Opening address
by Mr Nasr Hajji
Secretary of State to the Prime Minister

Mr Prime Minister,
Mr Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union,
Distinguished Delegates,

On behalf of Morocco's telecommunication and new technologies sector, I have the honour and the pleasure to bid you welcome to Morocco, a land that is both Arab and African. Marrakesh, which is proud and honoured to greet you today, is renowned as the city of geographical convergence and historical convergence; and now, thanks to the work of your conference, it will henceforth also be known as the city of technological convergence.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Morocco has had the honour and the privilege to be entrusted by the International Telecommunication Union with the task of organizing the Plenipotentiary Conference that is opening today. The organization of an event of such magnitude reflects the international community's clear recognition of the considerable efforts deployed by our country in recent years in the field of information technologies, efforts which have taken shape in the form of significant advances, particularly in the field of telecommunications.

With globalization asserting itself as an indisputable fact, a new economy is characterizing its emergence. This intangible economy accords a special place to information and knowledge, which are seen as the essential means of accessing an expanding global market. In this intangible economy, information and communication technologies (ICT) play a fundamental role.

Aware as it is of this undeniable new context and of the stakes that are involved in its integration into the global information technologies market, our country has made this sector a national priority.

This commitment was, in April 2001, articulated through the High Recommendations of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, and has since been given concrete form by the Government of Morocco, under the leadership of Prime Minister Abderrahman Youssoufi.

In order to ensure the success of the E-Morocco strategy adopted by our country, we have focused on a global and integrated approach in the fields of telecommunications, information and audiovisual technologies, multimedia and communication as a whole. In this way, we are taking full and optimum advantage of the convergence of information technologies, their synergies and their complementarities within the framework of a strategic vision.

In addition, we have adopted a policy of liberalization, based on a controlled regulatory framework, which has enabled us to make quite extraordinary progress, particularly in the field of mobile telephony, where the number of subscribers has risen exponentially from 150 000 in 1999 to the present figure of over 6 million.

Our strategy is also based on the conviction that what has been valid and conclusive for mobile telephony will be equally so for Internet connections, where appropriate measures will of course have to be taken to provide encouragement and guidance.

Despite the current unfavourable context, which is due to excesses and trends of a non-technological nature, we remain firm in our conviction that it is the new technologies that now represent the fundamental and indisputable driving force underpinning the success of all economic and social activities. In this respect, it is up to the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, through its decisions and resolutions, to send out confident and optimistic messages regarding the future of this sector - a feeling which, I am sure, is thoroughly shared by all.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is in a context of far-reaching technological change that Morocco has the honour to host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference. Following on from Geneva in 1992, Kyoto in 1994 and Minneapolis in 1998, it now falls to Africa and the Arab world, through the invitation issued by Morocco, to organize this important event in Marrakesh.

The Marrakesh Conference will at a crucial juncture in the field of telecommunications and new technologies, serve to crown the work that has been done since Minneapolis in 1998.

With each passing day it becomes increasingly clear that the major changes we are witnessing are due not only to the novelty of the technologies, but also, and above all, to the fact that the coming together and combined impact of new technologies has resulted in the creation of an information and knowledge society that stands in ever sharper contrast to the industrial society.

Under these conditions, it is increasingly obvious that ITU, founded in Paris in 1865, cannot remain on the sidelines of these fundamental changes, for if it does it is liable to see its fields of competence diminishing.

For our part, we consider that the two prime objectives of the new ITU should be to:

• Capitalize on its knowledge, experience and strengths while opening up to new horizons with a view to enabling all inhabitants of the planet to have access to information and communication technologies through a global approach to the information society and economy.
• Take new initiatives aimed at making ITU the global organization at the heart of the information and knowledge society. For this to happen, ITU will have to show itself as being capable of a high degree of adaptability and flexibility.

The broadening of ITU's activities should constitute a shared undertaking for the future and a major challenge in terms of partnership between the public and private sectors, in an association of interests and competencies that will serve to maintain and strengthen the Union's role.

We therefore consider that the Marrakesh Plenipotentiary Conference, the first of the twenty-first century, comes at the right time for the adoption of a strategic approach resolutely directed towards development and integration into the information society.

It is certainly a major opportunity for ITU to adopt relevant resolutions enabling it to become the world's benchmark technical organization in the information and knowledge society.

It is well timed to enable the Arab countries and the African continent to make a direct transition from a developing status to sustainable development through active participation in the information and knowledge society.

The main concern of most ITU Member States is undoubtedly their integration into the information society. In the circumstances, the Marrakesh Plenipotentiary Conference, in defining the Union's strategic outlook for the next four years, will be called upon to give fresh impetus to the new technologies sector. It will also have to do the necessary spadework to ensure that the information society is genuinely global and genuinely accessible to all.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Morocco, through its delegation to the conference, is fully mobilized and will spare no effort, in consultation and with the participation of all the interested parties, to ensure the success of the Marrakesh Plenipotentiary Conference.

In parallel with the work of the conference, we have programmed a number of activities whose success will depend largely on delegates' participation and enthusiasm. These activities, which lie outside the strict framework of the conference and are intended to enrich and diversify the debate, include:

• A Forum, on 28 and 29 September 2002, that will seek to give further impetus to the global debate on the information society, and in particular the "digital divide". Various leaders from the ICT sector, political decision?makers, intellectuals and representatives of civil society are invited to attend the Forum.
• An exhibition area located opposite the Palais des Congrès, equipped and managed by a private company and devoted to the promotional activities of international companies operating in the field of telecommunication and information technologies.

Lastly, we have also planned other activities in order to ensure that your stay with us is a most enjoyable one, and I am fully confident that the enchantment, magic and bewitchment of the location, coupled with the friendliness of the people of Marrakesh, will charm you and leave you with an enduring memory of your stay in this city and with new and lasting friendships, as well as satisfaction at the work accomplished.

I bid all participants in the conference welcome to Morocco and wish you every success in your work.

Ahlan wa sahlan.