MEXICO PROMOTES UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO BROADBAND AS AN ENGINE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

• This morning, the Foreign Secretary attended the seventh meeting of the International Telecommunication Union’s and UNESCO’s Broadband Commission for Digital Development.

• He met with Rwanda President Paul Kagame, acknowledging the progress made in Rwanda during his tenure and expressing his hope that the president would visit Mexico again soon.

Foreign Secretary Jose Antonio Meade participated today in the opening session of the seventh meeting of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and UNESCO. During the inaugural ceremony, he said that Mexico actively promotes the use of information technology to boost economic and social development.

Speaking to Rwanda President Paul Kagame; ITU Secretary General Hamadoun Toure; UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova; the President of the Telmex Foundation, Carlos Slim, and others, the Foreign Secretary said that the complex multilateral structure requires leadership to achieve goals and consensus. Broadband should be made available as part of the basic infrastructure of any modern, competitive economy, in the same manner as ports, airports, roads and power and water services.

In his speech, Foreign Secretary Meade said that Mexico fully shares the goals of the Broadband Commission, which is co-chaired by Mexican entrepreneur Carlos Slim and Rwandan President Paul Kagame. He stressed the importance of universal access to broadband for the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals and in the design of the new post-2015 development agenda, which is currently being drawn up in the United Nations. He emphasized that broadband is a useful tool for accelerating economic and social growth by strengthening the knowledge economy and promoting full enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression and information.

Before participating in the commission’s inauguration, the Foreign Secretary met with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, congratulating him on behalf of the progress made in Rwanda during his tenure.

The Foreign Secretary said that President Enrique Peña Nieto attaches special importance to Mexico’s relations with the African countries, where Rwanda plays a prominent role, and he expressed the hope that President Kagame would make an official visit to Mexico in the near future.