Invitation: Launch of the Information Economy Report 2011 - "Information and communication technologies (ICTs) as an enabler for private sector development"

What: More effective use of ICTs by government programmes to support micro and small enterprises (MSEs) will help accelerate job creation and business growth, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in the Information Economy Report 2011.

In the words of the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, “Although some countries are already taking advantage of the close links between ICTs and private sector development (PSD), much more can be done to make ICTs a powerful force for improving the competitiveness of their private sector.”

The Information Economy Report 2011 reveals that the ICT dimension is frequently absent from PSD strategies, and neither policymakers nor MSE owners in developing countries are harnessing these new possibilities to the fullest.

When: Friday 14 October 2011, 10:30-11.45a.m

Where: UNRIC, Rue de la Loi 155/Wetstraat, 155 Residence Palace, 8th floor (entrance Block C.2, behind the security container)

Who: Torbjörn Fredriksson (*), Chief of the ICT Analysis Section of the Division on Technology and Logistics at UNCTAD, will present the findings of the report.

Jyrki Pulkkinen (**) will comment on the report and testify, with special reference to Aid For Trade and to the importance of including the ICT dimension in the efforts of European countries to strengthen development in developing countries.

The report will be presented in English.

The report is under EMBARGO till 19 October 2011 at 19:00 hours in Brussels)

Contact: To confirm your participation: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

To schedule an interview or for more information:

Jean-Luc Onckelinx, UNRIC, +32 476 215 485

Alexandra Froger, UNRIC, + 32 2 788 84 61 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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(*)Torbjörn Fredriksson is leading the team producing the annual Information Economy Report and is also in charge of UNCTAD’s work related to measuring the information economy. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development, an international, multi-stakeholder initiative to improve the availability and quality of ICT data and indicators, particularly in developing countries.

(**)Jyrki Pulkkinen is senior adviser at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland where he is responsible for development policies related to Information Society, Science, Technology and Innovations. Prior to joining the Ministry he worked as the CEO of GESCI, an UN ICT Taskforce initiated international organization based in Nairobi.