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Date
: 06/10/2005
Source: Ministry of Communications
Title: Matsepe-Casaburri: PAMOJA 2005 SADC Disability
Conference
Address by the South African Minister of Communications
honourable, Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, at the PAMOJA 2005 SADC
Disability Conference
Distinguished Guests
Esteemed participants in this PAMOJA
Ladies and Gentlemen:
There is nothing that gives me greater pleasure than participating
in this Pamoja today. You have all come from different parts of the
Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, which is an
indication of your commitment to the important objectives of the
(World Summit on Information Society WSIS). As Minister of
Communications in this country it is my great pleasure to welcome
you all.
You will remember that at the International Telecommunications
Union (ITU) meeting in Minneapolis in 1998 and in Marrakesh in 2002
a resolution was taken, following a proposal by the Government of
Tunisia that a World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) be held.
In 2001, the ITU agreed that the summit be held in two phases. The
first phase was to be held in Geneva, in 2003 and the second was to
be held in Tunis in November 2005. What we are doing today is to
prepare for the summit in November which incidentally, it is just
next month.
WSIS has given member countries an opportunity to explore ways in
which to ensure an inclusive information and knowledge-based
society. The WSIS Declaration of Principles emphasises the
importance and the need for the involvement of both Government and
all stakeholders in the promotion of information and communications
technology (ICTs) for development. It emphasises that we have an
all encompassing and people-centred information society.
In order for us to achieve this, we need to address the needs and
challenges of people with disabilities. We are gathered here today
to do precisely that; in much the same way as we did with the youth
and women in the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)
Youth Conference and the Mutingati for Women.
The WSIS Action Plan states that information and communications
technologies (ICTs) should allow instantaneous access to
information and knowledge by all people including people with
disabilities. People with disabilities face physical obstacles in
accessing public services as well as telecommunications because
they are often not considered during the developmental phase of
these solutions.
Apart from the purely physical obstacles that people with
disabilities face, we need to elaborate a definition of disability
which conforms to the values and principles of human rights.
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