In March 2001, the United Nations Economic and Social Council requested the Secretary-General to establish an Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Task Force. This initiative is intended to lend a truly global dimension to the multitude of efforts to bridge the global digital divide, foster digital opportunity and thus firmly put ICT at the service of development for all.

To achieve tangible and sustainable results, action in the area of ICT-for-development must be local, cooperation should be promoted at the sub-regional and regional levels, but the broad agenda should be set globally. The contribution of the United Nations to this effort, via the ICT Task Force, reflects the Organization’s unique strengths –legitimacy, universality, global development reach and experience and presence on the ground, as well as its convening and catalytic roles.

The objective of the Task Force is to "provide overall leadership to the United Nations role in helping to formulate strategies for the development of information and communication technologies and putting those technologies at the service of development and, on the basis of consultations with all stakeholders and Member States, forging a strategic partnership between the United Nations system, private industry and financing trusts and foundations, donors, programme countries and other relevant stakeholders in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions."

The impetus for the ICT Task Force derives from an April 2000 meeting of independent experts from industry, academia, civil society and government, convened by the United Nations. Intergovernmental authorization came in July 2000, in a Ministerial Declaration issued by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The Task Force objectives found further support in the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000 and the ensuing Millennium Declaration.

The Task Force is an innovative mechanism – it is the first body created by a intergovernmental decision of a United Nations in which members, representing governments, civil society (including the private sector, not-for-profit foundations, NGOs and academia) and organizations of the United Nations system have equal decision-making power.

The ICT Task Force will seek to advance the broad, internationally agreed development goals and targets of the United Nations, in particular those set up by the Millennium Declaration. Eradication of poverty and the special needs of the least developed and low-income countries and Africa will constitute the principal focus and benchmark for all activities of the Task Force. The aim of the Task Force is to avoid duplicating other efforts but, rather, serve as a catalyst for enhancing synergies and strengthening the coherence of the common effort. To this end, the Task Force has been collaborating closely with the DOT Force process of the G-8, as well as with other global initiatives such as those launched by the World Economic Forum, GBDE, and others (see Collaborative links).

The Task Force will work to harmonize economic and profit motives of the private sector with the human development oriented goals, in order to ensure sustainable results and the harmonious development of a global network society. The Task Force believes that it can make a tangible difference in such vital areas as promoting education, combating diseases, promoting gender equality and the empowering of women, youth, the disabled and people living in poverty in general. The relevant initiatives of the Secretary General (including, HIV/AIDS, UNITeS, Health InterNetwork, education of the girl-child and youth employment,) should receive an early and tangible impetus from the work of the Task Force. In this respect the Task Force will draw upon the work of the existing UN development and specialized agencies. It should also contribute to the preparations for theWorld Summit on Information Society to be held in 2003 and 2005.

To achieve these goals, the Task Force will build collaborative links with governments, the private sector, non profit organizations, the academic community, multilateral institutions and civil society/NGO community, as well as with other similar initiatives and activities at all levels. The modus operandi of the Task Force is based on decentralization of activities, an open and inclusive approach, and reliance, as much as possible, on existing mechanisms and programmes. The Task Force will not develop operational or implementing capacity but rather seek to build upon existing, emerging and new initiatives and activities and focus on adding value to them by helping to coalesce and scale up these efforts and by facilitating and supporting coordination and collaboration among all stakeholders. The Task Force will facilitate creation of partnership to support specific activities and initiatives through its matchmaking function.

The Task Force will be assisted in developing its strategies and policies by a High-level Panel of Advisers – a group of distinguished individuals with background and experience in ICT for development and related fields.

The Task Force had its first inaugural meeting on 19-20 November 2001 and its second meeting on 3-4 February 2002. At its first meeting, the Task Force adopted its Plan of Action. It also established six Working Groups. These thematic Working Groups are open for participation by non-members of the Task Force. A decision was also made to establish regional nodes of the Task Force, initially in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and for the group of Arab States. An inauguration of a regional node for Europe and Central Asia is planned for April 2002.

Harnessing the potential of the ICT revolution for development for all, for the reduction of poverty, and for the empowerment of those who are currently marginalized, is a monumental challenge. The speed of global technological and economic transformation demands substantive and urgent action on a global scale to transform the digital divide into the digital opportunity for all of humanity.