UN appoints Abu-Ghazaleh Chair of UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development

Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh received a letter from the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) HE Sha Zukang inviting him to lead the Alliance, composed of representatives from public, private and civil society sectors as well as international organizations.

"You have played an outstanding leadership role in advancing the objectives of the World Summit on Information Society and in helping to promote and transforming vision for the universal and inclusive information society,"

noted HE Zukang.

In his letter, HE Zukang expressed his appreciation for Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh's strong commitment and important contribution as UNDESA-GAID co-chair over the past three years.

GAID was established by the UN Secretary General in March 2006, to meet the need for an inclusive, multi-stakeholder global forum and platform for policy dialogue and partnership building, to promote the use of ICT for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and to enable and catalyze multi-stakeholder partnerships for action under the GAID umbrella.

Since its inaugural meeting in Kuala Lumpur on 19-20 June 2006, the alliance has achieved good progress. However, a lot remains to be done particularly to address the slow pace progress towards the achievement of Millennium Development Goals in the least developed countries.

The ongoing world economic and financial crisis has added to the difficulties facing the least developed countries.

During this changing time, UNDESA-GAID will focus on key message of how ICTs and innovation can be harnessed to meet key global challengers such as poverty eradication, the financial crisis, climate change, governance and mainstreaming gender within the broader United Nations Development Agenda.