14 November 2008
ITU High-Level Meeting Discusses Emerging Trends, Including Climate Change
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14 November 2008: The 63rd Session of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council opened with a High-Level Segment on emerging trends in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector, including climate change and cybersecurity.

The event, which convened in Geneva, Switzerland, from 12-13 November 2008, brought together some 400 participants, 21 ministers, ambassadors, and Heads […]

ITU Council 2008 14 November 2008: The 63rd Session of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) Council opened with a High-Level Segment on
emerging trends in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector,
including climate change and cybersecurity.

The event, which convened in
Geneva, Switzerland, from 12-13 November 2008, brought together some 400
participants, 21 ministers, ambassadors, and Heads of regulatory organizations
and UN agencies. It was addressed by the Presidents of Burkina Faso and Rwanda,
as well as by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon via video message.
Reiterating
that climate change is “the defining challenge of our era,” Ban welcomed the
ITU’s initiatives to make itself climate neutral. He also highlighted ITU’s
work in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and helping developing
countries adapt to the impact of climate change with emergency
telecommunications systems and other resources for disaster relief. Blaise
Compaoré, President of Burkina Faso, added that ICTs provide possibilities to
mitigate the effects of climate change by using energy efficient means. He
called for the transfer of technologies and the adoption of policies and
programmes aimed at helping developing countries, in particular those in
Africa, to reduce the digital divide.
The High-Level Segment concluded with a
declaration by ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré, who underscored the role
the ITU can play in helping reduce GHG emissions, highlighting the development
of technical standards that lower the power requirements of ICT equipment and
services, and new technologies that help reduce the carbon footprint of other
industries. [ITU
Press Release
, 12 November 2008] [ITU Press
Release
, 14 November 2008] [UN
Press Release
] [Statements
Made at the High-Level Segment
]

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