On the occasion of the first DSF Foundation Board, H.E. the Ambassador Sha Zukang announced China’s participation to the Fund, in an effort to bridge the digital divide

On 20 March 2006, the global Digital Solidarity Fund held its first Foundation Board meeting in Geneva, in the presence of representatives of the founding members. The DSF President Guy-Olivier Segond, presented a positive overview of the first sixteen months of activity (from 6 September 2004 to 31 December 2005). He recalled that during this period the DSF focussed its efforts on the effective establishment of the Fund (statutes, administrative organization, personnel, premises, visual identity, etc.), the definition of its financial mechanism («one percent digital solidarity contribution») and of its principle of intervention.

Furthermore, the DSF has received wide political support from the international community, and has concluded cooperation agreements with several existing institutions. The President of the DSF reported that the contributions of its founding members have permitted the Fund to take its first major step in the financing of eight pilot projects in Africa (telemedicine and tele-education) and in Asia (governance tools).

The People’s Republic of China participated at this Foundation Board meeting as a founding member. Ambassador to Geneva, H.E. Sha Zukang expressed his satisfaction on this first meeting of the Board: «The Fund is an important outcome of the World Summit on Information Society. It gives me great pleasure to have the opportunity to work for the development of the Fund as an effort to bridge the global digital divide.»

H.E. Sha Zukang declared that the Chinese Government fully supported the efforts undertaken by the developing countries to reduce the digital divide. «Since the inception of the initiative during the process of WSIS, China has been fully supportive of the establishment of the Fund. The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the Fund and is positively considering to contribute financially to it. We are willing to work with the international community to narrow the digital divide and build the Information Society for all».