The International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Development co-organized by the Turkic Council, the United Nations Development Programme Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS (UNDP-RBEC) started on 27 October 2015 in Istanbul at Conrad Hotel.
The Secretary General of the Turkic Council Ambassador Ramil Hasanov and the UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS addressed the audience at the opening ceremony of the conference.
In his opening speech the Secretary General Hasanov touched upon the significance of the ICT for sustainable development of the developing countries including the Turkic Council Member States. Hasanov also stressed the potential of the ICT might have for delivering public services such as health and education. While technologies play an important role in creating attractive investment climate, telecommunication technologies create enormous opportunities for disadvantageous groups such as women, youth, as well as disabled people.
High-level participants from the Turkic Council Member States as well as other regional states including Moldova and Afghanistan will attend the conference, which will last for two days. After the opening speeches the conference will be consisted of three panel on topics such as role of e-governance in improving lives in developing countries, ICT in rural development and ICT and private sector in development.
After the opening ceremony, at the session devoted to “E-Governance Policies and Implementations from the Countries of the Region”, Elmir Velizadeh, Deputy Minister of Communications and High Technologies, Azerbaijan, Aidai Kurmanova, First Deputy Minister, State Secretary, Ministry of Economy, Kyrgyzstan, Baryalai Hassam, Deputy Minister-Technical, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Afghanistan, Vitalie Ciolac, Deputy Minister of Information Technology and Communications, Moldova, Talat Aydın, Deputy Undersecretary, Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communication, Turkey, • Bek Arpabayev, Deputy Chairman of the Communication, Informatization & Information Committee, Ministry for Investments and Development, Kazakhstan made presentations regarding implementations in their countries. The session was moderated by Rastislav Vrbensky, Manager, UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub.
