Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on ICT Applications 
18-21 May 2011
Bangkok, Thailand

On the 18 th -20 th May 2011 the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) was held at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand, as a special event for the 67 th Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Commission. One hundred and fifty participants attended the forum, which was co-organized by ESCAP, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology of Thailand (MICT). Participants ranged from government officials, academic and research institutions, international organizations, UN agencies, and the private sector. Topics presented and discussed included e-Government, e-Health, e-Agriculture, e-Education and Mobile Applications… more details

As part of the forum two additional events were held at UNCC: an Exhibition of ICT applications and the Celebration of the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

The Exhibition of ICT Applications which was set up with the help of partners including UN agencies, local government authorities, and private companies, demonstrated the important role ICT plays in bridging the digital divide and offering economic growth opportunities for improved standards of living. It also emphasized the role information, communication and space-based technologies play in disaster risk reduction.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) exhibited the space-based technology application in Disaster Risk Reduction.	A representative from Sentinel Asia explained the cooperation framework among space community, international community, and disaster risk reduction community.

The e-Homeworkers exhibition, a network of homeworkers producing Thai traditional products for marketing on the Internet.	Exhibitors from the Republic of Korea provided the Minister of ICT, Thailand with a brochure outlining new technology on Near Field Communication (NFC) and Mobile Applications.

The 2011 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) was celebrated on the 19 th May 2011. The purpose of the WTISD is to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other ICT can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide. This year the WTISD highlighted the theme of “Better life in rural communities with ICTs”, which emphasized the full potential of ICTs for a more inclusive and sustainable development process, particularly with regards to Asia Pacific's rural population. This event demonstrated the importance of regional cooperation, and the success that UN agencies and other partners have been able to achieve by working together.

Relevant Documents

• Speeches
• Programme and Presentations
• Press Release