THE SECRETARY-GENERAL MESSAGE TO 17TH CONFERENCE FOR INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

I am pleased to send greetings to the 17th Exhibition and Conference for International Telecommunications and Information Technologies in Azerbaijan.

As a bridge between governments and companies, and a platform for introducing and developing the latest technologies, Bakutel offers an opportunity for the telecommunication sector to expand and strengthen its role in efforts to achieve sustainable development. I encourage governments and business to focus on generating new proposals for the use of ICT for development.

As the world prepares for next year’s crucially important Rio + 20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, innovative ideas for “green” technologies are especially timely and important.

The United Nations system, for its part, continues to work with governments and other stakeholders to develop the ICT sector in the region.

Advances can contribute greatly to our intensified efforts to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals as we approach the internationally agreed deadline of by 2015, and as we begin to think about the post-2015 development agenda.

I commend the organizers and participants for their efforts to achieve our common development objectives. Please accept my best wishes for a productive exhibition and conference.

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