Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (C) talk with attendees at the World Information Technology Forum in Hanoi

The 2009 World Information Technology Forum kicked off in Hanoi on Wednesday with nearly 1,500 foreign and local experts discussing the role of technology in sustainable development.

The forum, entitled “ICT for sustainable development,” also focuses on the development of e-government, ICT infrastructure, human resources and the application of ICT to agriculture, health care, the environment, education, trade and business.

As a compliment to the event, an ICT exhibition is being held during the forum at the National Conference Center.

Addressing the gathering’s opening ceremony, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said the forum, known as WITFOR 2009, offered participants a chance to discuss policies, share experiences and cooperate on opportunities to jointly develop ICT and apply it to cope with global challenges to sustainable development such as the use of energy and natural resources, climate change, epidemics, hunger, poverty and the economic crisis.

“Through the forum, representatives from participating countries will have the chance to share experiences and accelerate cooperation programs to boost sustainable socio-economic development in each nation,” Dung said.

WITFOR takes place every two years with the stated goal of promoting the use of ICT applications in socio-economic arenas to help countries achieve their United Nations Millennium Development Goals and realize the Action Plan adopted at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

Reported by Truong Son