Q1: Can you describe your country's status and recent achievements in ICT First of all, I would like to extend my deep thanks and appreciation to The Korea IT Times magazine for providing me this opportunity to address its distinguished readers on Tunisia's ICT development and its preparation process to host the second phase of the World Summit on Information Society, next November. Tunisia has embarked, for the past decade, on a vast program to make the most of the prospects offered by the ICTs for the human and economic development of our country. ICT growth was 22% in 2004; more than 4 times the national economic growth. An ambitious and voluntarist strategy for the development of ICTs was established, under the leader ship of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, based on the following main lines: 1- The establishment of the legal and statutory framework to support the development and use of ICTs. 2- The construction of infrastructures for the knowledge economy and the resulting creation of new employment opportunities. 3- The establishment of a capacitybuilding plan consisting essentially in upgrading the system of education and training, and in developing specialized and non-specialized human resources in the field of ICTs. 4- The promotion of the private sector in the ICTs field. Regarding the legal framework, I should mention that since 1999, Tunisia has undertaken a process of ICT legal reforms which provided an advanced and comprehensive legal ICT framework consisting of: - Adoption in 2000 of a law on electronic commerce and electronic exchange with the establishment of a National Agency for Electronic Certification as a basis for digital signature infrastructure, - Promulgation in 2001 of a new telecommunication act and the creation of the National Telecommunications Regulation Authority. Since then, two private operators have been awarded licenses for mobile telephony and for data transmission by VSAT technology. Other projects are in process, namely, awarding a data transmission license and selecting a strategic partner for the incumbent operator Tunisia Telecom , - Legislation on IPR that is fully compliant with WIPO recommendations and TRIPS, - Adoption in 2004 of a law on privacy protection, - Promulgation in 2004 of a law on Computer security and the creation of a National Agency on Computer Security. This legal framework has promoted competition in the telecommunications sector allowing an important development of Tunisian infrastructures: - Fixed line phones: 12% penetration rate in 2004, 24% is expected by 2009, - Mobile phones: 36% penetration rate in 2004, 58% is expected by 2009, Being aware of the key role of the Internet in the process of economic and social development, Tunisia is making an all-out effort to promote access to the Internet for everyone, everywhere. Accordingly, all the institutions of secondary and higher education and of scientific research have been connected to the web. The connection of all basic education schools and all public libraries, which has been underway for the past three years, will be completed by 2006. Moreover, the availability of an average of one computer per classroom at primary and secondary school levels is expected to be achieved by the end of 2009. University and secondary education curricula have been reviewed to include instruction in ICTs and take advantage of the opportunities they provide in the acquisition of knowledge, particularly through the e-learning approach around the concept of virtual schools and universities. Access to the Internet across the territory and for all communities is currently provided, as a first step, through 380 community based public facilities. A new program has been decided for the establishment, by 2009, of a public communal facility in each and every village. We expect to have 5 millions Internet users by 2009, about 50% of the population. Aware of the need to integrate children at an early age into the ICT culture, Tunisia has undertaken, since 1996, a program, for the development of regional public information centres for children and information centres for disabled children. The family also, as the main unit of Tunisian society, has been involved within this plan, through the establishment, since 2001, of a national "family computer" program, which enables low-income families to obtain a computer under easy financing terms, and to have access to the Internet at a symbolic cost. Being a country with limited natural resources, Tunisia has focused its efforts, over the past fifty years, on its human capital and the capacity-building process. Accordingly, investments in education account for nearly 7% of the GDP, and 25% of the population is enrolled in schools and universities. The share of research and development investments in the GDP has more than doubled in five years to attain 1% in 2004. It will represent 1.25% of the GDP in 2009. Through the institution of compulsory schooling for six-year-olds, the percentage of children of that age-group in full-time education has increased to 99,6%. The illiteracy rate in the 10-29 age bracket has been reduced from over 50% in the early 1960s to less than 7% at present. The total number of university students has multiplied by 40 between the 1960s and now. Around 10% of those students are pursuing diploma-and degree- awarding education in ICTs. Q2: Tunisia is preparing itself to host a big ICT event, this November, the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS). Would you tell us what the main agenda and objectives are of this Summit and what your government expects from hosting this event The World Summit on Information Society was the result of a Tunisian proposal to the ITU Plenipotentiary conference in 1998. We are quite pleased and honored with the positive effects of that proposal, since the whole international community has manifested its interest in the convening of the Summit, through the adoption of UN resolution in 2001, calling for the organization of the WSIS in 2 phases. The first one was held in Geneva in December 2003, while the second and decisive phase will take place in Tunisia, from November 16 to 18, 2005. Indeed, the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society in November 2005 will provide a propitious opportunity to establish the basis of a cooperation and partnership strategy in which the whole world is invited to participate. The recommended approach is inclusive of all stakeholders: governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector. The whole concept is permeated with the major concern that nobody should be excluded or marginalized; that everyone should attend and feel involved. Tunisia is keen to contribute to the success of WSIS as regards the optimum material preparation, as well as the Summit process and content. As the WSIS host country, Tunisia will endeavor to make sure the Summit achieves its assigned objectives and solutions. To this end, Tunisia will adopt an approach of consensus building among all stakeholders. One of the challenges of the Tunis Summit consists in consolidating the foundations of cooperation and interaction among the four stakeholders, in such a way as to set a good and successful example for future-oriented international actions aimed in particular at reducing the digital divide worldwide and ensuring a larger access to ICT for everyone. This requires all stakeholders to show a high sense of responsibility, so that each party can play a fundamental role in stimulating this process for the good of all humanity and the international community. Tunisia has always worked to materialize these objectives through its positions and participations in major regional meetings and events. Through its action at the international level, it will spare no effort to further promote the Summit and to prompt the private sector and civil society to effectively participate in it, without any exclusion, and with special attention paid to social categories with disabilities and specific needs. Tunisia is keen also to encourage the participation of all related parties to the Summit especially among the civil society and the private sector. I would like to seize this opportunity to reiterate Tunisia's call and invitation to all ICT stakeholders in Korea to support this process and to actively contribute to its success. Q3: What should be the role of the business community and private sector during this Summit As a host country of the WSIS, Tunisia has committed itself to enhance participation of the private sector in the WSIS, as a major stakeholder along with the other stakeholders. I am glad to report to you that we have registered so far, for the Tunis phase, a very significant and encouraging level of commitment of participation from the business sector from all regions in the world, including Korea. The Tunis Summit will provide indeed a propitious opportunity to all participants to meet and exchange experiences. The ICT4ALL space, which will group together all the sideline events, will be a true opportunity for contact, action, discussion and reflection aimed at making all the concerned parties contribute significantly to reducing the digital divide through new multi-actor partnership projects. To conclude, I would like to underline the fact that the Tunis Summit is a Summit of the international community with all its components, and that its success depends upon the commitment of all stakeholders, their active, their active participation, their contribution to enriching and reaching consensus on the Summit content, and their support to its material preparation through bilateral or multilateral cooperation. That's why, I should reiterate here, the invitation that HE Mr. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the President of Tunisia, has extended during Geneva Summit, to all ICT stakeholders; governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society, to actively participate and contribute to the success of this historical event.