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Abu-Ghazaleh to Head High-level Meeting in the Context of the MDGs Summit, Launch New Web Platform to Fight Poverty

Special to TAG-IT News Agency

NEW YORK - Government leaders, CEOs from tech corporations from all continents and senior United Nations officials will start the day right tomorrow with a High-level Meeting at the Millennium Hotel and the launch of an online set of tool to help achieve world anti-poverty goals.

The Millennium Development Goals eNabler responds to demand from developing countries for better-fitting means to implement Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) strategies for development. The infrastructure for the portal is being set up under the direction of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID).

According to GAID Chairman Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, the eNabler will provide users around the world, including governments in developing countries, the resources and tools to accelerate progress on the Millennium Development Goals at the national level in the five years left before the 2015 completion targets. The platform brings together many innovative components - an ICT solutions matrix, a strategic planner, a portal of ICT-for-development portals, simulation and game tools and a Compendium of Excellence. It serves as a one-stop-shop for policy makers, planners, project managers and development practitioners to implement national development strategies and programmes.

To be opened by UN Under-Secretary-General Cheick Sidi Diarra, Special Advisor on Africa, and High Representative for the least developed, landlocked and small island countries, the Meeting will take place in the context of the 20-22 September High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly.

Among the other participants are Suvi Lindn, Minister of Communications of Finland; Ivo Ivanovski, Minister of Information Society of The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology of India, Kamel Morjane, Foreign Minister of Tunisia, Dr. Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the Prime Minister of India on the Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations; Amr M. Moussa, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States; Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization; J?nis K?rkli?, Assistant Director General of Communication and Information of UNESCO; and Dr. Hans Vestberg, Chief Executive Officer and President of Ericsson.

The eNabler received important offers of support from governments and private corporations, academia and civil society at a preparatory meeting at UN headquarters earlier this month.

The Global Alliance for ICT and Development was established in 2006 as a multi-stakeholder platform to put in practice the spirit and vision of the World Summit on the Information Society and promote the use of Information and Communication Technologies to achieve the internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs. It provides all stakeholders a broad forum and a global platform for dialogue and partnership on cross-cutting issues.

Accredited journalists, who wish to attend the 21 September breakfast, 8:00 10:00 am at the Millennium Hotel, should register in advance with Enrica Murmura, 1 212 963 5931, murmura@un.org. Interview opportunities can be arranged.

For more information, please visit http://www.un-gaid.org or contact Franck Kuwonu 1 212 963 8264, kuwonu@un.org, or Tim Wall, 1 212 963 5851, wallt@un.org, of the UN Department of Public Information.