Her Excellency Mrs. Leïla Ben Ali opened the 2nd Global Forum on Disability in the Information Society

Address by Mrs Leïla Ben Ali
At the opening of the second International Forum on
≪ Disability and the Information Society ≫

Tunis, 15 November 2005

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

Your Excellency Mr. Hiroshi Kawamura, Coordinator in charge of disability issues, within the Civil Society Commission of the World Summit on the Information Society

Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is indeed a source of great pride to me to chair today, by the Grace of God, the opening session of this second international forum on "Disability and the Information Society"

In the beginning, I wish to extend a warm welcome to Tunisia' s distinguished guests from sisterly and friendly countries, and to express my sincere thanks to the organizations that took the initiative of holding this important event, taking place on the sidelines of the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, as well as to all those who have been involved in the sound preparation of this event.

We consider this meeting a propitious opportunity to deepen reflection and conceive approaches regarding the most efficient ways to ensure the integration of the disabled within the information society and to allow them to benefit from the advantages of the knowledge and communication society, within a context offering equality for all.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The establishment of the knowledge society is part of a civilizational project encompassing noble and profound prospective dimensions, based on a comprehensive vision that takes into consideration the various national, regional and international characteristics, and underscores the importance of preparing individuals and communities to keep pace with the rapid changes witnessed in the world today, and protecting them against all forms of exclusion and marginalization.

In the absence of such a comprehensive approach, which involves universal solidarity dimensions, the gap separating peoples, societies and social categories will be further widened, at all levels, which might result in the potential emergence of new forms of development gaps and disparities among nations and peoples, particularly the digital divide.

Tunisia is convinced that building the knowledge society on solid grounds, establishing an international policy of solidarity, and combating all forms of exclusion and marginalization, constitute the unique choice offered today to developing and emerging countries to accelerate their pace of development.

Intelligence is the wealth most evenly shared among human beings, as the human mind, wherever it is, has the same ability for creation, invention and the assimilation of sciences and knowledge, provided it is offered appropriate conditions and an adequate platform.

Anyone who observes our world today can notice that the majority of poor and developing countries are still confronted with major development difficulties and considerable challenges impeding the wide dissemination of knowledge and access to digital communication networks, a fact that has had negative repercussions on vulnerable categories, particularly disabled people.

To address this situation, it is indispensable to establish an international equitable partnership in terms of knowledge, which accords priority to the human dimension over narrow individual interests, and preserves the rights of all peoples and all social categories to gain access to, and benefit from, knowledge for the achievement of their legitimate aspirations. This is indeed what His Excellency President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has advocated on various regional and international occasions.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Achieving integration within the information and communication society represents a strategic stake falling within Tunisia' s national choices and priorities. Our country is indeed endeavoring to win this stake, as part of a comprehensive approach ensuring complementarity between the political, economic, social and cultural dimensions.

In its endeavor to establish the foundations of knowledge and communication, Tunisia has adopted a policy of reform that consolidates the foundations of democracy, reinforces freedoms, consecrates openness on the outside world, and ensures for our country an outstanding presence within its regional and international environment.

It is on that basis that our country has placed stakes on the human element in the process of establishing the foundations of the knowledge and intelligence society, as part of a modernist approach aimed at mastering sciences, knowledge and technologies, and using them in the service of economic and social development, as well as at consolidating and enriching our country' s security and stability, and its commitment to the values of freedom, democracy and pluralism and to the principles of human rights and rule of law.

The Tunisian development policy has focused on consecrating the principle of justice and equality of opportunities for all social categories and regions in having access to digital communication networks, systems and services. Tunisia' s commitment to guarantee universal access to modern communication means has been materialized through a coherent set of mechanisms and accompanying programs designed to disseminate the digital culture among the various categories of the Tunisian society, and, therefore, to reinforce the opportunities for all Tunisians to achieve active integration within the information society.

To confirm this orientation, Tunisia has endeavored to develop the basic communications infrastructure, thus providing a fundamental platform to disseminate the culture of knowledge and to offer better means for the disabled facilitating their integration within the socio-economic fabric.

These efforts are accompanied by a continuous attention accorded by the social policy of New Era' s Tunisia to this category of citizens, as illustrated through the gains accomplished in their favor in the fields of healthcare, education, vocational rehabilitation and training, and employment. The Orientation Law on the promotion and protection of the disabled, enacted on August 15, 2005, constitutes, in this regard, the best support to these gains and achievements, as well as an adequate framework laying the ground for a new stage offering promising prospects for this category to materialize their ambitions and aspirations for a better future.

No doubt, the components of civil society have a major role to play in materializing the ambitious objectives of this strategic choice, as they constitute an element of support to the effort of development and an active partner sustaining the State' s efforts for the promotion of categories with specific needs.

In this context, the BASMA Association for the Promotion of Employment for the Disabled has, along with numerous similar associations, a major responsibility to assume in consecrating these choices and in making the contribution it is expected to offer in promoting the employment of disabled people and making sure they benefit from the advantages of modern digital technologies.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We cherish great hopes for the success of the proceedings of think-tank workshops concerned with this issue, especially that the question of making sure disabled people benefit from the information and communication technologies is accorded special attention by all the parties concerned.

I wish to take this opportunity to launch a call for further unifying efforts in order to pursue joint action, coordinate positions, and reach the practical solutions that disabled people expect from this World Summit on the Information Society.

To conclude, I again extend a warm welcome to our distinguished guests, wishing them a pleasant stay in green Tunisia, the land of meeting, dialogue, solidarity and tolerance.

Thank you for your attention.