The tools of the information revolution are the entry tickets to the global economy. The truth of the statement that Africa will be further marginalized if it does not join the information and communications revolution, and that it will have new opportunities if it does, hits home more and more each day. The information revolution can make us more efficient in meeting basic needs. Leaders of developing countries must take responsibility to ensure that their countries are not left out of the information revolution. On the opportunities side on the balance sheet, the information and communication revolution offers African nations opportunities for meeting many of the challenges it faces.
Women can improve their standard of living by access to information.
The effects of manmade crises as well as natural disasters can be mitigated through early warning information systems. These are only a few of myriad opportunities that African countries can take advantage of to deal with their development problems. Building Africa's Information Society is central to the strategic vision I have elaborated for the Economic Commission for Africa, which I joined as Executive Secretary less than a year ago. I am very pleased to inform you that the ECA Conference of Ministers responsible for economic and social planning and development shares that vision. This framework will be the basis for ECA's programme of work in its focus area of Harnessing Information for Development, and will serve as the basis for the priority area of Informatics under the United Nations System Wide Special Initiative on Africa, where ECA is the lead agency, along with other partners in the United Nations system.