Your Excellency, Mr. Fernando Gutierrez Ortiz, Minister of Science and Technology; Your Excellencies Ministers, and Heads of Delegations, members of the Diplomatic Corps; Mr. Pablo Cob Saborio, Executive Chair, Grupo ICE; Mr. Mario Guillermo Moreno, President of COMCITEL; members of the Permanent Executive Committee of CITEL, Mr. Clovis Baptista, Executive Secretary of CITEL, special guests, ladies and gentlemen; amigas y amigos todos;

En ocasión de la cuarta Asamblea de CITEL me es muy grato regresar a Costa Rica, país por el cual tengo gran aprecio. Agradezco me hayan dado la oportunidad de compartir con ustedes algunos pensamientos sobre un tema del cual existe un potencial magnífico para nuestro Hemisferio.

Hoy gustaría agradecer al gobierno de Costa Rica por su compromiso en esta área. Asimismo, la participación activa de Costa Rica en la OEA es muy importante. Esperamos seguir contando con el apoyo que nos brinda el gobierno y el pueblo costarricense, en particular en el marco de los derechos humanos, la democracia y gobernabilidad, la seguridad hemisférica, y el desarrollo integral.

Una vez más, Señor Ministro; muchísimas gracias. Ahora, permítame continuar en inglés.

I am delighted to have an opportunity to be with you on the occasion of the IV Assembly of CITEL and to share some thoughts on a subject which holds great promise for our Hemisphere. Ladies and gentlemen, we are now a part of the Information Society, indeed the Knowledge Society. Our role is to make sure that the citizens of the region can be active participants and take full advantage of its benefits.

This new age of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) transcends every aspect of our lives. It cuts across nations and politics and transforms all economic and social sectors. The information age has also drastically changed professional and private life on a global scale. You will agree with me that the practice of governance, economic development, security, social and political interaction must adapt to this new environment.

It is widely recognized that access to ICTs has an enabling effect on knowledge creation and dissemination, empowering people and communities, regardless of their physical location and levels of income. These innovative technologies and related applications have begun to drive sustainable economic development and growth. They also promote more effective use of development resources and foster transparency. In the information age, we can no longer see economic development simply as the intermingling of capital, labor, and material. It is increasingly clear that companies and communities, which achieve greater degrees of success are those that recognize and incorporate information, knowledge and technologies as critical ingredients of economic and commercial activity.
The Information century also brings with it new challenges. The most important is that at the same time as utilization of ICTs can be an accelerator for development, it can also, if not correctly planned, widen the gap between “haves” and “have not”. The information age implies change and we have the obligation to promote greater inclusion. We have to develop innovative ways to narrow this gap by using information and communication technologies to promote understanding, increase contacts and to improve the daily lives of the peoples of the Americas. Countries have to invest strategically in promoting technology among those marginalized and those living in remote areas.

The objectives of this Fourth meeting of the Regular Assembly of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission are unique in several ways. Let me briefly refer to the most important ones.

First, the Assembly offers a unique opportunity to evaluate progress being made by participating Member States as well as by the private sector in relation to mandates received by the Commission to help develop the telecommunications infrastructure in the Americas.

Second, armed with this information, you will begin to develop a strategic plan for the future and address the potential of Information and Communication Technologies as a development tool for the Hemisphere based on common positions and shared interests. In particular, the enlightening discussions held earlier today in the Special Sessions of the Assembly will provide valuable input for the work to be done during this week.

Third, you will be laying a foundation for a plan of action to move the discussions from the digital divide to the knowledge society. This means an increased focus on the specifics of implementation, and outlining ways to promote and expand digital opportunities. We must be steadfast in moving from principles to action.

I believe that governments need to encourage universal access. More investments should be directed towards increasing connectivity. The public and private sectors should work in a mutually reinforcing manner to prepare and implement national e-strategies especially regarding education, health, development and governance. We should explore and adopt programs that encourage public access to broadband and Internet services for schools, libraries, healthcare facilities and other community centers.

At the end of the day, however, ICTs are only tools, not ends in themselves. We need to make sure that strong applications and relevant content are provided to all. By promoting information technologies, governments will improve the potential of human capital, foster entrepreneurship and innovation, and create employment opportunities to meet the needs of their people.

The question is how do we organize ourselves to meet these objectives? We can begin by implementing the outcomes of the Summits of the Americas, appealing to all stakeholders to commit themselves, and by translating the shared vision of a connected hemisphere into a practical reality. In particular, the smooth implementation of the Second phase of the Agenda of Connectivity for the Americas is a critical task.

Also, taking into account the convergence of services and the changing environment, we should continuously reassess regulatory regimes, stimulate competition among various technologies and technology providers, and encourage the development and maintenance of transparent, non-discriminatory market policies in order to attract investment.

Fundamental to the creation of a truly inclusive information society is "capacity building" in the use of technologies, with programs jointly created and implemented by governments, the private sector and civil society, and which include continuous updating of the educational actors. This will allow us to optimize the full potential of the tools to which they have been given access and eventually overcome the lack of local content or the scarcity of ICT professionals.

Achieving these goals will require participation from all stakeholders: suppliers should develop innovative solutions which reduce the cost of infrastructure and terminal equipment; operators should aim to provide innovative services at affordable prices; financial institutions must support development efforts and provide cost-effective capital to build up the telecommunication infrastructure and applications; and governments must also ensure fair competitive environments and effective regulatory policies.

The Organization of American States, including the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission is eager to support efforts to tackle these challenges and to provide the forum to bring together valuable partners in generating innovative thinking and creative activities in the field of ICTs and maintain a continued policy dialogue on these issues. The OAS looks forward to working with the full range of interested parties to promote and foster the existence of appropriate telecommunications for development and opportunity for all.

We have common interests and an obligation to ensure appropriate use of information to foster knowledge-based societies. This Assembly offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of the telecommunications infrastructure in this Hemisphere. I call upon Member States and stakeholders to ensure that the peoples of the Americas do not to miss the opportunity to play a leading role in the emerging Innovation Economy.

Thank you very much.