Press release

30 Mar 2010

Beirut

ESCWA Report Highlights Disparities in Information and Communication Technology

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ESCWA shed light in a report it launched Tuesday on the state of the Information Society in the Arab region, emphasizing the great disparities that exist among countries in the region in this sector. Entitled “Regional Profile of the Information Society in Western Asia – 2009”, the report disclosed an increase in literacy in this region, while also noting that half of all Arab women still suffer from illiteracy. The report recommended that Arab countries increase spending on learning, with special focus on lifelong learning, according to Chief of ESCWA ICT Division, Youssef Nusseir and ICT Officer Rami Zaatari. Both UN officials spoke during the launch, and presented the report, its contents and its recommendations. “Most trends in the region call for optimism,” Nusseir said, adding “the performance of ESCWA countries is better now than it was four years ago. The region witnessed a wide spread of ICT, coupled with a decrease in cost and a focus on building this sector.” He noted the increase in reliance on ICT applications and e-services and the greater role of governments and concerned parties in the development of the sector. Nusseir highlighted the disparities among Arab countries in this sector, noting the slight decrease in fixed telephone line subscribers, which is met on the other hand with an increase in mobile lines and internet subscribers. “At the same time, a big gap still separates high-income and low-income countries in broadband internet access,” he said. For his part, Zaatari said in his presentation of the report that the Arab region occupies the third position in terms of ICT cost. “Fixed-lines are the least competitive, and considered more of a national asset in most countries. On the other hand, the mobile services sector is the most dynamic and competitive and has known an impressive growth, with double digit penetration rates in several countries,” Zaatari added. The Regional Profile of the Information Society in Western Asia – 2009 is published by ESCWA as part of follow-up activities to the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). It is a regional report that took stock of national reports issued by member countries on this subject. Both regional and national reports can be accessed through the following link: www.escwa.un.org
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