Remarks by H.E. Mr Mogens Lykketoft, President of the 70th session of the General Assembly, at WSIS negotiations
Distinguished Co-facilitators, Excellencies, Distinguished delegates,
Since its beginning last June, the WSIS review process has been making steady progress.
I would like to commend the co-facilitators and all delegations for your hard work thus far.
Now, however, you are at the most difficult and of course, the most critical point.
This review process has been significant in its own right. But it’s significance also goes far beyond this.
The document you are seeking to reach consensus on is drafted in light of the rapid development of ICTs since WSIS ten years ago.
It will offer guidance for the implementation of the WSIS vision for the next decade and more.
And it will also have an impact on whether ICTs are used to the maximum to help achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – an Agenda that your Heads of State and Government embraced only three months ago.
As in any major process, the outstanding issues at this stage are often sensitive and complex.
But they are solvable.
With enough political will, with patience and ultimately, through compromise, these sticking points can be overcome.
You, the membership, did it in the negotiations of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. You did it in the negotiations of the 2030 Agenda.
And your colleagues are doing it in Paris right now.
I have no doubt that you can do it too and in doing so, sign off on a very successful year for intergovernmental negotiations.
The eyes of the global WSIS community and beyond are on you.
I therefore call on all delegations to continue to work with the co-facilitators in the most constructive spirit, to show flexibility and to conclude these negotiations in a timely manner.
I assure you of my full support.
Thank you.