In making the announcement, UN Under-Secretary-General Jose Antonio Ocampo said Craig Barrett “has played a critical leadership role in advancing the objectives of the World Summit on the Information Society and in helping to promote a transforming vision for a universal and inclusive information society.”

Mr. Ocampo cited the new chairman’s “global reputation as a technology ambassador for education and economic development” saying it will help unite governments, international organizations, civil society and business leaders in addressing the role of technology in advancing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).”

Mr. Barrett is a leading advocate for improving education worldwide and a vocal spokesman for the value technology can provide in raising global social and economic standards, according to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), which Mr. Ocampo heads.

It noted also that he was an active participant in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) held last November in Tunis, Tunisia.

The inaugural meeting of the Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 19 and 20 June, DESA said.