Policy Statement
Cyprus

Mr. Chairman,
Honorable Ministers,
Distinguished delegates,

First, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus and the Cyprus delegation, let me express our thanks and gratitude to the Government of Mexico for hosting this Plenipotentiary Conference and congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, on your election.
 
The present global economic crisis renders imperative the need for the creation of a dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) constitute the basic tool and an “intelligent investment”, as they help in the creation and maintenance of high paying jobs and economic growth and consequently in the faster exit from the crisis, while at the same time create the foundation for constant future economic growth.
 
We believe that the cornerstone of our policy must be to ensure the uptake of ICT by businesses and households and promote the development of both public and private services. We should also increase investment in human capital. This way, we shall increase productivity, establish an open and competitive digital economy and promote an inclusive society, thus boosting growth and jobs. In our efforts, we must explore ways to seize the opportunities of cloud computing to provide productivity and efficiency gains as well as environmental gains especially for public bodies, small businesses and communities.
 
Mr. Chairman,
 
Broadband accessibility should not be a privilege but a right to every citizen. Concrete steps should be taken to overcome the digital divide by meeting the target of 100% coverage, taking into account the needs of the future for ultra high speed communications. At the same time, we must reduce the prices for Internet access to be affordable to everyone and create a secure flow of information and operation of networks because people will be reluctant to transact over the Internet if they are not confident that what they do is secure. Furthermore, governments need to use ICT in their internal functioning to become more efficient and productive and also to provide services to the citizens and businesses.  
 
To achieve a truly digital society, we must also promote digital literacy and skills as well as the benefits offered by ICT in daily and business activities. In this effort, we need to make sure that nobody is left behind. Particular attention should be paid to the vulnerable groups of society, people with special skills, the elderly, the poor.  
 
ICT can play a key role in achieving the global goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels and to improving energy efficiency by 20 %. ICT offer potential for a structural shift to less resource-intensive products and services, for energy savings in buildings and electricity networks, as well as for more efficient and less energy consuming intelligent transport systems.
 
These challenges are not ahead of us, they are with us and we need to face them urgently. The ITU needs to maintain its leadership in promoting the information society of the 21st century and bridging the digital divide. It needs to lead the way in building a cyber-society that people can trust. Network and information security and data and privacy protection need to be addressed.
 
Mr. Chairman,
 
The Republic of Cyprus could not remain inactive in this digital revolution. We are currently updating our Digital Strategy to achieve the goals set out in the European digital agenda that was announced in May 2010. Our vision is that Information and Communication Technologies become the catalyst to accelerate our economy and create high paying jobs and new creative opportunities. We are developing specific action plans for the promotion and growth of Information Society in the whole of Cyprus, including also under-served regions in order to bridge the digital gap and pave the way for the successful introduction of new innovative services in the whole of Cyprus.
 
Moreover, during the years, we have managed to utilise successfully our strategic location for telecommunication purposes, since we are located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. We have developed an excellent satellite and submarine cable infrastructure, which is not only used to connect the Island with its neighboring countries and the rest of the world, but also to transfer traffic between continents. To further enhance our position we are constantly trying to upgrade and develop this infrastructure, to ensure that coverage and quality are optimized. A robust and reliable telecommunications framework is the key for the development of an international finance, trading and shipping centre.
 
In closing, I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to address this Plenipotentiary Conference. I am confident that the Conference will fulfill its goals and all together take the right policy decisions that will help us shape the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) worldwide, in the years to come.

Thank you Mr. Chairman,

And thank you all for your attention.