World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Symposium 2014
Closing Ceremony
Wednesday 26 November 2014
Tbilisi, Georgia
Closing Speech
Brahima Sanou
Director,
ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau
Your Excellency Dimitry Kumsishvili, First Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Republic of Georgia
Mr Vakhtang Abashidze, Chairperson of the Georgian Communications Commission
Mr Tengiz Tsekvava, Deputy Executive Director of the National Statistics Office of Georgia
Ministers Deputy- Ministers,
Distinguished participants ladies and Gentlemen.
As the curtains close on the 12th World Telecommunication and ICT Indicators Symposium, I would like to thank you all for coming to what has been, a remarkable event.
I would like to extend my deep appreciation to the Government of Georgia for the exemplary hospitality provided to us. In particular, I would like to thank the Prime Minister and the Vice-Prime Minister for opening this great event.
The event has evolved and it is growing fast. We have more than 250 participants, coming from 79 countries. We have high-level representation. We have Ministers, Deputy and Vice-Ministers, Directors-General, leaders of UN Agencies, private sector and academia.
Ladies and gentlemen:
Over these three days, we have heard from a prominent group of leaders and specialists.
In our conversations we looked beyond "today": we focused on the role of statistics and indicators in the post-2015 development agenda. We are shaping a vision for the future of ICT measurement.
Judging by the overall performance by countries on the ICT Development Index this year, we can only expect even higher performance in the future. For this to happens, we should continue to provide quality and timely indicators.
Another key issue in this year's WTIS is the increasing importance of big data and open data. We explore answers to questions such as what is the role of big data for the future of ICT measurement and how can big data help us improve the monitoring of the Information Society.
We all agreed that big data offers huge opportunities for new ICT indicators for everyone and that big data in fact transforms the way we do things.
I noted a lot of interest on the issue. It is for that reason that I have decided to organize a special event on big data and open data in 2015 to continue the conversation we started here because have to help countries build their capacities in dealing with the opportunities and challenges brought by the data revolution. I hope you will all be there.
Excellences, Ladies and Gentlemen,
At this point, I want to thank the Expert Group on Telecom/ICT Indicators and the Expert Group on ICT Household Indicators for their hard work over the years and in 2014. I invite you to continue this great work.
Before I conclude, I would like to thank all our panelists and moderators for facilitating very interactive and lively discussions and debates. To the participants I say BRAVO! You were always in the room and on time. This is a clear indication of how serious you take this work and this is very encouraging to me as Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau.
Our work here would not have been possible without the excellent services offered by the Host Country. Mr. Kumsishvli and Vakhtang, please convey ur sincere gratitude to the Government people and the people of Georgia and to your staff.
I would like to thank the interpreters and all those who have worked behind the scene to make this Symposium a success.
And special thanks to all the members of my team in Geneva and here in Tbilisi who did a fantastic job.
I would like to thank the government of Japan for its kind offer to host WTIS 2015.
I am sure we will all leave Tbilisi with renewed enthusiasm and commitment.
I wish all of you a safe journey home, and extend my greetings to your families.
See you in Japan in 2015!
I thank you.
