ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré has announced the winners of the 2014 World Telecommunication and Information Society Award. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda; Park Geun-hye, President of the Republic of Korea; and Carlos Slim, Chairman, Grupo Carso and President of the Carlos Slim Foundation have been honoured in recognition of their leadership and dedication towards promoting ICT development and broadband connectivity as a means of achieving sustainable development.
President Kagame is recognized for his leadership in the advancement of education and the potential of ICT as a dynamic industry as well as an enabler for Africa’s socio-economic transformation. He currently serves as Chairman of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Group on UN MDG Advocacy Group.
President Park is the leader of the Republic of Korea, which has consistently topped ITU’s ICT Index for Measuring the Information Society. The Government has unveiled a set of long-term plans that foster creative talent, a move that establishes a new paradigm towards building a vibrant national economy in a digital environment.
Carlos Slim commands a diverse range of business portfolios within the Carso Group, with América Móvil a leading supplier of telecommunications services. He has been committed to the promotion of technologies for development and his philanthropic activities have contributed to social and cultural development ranging from the promotion of arts to support in the areas of education, health, employment generation and community development.
President Kagame and Slim are co-Chairs of the ITU-UNESCO Broadband Commission for Digital Development.
“Broadband infrastructure development is a critical element in ensuring that ICTs are used innovatively as delivery vehicles for health, education, governance, trade and commerce in order to achieve sustainable socio-economic growth,” said ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré. “We need to implement national and domestic policies to accelerate the roll-out of broadband and to make it more affordable and accessible to all citizens; it is an effective way to empower people everywhere with information and knowledge to meet their aspirations and to achieve the overall goals of sustainable development.”
Source: IT News Africa