April 29-30 2004

Characteristics of the Conference
A forum where to start a virtuous circle able to re-launch the entire world economy, with benefits for the population of emerging economies and growing market opportunities for rich market companies: this is the INFOPOVERTY WORLD CONFERENCE, the first and most prestigious conference on the digital divide.
The Conference is under the Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic and the Presidency of the Italian Council of Ministers and organized in partnership with the European Parliament, the United Nations Information Center in Rome, the UNESCO Mediterranean Programme, the University of Oklahoma, the Università Cattolica and Politecnico di Milano - involves more than a hundred international institutions.

WHO participates? decision makers from communitarian and governmental institutions, regional and local authorities, content and service providers, International Organizations, UN Agencies, NGOs, financial institutions, corporations, prestigious universities, civil society.

WHAT are the themes discussed? How to fight poverty through new technologies, considered as means to grant sustainable development to emerging economies and widen markets for the ICTs industries. This year the conference will focus on the theme of the revolutionary broadband digital services - both terrestrial and satellite - which give concrete market opportunities to the challenges of globalization.

HOW & WHERE? The Conference will take place in simultaneous sessions connected by videoconference with New York (UN seat), Washington (World Bank) and other locations home to the most important international institutions, at the presence of the most influential protagonists of the digital revolution.

WHY participate? To keep you updates on the most effective applications in the field of sustainable development; to know in advance the breakthrough experimentations in the fields of telemedicine, e-governance,
distant learning, teleconsulting, e-commerce; to participate in the programs and projects developed in the framework of the UN system, the multilateral cooperation, the creation of new tools and polices; to meet the most influential international stakeholders and reap the opportunity Infopoverty gives both to those participating - offering the possibility to start concrete synergies with the operations discussed in the Conference and to those participating as sponsors, granting high and prestigious visibility.

Introduction to the IV Infopoverty World Conference from Mr. Matsuura, Director General of UNESCO