GKP Secretariat to Move to NITC Malaysia

GENEVA, March 23rd 2001. National Information Technology Council (NITC) Malaysia is to host the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) Secretariat from July 1st, 2001. The Secretariat has been hosted by the World Bank since the GKP was established in 1997.

NITC of Malaysia has also been elected to serve as one of the GKP`s nine-member Executive Committee. Prof. Dato Dr. Sharifah Hapsah Shahabudin will represent NITC in the Committee. The term of office is April 1, 2001 to March 3l, 2003. The election results were announced at the Annual Meeting of the Global Knowledge Partnership held in Geneva, Switzerland from 22 to 23 March 2001. The Annual Meeting was hosted by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Dr. Sharifah said, "I am delighted to represent Malaysia on this important Committee. Given Malaysia`s push toward building a knowledge-based society, I feel we are well equipped to share our own experiences with others, and to learn from them."

The GKP is an evolving, informal partnership of public, private and not for profit organizations committed to sharing information, experiences and resources to promote broad access to, and effective use of knowledge and information as tools of sustainable, equitable development. Malaysia hosted the Second Global Knowledge Conference: Building Knowledge Societies (GKII), and the related GKP Annual Meeting 2000, in Kuala Lumpur in March of 2000.

The eight other members elected to the Executive Committee are:

The Government of Switzerland`s SDC, represented by Mr. Walter Fust
The Government of Canada`s Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) represented by Mr. Tony Zeitoun
The Information Technology and Telecom International, Nepal represented by Mr. Manish Kansal
The International Institute for Communication and Development, the Netherlands represented by Ms. Loeki Schaeffers
The International Program for Africa represented by Mr. John Afele
Propoor Infotech Centre, India represented by Mr. Vishal Sethia
Rescue Mission Zambia represented by Mr. Shalala Oliver Sepiso
The World Bank represented by Mr. John Middleton

Mr. Walter Fust, Director General of SDC, will chair the Committee.

Eighty people, representing more than 50 partner organisations from developed and developing countries participated in the meeting and discussed the GKP`s role in promoting knowledge for development and its contribution to the G-8 consultations on the Digital Divide.

Contact: Rinalia Abdul Rahim
Tel: 019 328 4878
For information about the GKP visit www.globalknowledge.org
For information about NITC visit: www.nitc.org.my