Asian Nations Aim to Close Digital Divide
By Lee Jin-woo
Staff Reporter
Foreign ministers and other ranking diplomats from 30 Asian nations, including China, Japan and Russia, Tuesday called for closing the widening information gap between the countries.
Later in the day, participants adopted a joint declaration, named ``the Seoul IT Declaration,’’ calling for increased efforts to narrow the digital divide between the rich and poor nations in the region.
The 6th Asia Cooperation Dialogue Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Seoul ended with a declaration urging member countries of the ACD to promote the use of IT through education, training and human resource development, taking into account the specific needs of each country.
``We will support joint IT study and research projects among member countries,’’ the declaration said.
It said ACD member countries would strengthen collaboration in tackling the adverse effects of IT including the use of the Internet for terrorist incitement and recruiting, cyber attacks, online piracy, and Internet addiction to ensure security of the individual, society and state.
``The information gap between the haves and have-nots is more glaring in this age of instant information access and sophisticated communications technology,’’ South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said during the opening ceremony. ``We should not allow this divide to translate into a rift in the economic and social opportunities of our constituents.’’
Han stressed that the government aims to address this divide by dispatching Internet youth volunteer workers overseas and by organizing education programs for IT experts.
``We are also setting up information access centers in developing countries in collaboration with reputable international organizations,’’ he said.
The premier also emphasized that a stable security environment is the precondition for continued economic development in the region.
``The peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue is a key to securing a stable environment in Asia,’’ Han said.
He said the Korean government remains committed to achieving a peaceful resolution of the Feb. 13 accord through the six-party talks framework.
``It’s imperative that the international community continue to pay due attention to positive developments in the six-party talks process,’’ he said.
Following bilateral and three-way talks with his counterparts from ACD member countries on Sunday and Monday, Foreign Minister Song Min-soon also held bilateral talks with foreign ministers from Russia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Russia is also a member of the six-party talks.
The regional forum was first proposed in 2000 by then Thai Rak Thai Party leader Thaksin Sinawatra, who later became prime minister of Thailand. The first ACD was held in 2002.
The ACD is the largest regional forum that addresses a wide range of issues, including environment and security issues, economic cooperation and freer trade among the members.
The forum also includes Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.