8 th Arab Telecom and Internet Forum 24-25 May 2006 Muscat, Oman

1. 8th Arab Telecom and Internet Forum24-25 May 2006Muscat, Oman The Role of the Private Investments in LDC ‘s Development Ebrahim Al-Haddad, ITU Arab Regional Office

2. Topics of Discussion: • WTDC-06 • Outcomes and priorities • Regional Initiatives • The Role of the Private Sector

3. World Telecommunication Development Conference7-15 March 2006Doha, Qatar ‘harnessing the power of information and communication technologies (ICT) to accelerate the pace of development ‘

4. WTDC-06 • Chaired by Dr. Hessa Al Jaber, Secretary General, ICT Qatar • Nearly 1000 participants • 132 Countries • 93 representatives of public and private sector companies • 38 representatives from regional and international organizations

5. WTDC-06 Outcomes • Doha Declaration • ITU-D Strategic Plan • Doha Action Plan • 6 Programmes • 2 Activities • 5 Global Initiatives • 25 Regional Initiatives • Two Study Groups

6. Doha Action Plan (DAP) SIX PROGRAMMES Six-point development strategy to maximize impact, while integrating the WSIS outcomes Prog 2 Inf. & Com. Infrastructure & Tech. Dev. Prog 3 E‑strategies and ICT applications Prog 1 Regulatory Reform Prog 4 Economics and Finance Prog 6 LDCs, SIDS & Emergency Telecom. Prog 5 Human Capacity Building

7. WTDC after WSIS WTDC-06 was 1st Global Development conference after WSIS. DAP takes on several action lines set out by the Summit. Some of these are: -Information and Communication infrastructure development - Public Policy and Regulatory Framework - Capacity Building - e-applications - Spectrum Management

8. Programme 6: LDC DAP recognised the needs for LDCs. The importance of their inclusion in the global framework to meet the objectives of the MDGs. Hence the full support for the continuation of the Special Programme on LDCs. Programme now also to include Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Due to the tragic natural disasters in recent times, the programme has been expanded to cover emergency telecommunications.

9. 1. ICT indicators capacity building 2. Development of a common Arab regulatory framework/guidelines for ICT 3. Arab centre for digital documentation (Memory of the Arab world) 4. Connection of Arab internet networks (National Access Points) 5. Translation and Arabization of ICT terminology Regional Initiatives for the Arab States

10. Regional Initiatives DAP sets out the Nuts and Bolts of Regional Initiatives • Integrating Development activities into long-term projects • These Initiatives spell out the aims and expected results • Meeting the region’s priorities • Attract large-scale investments

11. Role of the Private Sector The Private Sector Membership of the ITU is ~650 entities. 1 The impact of these members is tremendous; 2 Many projects were implemented in partnership with the private sector; 3 Capacity building activities were one of the major fields where the private sector has played a leading role; • The private sector plays an important role in the work of all the ITU sectors; • In recognition of the importance of the private sector, ITU Council welcomes now representatives as observers during its sessions; • The private sector was well recognised during the WTDC-06 in Doha • As we forge ahead with the development plans as well as meeting the UN MDGs, the private sector will be a catalyst in the implementation of the regional initiatives.

12. Role of the Private Sector There are several LDCs in the Arab region (Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Mauritania, Comoros and Djibouti). Of course, we have also Palestine and the Iraq, countries that are not on the list of UN LDCs, but nevertheless are at the level of LDCs. The Private Sector has been and will continue to be a player in the development of the LDCs. Governments have already started to hand over several important parts of the economy to the private sector with the assurance that these entities are capable of achieving the desired goals. The ITU has partnered with the private sector on several projects not just within the Arab region, but all over the world. We have very active interaction on our website (http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/index.asp) where we are seeking and calling for partners to join hands with us in implementing some of these projects. The LDCs need support, not only from the international agencies, but also from the private sector. This is an opportunity we need to utilise and profit from.

13. Role of the Private Sector This is an excellent opportunity for the private sector to contribute to the economies of the LDcs. These green fields could be the scene for the implementation of pilot projects that would lead to the improvement of the lives of people in these countries. The BDT is looking for partners to implement rural pilot projects in various fields such as tele-medicine, tele-education as well as Multi-purpose Community Centres that would provide a sustainable development approach. Capacity building is another mean through which the private sector can contribute. By assisting individuals from LDCs through the provision of training courses, these individuals will be able to contribute to their own societies. There are several examples of the private sector providing scholarships through the ITU for students from LDCs.

14. Let us work together Through this forum, on behalf of the ITU/BDT, we are inviting the private sector to continue working closely with us on ICT Development projects that would lead to “connect the unconnected”. Together, we can make a difference Thank You