As Chairman of the United Nations Group on the Information Society during its inaugural year, it is a great pleasure to address the members of the Group through its web site.

During the WSIS process, World Leaders gathered in Geneva and Tunis to develop a shared the vision of an Information Society, one that is people-centered, inclusive and development-oriented. A society where information and communication technologies serve as a vital tool to promote sustainable development and improve the quality of life.

For this vision to become reality, the Geneva Plan of Action set specific deadlines for connectivity and ICT deployment to be achieved by 2015 and 11 main Action Lines, which list activities to be undertaken with the participation of all stakeholders.

In the framework of WSIS implementation, the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society then assigned UN Agencies a key role to facilitate the realization of these Action Lines. ITU, UNESCO and UNDP were tasked to play a lead role to facilitate the implementation of the Action Lines.

The Tunis Agenda also requested the UN Secretary-General to establish UNGIS under the CEB and this was done in spring 2006.The mandate assigned to UNGIS was ambitious and reflected the expectations of governments that the UN system could work together effectively to implement the ambitious goals set in the WSIS process. The task given to the leading agencies of this Group were challenging.

Since the Tunis Summit, we have accomplished much.

Together with the co-chairs and the UN, ITU has drafted the terms of reference that will guide the group in its work around three pillars: 1) coordination; 2) monitoring; 3) information sharing and communication.

The first meeting of UNGIS, which was held on 14 July 2006 at ITU headquarters, gathered more than 20 UN Agencies and Programmes. The meeting agreed on a number of key initiatives to be undertaken and a work plan.

The group also clarified the links between UNGIS and the other entities involved in WSIS implementation and follow-up. Lastly, the image of UNGIS began to take shape with the creation of its own logo and website.

As I turn-over the Chairmanship of the Group to UNESCO in July, I am pleased that UNGIS is already on the path to make a difference in three key areas:

• Become an efficient communication channel between UN Organizations and Programmes in the way they implement WSIS commitments and mainstream the results of WSIS in their mandate and activities.
• Show its ability to identify cross cutting themes for policy, analytical review and public communication campaigns.
• Contribute to the recognition of the value of information and communication technologies as a central component in national development policies and as an essential element in the global UN development Agenda.

To make further progress will require collaborative action by all members, UN Agencies and Programmes, a willingness to share information and a common belief that we can advance WSIS goals as part of the mandate of our respective organizations.

Now it the time to develop and strengthen the foundation laid down during this first year and to demonstrate how the UN can play a significant role in harnessing the potential of ICTs to contribute to development and human progress.

Hamadoun I. Touré
ITU Secretary-General