food, shelter, health care and education are
basic needs that are addressed by the Millennium
Development Goals, which calls for the significant
improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum
dwellers by 2020.
By tapping into the huge potential of ICTs to improve
the lives of people and by providing affordable and
equitable access to information and knowledge to empower
everyone to achieve their aspirations, administrations
can contribute towards meeting the rising expectations
of an ever-growing population in the world’s cities.
Acting as catalysts for a more productive and better
life, ICTs open the door to a myriad solutions that help
achieve harmony among the spatial, social and
environmental aspects of cities and among their
inhabitants.
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which met in Geneva in 2003 and in Tunis in 2005, called upon countries to consider establishing national mechanisms to achieve universal access in both underserved rural and urban areas in order to bridge the digital divide. ITU is committed to connecting the world and to ensure that the benefits of ICT reach the remotest parts of the world, including the dark spots that leave millions unconnected in our teeming cities.
The theme of this year’s WTISD aims to ensure that ICTs will contribute to a better future for the growing populations of urban centres.
During this year’s WTISD, ITU calls upon all stakeholders (policy makers, regulators, operators and industry) to promote the adoption of policies and strategies that will promote ICTs in urban areas to contribute towards a better life in cities. Please see my Call for Action in annex.
We invite you to consider organizing programmes in your
country to mark WTISD 2010 with a focus on the theme:
Better city, better life with ICTs. It
would be useful to involve all sections of society to
formulate awareness and consensus on the issues
underlying the theme. We would appreciate it if you send
us your reports or supporting material, including
photographs and videos to be posted on ITU’s WTISD
website through the online form at
www.itu.int/wtisd/2010/form.
This year, the theme for World Telecommunication and
Information Society Day, “Better city, better life
with ICTs” will influence our work not only on
the Day but throughout the year and in the future as
well.
The global event will be showcased at World Expo 2010 in Shanghai and will be marked by a high-profile ceremony to present the World Telecommunication and Information Society Award to eminent personalities who have contributed to using ICTs in providing a better life in cities. Forums will be organized 15-18 May in Ningbo and Shanghai, China on issues related to ICTs and Urban Development. The WSIS Forum aimed at reviewing the implementation of the Summit objectives will be held in Geneva, 10-14 May 2010.
ITU will
post all promotional WTISD-related material for
downloading at:
www.itu.int/WTISD/2010.
The information and material will help you organize
activities and events on 17 May. In particular, it will
include messages from UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-moon
and from me along with high-resolution files of a poster
in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish
that you are invited to reproduce locally. A neutral
poster will also be available for use with other
languages.
With respect to the theme of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2010, let us resolve to use ICTs to make our cities better and more sustainable and in harmony with the lives of their residents.
I join you
in celebrating the 145th
anniversary of ITU and wish you a very
successful World Telecommunication and Information
Society Day 2010.
Yours faithfully,
(Signed)
Dr Hamadoun
I. Touré
Secretary-General
ANNEX
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2010: Call for
Action
In order to address issues related to a better life in cities, ITU calls
upon Member States to:
·
Promote
sustainable urban policies with ICTs at the national level. Call for
action: ITU Member States and Sector Members are encouraged to
actively participate in ITU events to enhance policies that will promote
smart cities of the future, increase investment and capital flows in
support of such policies, and provide experts and resources in order to
share experiences and best practices for mainstreaming sustainable urban
policies.
·
Support ongoing work
aimed at developing standards that will help facilitate Smart Cities,
such as intelligent transport systems and improved traffic control and
efficiency aimed at reducing carbon emissions, smart grids, and
energy-efficient buildings. In addition, support ITU’s activity in UN
Habitat’s World Urban Campaign. Call for action: ITU Member
States and Sector Members are encouraged to establish global standards
on intelligent traffic systems (ITS), participate in ITU activities by
hosting events, identifying thought leaders in the area and offering
expertise in support of ongoing work.
·
Support ongoing work
on the use of ICTs for Emergency Communications in Public Protection.
Call for action: Invite Member States to promote ITU’s work with
information to develop the ITU international database and themes of
frequency use for Emergency Communications (WRC-07 Resolution 647)
·
Identify priority areas
to utilize ICTs to achieve equitable sustainable urban development for
the benefit of the millions who lack adequate shelter and basic services
in urban areas. Call for action: ITU Member States and Sector
Members are encouraged to partner with ITU, share experiences and
contribute experts and resources to develop practical tools to establish
a framework plan of action.
·
Connect all institutions,
in particular schools, in urban areas.
Schools are community hubs, a place of learning and accessibility. By
connecting schools we connect youth as well as others in the community
to knowledge and information, leading to employment and social and
economic development. Connected schools can serve as a point of service
for underserved groups in the community, including women, persons with
disabilities and aboriginal peoples. Call for action: ITU Member
States, Sector Members and partners are urged to help connect all
schools by 2015:
Make connecting schools a priority or formal requirement in the
disbursement of Universal Service Funds
Include school connectivity requirements directly in Universal Service
Obligations
Allocate radio-frequency spectrum for school connectivity and reduce or
eliminate spectrum fees for schools.
Include school connectivity a condition to obtain operator licenses to
ensure that a given percentage of schools are connected by a specific
date.
Provide incentives for operators to connect schools and to offer
special tariffs for schools, such as reduced Universal Service Funds,
contribution levies and tax breaks