NEW YORK - Ireland donated a sum of USD1.5m in contribution for a UN initiative that aims to provide thousands of schools and villages in developing countries with IT technologies.
Each of Bertie Ahern, Ireland's Prime Minister and Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General, jointly declared the Irish government's contribution to the United Nations Information and Communications Technologies Task Force (UN ICT TF) during Annan's last visit to Ireland.
The Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI) is headquartered in Dublin, and was established as an acknowledgement to the important role that education plays in the creation of long-term and continuous development, where it works with local partners in developing countries to support the education process, and enable societies from speeding up the process of economic and social development. The initiative has activities in each of Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East.
The UN ICT TF was formed in January 2001 by UN Secretary General Annan with the purpose of determining ways for poor countries to have access to information technologies. The taskforce is headed by H.E. Jose Maria Figueres, former president of Costa Rica, and Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, the Vice President of the taskforce as well as President of the Arab Network, an affiliate of the taskforce.
In Dublin, Mr. Annan said: "If we want to bridge the digital divide, we have to work on bringing modern and effective development tools in the hands those who really need it the most, which is what GeSCI is working to achieve, whereby it has the ability not only to develop the process of education, but build the capacities of individuals, strengthen administrative performance, and open new markets."
"We focus to achieve the millennium goals of development in our efforts," he added. Annan thanked the Irish government for its strong support as well as private sector institutions, local authorities, educational systems and non-governmental organizations for their contributions to the intiative.
Annan also expressed his gratitude on how GeSCI began to establish solid connections with UN agencies, such as partnering with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), whereby such partnership could result in the assistance of thousands of children and youths throughout the developing world to develop their way of life adding that the UNICEF provides the necessary help for the initiative through support, direction and planning.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ahern described the initiative as an interesting and creative method to confront the major challenges of education in the developing countries. He added that Ireland's welcoming of this intiative confirms the importance of education and ICT in achieving social and economic development both on the local and international level.
Mr. Ahern personally expressed his gratitude of the contribution, which will enable the intiative of impacting societies on a level that over crosses the boundaries of a classroom through providing permanent and decisive solutions to most cases around the world.