On the Digital Divide

CNET Networks, Inc.
5 November 2002

    ON THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

    By Kofi Annan

    The new information and communications technologies are among the driving
forces of globalization. They are bringing people together, and bringing
decision-makers unprecedented new tools for development. At the same time,
however, the gap between information "haves" and "have-nots" is widening, and
there is a real danger that the world's poor will be excluded from the
emerging knowledge-based global economy.

    Information and communications technologiesis extremely cost-effective
compared to other forms of capital. Modest yet key investments in basic
education and access can achieve remarkable results. Estonia and Costa Rica
are well known examples of how successful ICT strategies can help to
accelerate growth and raise income levels. But even some of the least
developed countries, such as Mali and Bangladesh, have shown how determined
leadership and innovative approaches can, with international support, connect
remote and rural areas with the Internet and mobile telephony. Public
telecentres have been established in places as diverse as Egypt, Kazakhstan
and Peru. Indeed, information technologies can give developing countries the
chance to leapfrog some of the long and painful stages of development that
other countries have had to go through.

    But bridging the digital divide is not going to be easy. Too often, state
monopolies charge exorbitant prices for the use of bandwidths. Governments
need to do much more to create the effective institutions and supportive
regulatory frameworks that will attract foreign investment; more generally,
they must also review their policies and arrangements to make sure they are
not denying their people the opportunities offered by the digital revolution.
We need to think of ways to bring wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) applications to
the developing world, so as to make use of unlicensed radio spectrum to
deliver cheap and fast Internet access. We need to explore the possibility of
creating an open international university. Surely, experts can think of many
more ideas along these lines.

    The United Nations is working hard to enlist this power in the cause of
economic and social development. A Health InterNetwork
(www.healthinternetwork.net) spearheaded by the World Health Organization is
creating on-line sites in hospitals, clinics and public health facilities in
the developing world to bring high-quality information within reach and to
facilitate communication in the public health community. The United Nations
Information Technology Service (www.unites.org), a global consortium of
volunteer corps coordinated by the UN Volunteers programme, is training people
in developing countries in the uses and opportunities of information technology.

    As promising and invaluable as they are, such efforts - and others
involving trade promotion, disaster response and education - merely scratch
the surface of what is possible. If all countries are to benefit, we need more
and better strategic public-private partnerships. That is one of the primary
functions of the United Nations Information and Communication Technologies
Task Force, which brings together CEOs, government officials, non-governmental
organizations, technical experts and other information industry leaders. And
if all countries are to benefit, we must define an inclusive, long-term vision
and approach for the future. That is one of the main reasons why the United
Nations General Assembly decided to hold, under the leadership of the
International Telecommunication Union, a "World Summit on the Information
Society", in two parts: first in December 2003 in Geneva, and two years later
in Tunis.

    That Summit would benefit greatly from the active involvement of Silicon
Valley decision-makers. I know a number of Silicon Valley enterprises already
are supporting social causes or eagerly looking to do so. But those activities
are focused primarily on the United States. I hope the industry will broaden
its horizon and bring more of its remarkable dynamism and innovation to the
developing world. Governments themselves are acknowledging that they cannot
successfully pursue development on their own. Thus there is unprecedented
scope for public-private partnerships that match real investment opportunities
with the real needs of the poor, and I hope that the Silicon Valley community
rises to this challenge. Even small initiatives can make an enormous difference.

    In September 2000, the Member States of the United Nations adopted a
Millennium Declaration - a landmark document for a new century that reflects
the aspirations and concerns of all peoples, sets specific targets for
reducing poverty, and calls for concerted action to fight injustice and
inequality and to protect our common heritage, the earth, for future
generations. Among the commitments they made was to "ensure that the benefits
of new technologies, especially information and communication technologies,
are available to all ". Information and communications technologiesis not a
magic formula that is going to solve all our problems. But it is a powerful
force that can and must be harnessed to our global mission of peace and
development. This is a matter of both ethics and economics; over the long
term, the new economy can only be productive and sustainable if it spreads
world-wide and responds to the needs and demands of all people. I urge
everyone in a position to make a difference to add his or her energies to this
effort.

    Kofi A. Annan is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.