ECOSOC Bureau Summit.

In its first-ever meeting at the level of Heads of State and Government, the Bureau of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on 8 September voiced concern that the potential of information technology (IT) for advancing development was not being met. The majority of the world's population still lived in poverty and remained untouched by the IT revolution, according to the Presidents of the Bureau's five member States-K. H. Abdurrahman Wahid of Indonesia, Thomas Klestil of Austria, Petar Stoyanov of Bulgaria, Paul Biya of Cameroon and Miguel Angel Rodriguez Echeverria of Costa Rica.

Stressing that urgent and concerted actions were necessary if the so-called "digital divide" were to be bridged, the Bureau welcomed the Ministerial Declaration adopted by ECOSOC on 7 July 2000 (see UN Chronicle, issue 2, 2000) on the role of information technology in development. Emphasizing that IT could open vast opportunities for economic growth and social development, the Bureau also welcomed the emphasis placed on information technology at the Millennium Summit, and said that the United Nations must play its part in mobilizing the efforts and resources required to achieve this objective.

The issue had recently received wide international attention in various forums, including at the South Summit in Havana in April and the Group of Eight Summit in Okinawa in late July. The challenge was to build on those encouraging developments. President Wahid chaired the high-level ECOSOC session and was joined by Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette and Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Kensaku Hogen also attended.