Implementing E-Government

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the State Department. Thank you all for coming.

I would like to thank our colleagues at USAID and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency for co-sponsoring this important event today. I would especially like to express my appreciation to David Gross, our Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy, for organizing this living example of e-government.

My friends, I strongly believe that e-government will propel the next wave of democracy. E-government can harness the power of information and technology to make government more open, more transparent and more accessible to all. In a word, more democratic.

E-government can also help leaders meet the pressing economic, social and health needs of their citizens. In a word, more responsive.

That has been our experience here at the State Department with our own e-government initiatives. But to capture the benefits of e-government, people need access to computers. They must be able to log on to the Internet through reliable, affordable communications networks, and their systems must be secure.

So, as you discuss the virtues of the technology, I hope you will also talk about the policies and regulations that are necessary to bring this technology to your citizens. And I hope that you will also explore the challenges of cybersecurity.

Over the next three days, you will have a wonderful opportunity to share lessons learned and best practices with your colleagues from around the world. I wish you well in your meetings and in your own e-government initiatives.