Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
A very good afternoon.

It is indeed a pleasure and honour for me to join all of you here in Seoul for the third edition of the Conference on Cyberspace.  
I wish to firstly thank the Republic of Korea for coming up with the pertinent themes and for the excellent arrangements in hosting this event. 
May I also commend the United Kingdom and Hungary, as previous hosts, for having spearheaded dialogue and greater interaction among policy-makers and practitioners on the ever-expanding role of cyberspace in national and global development.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
In this day and age, many of us cannot imagine life without access to information and communications technology or ICT. 
Digital technology and the internet have brought about profound changes to the political, economic and social development of nations and more importantly to the daily lives of us individuals.

We have seen for instance how social media has connected like-minded people as never before. It is a powerful tool in creating greater awareness of information, rights and freedoms which can lead to political and social changes beyond imagination. A recent phenomenon which comes to mind is the Arab Spring.

However, despite the great advances in digital technology the disparity in development still exists, and to me, seems to have widened.  
Let us recall that our Leaders at the turn of this century came up with the Millennium Development Goals or MDGs precisely to close the development gaps. The MDG targets are supposed to lift our peoples out of poverty and for them to enjoy decent living.
However, with less than 855 days away from the target date of MDGs, we still have a long way to go in achieving the goals. Much of this seemingly widening development gap stems from the prevailing digital divide. 

Ladies and Gentlemen,
History has proven that development is very much based on innovation and technology.
As we gear up for the post-2015 development agenda, bridging the digital divide remains a huge challenge and should therefore be a top priority. For no one should be left behind.
We must carry on with efforts to achieve the unmet MDG targets while moving towards sustainability through both domestic and international cooperation.
And the most effective way to do so is for us to stay connected through open and secure cyberspace.
Sharing of ideas through digital technology therefore can be a game-changer for national development.  
Today, however, the question is not so much about how to provide people with access to digital technology. It is more about how people derive benefits from access to digital information.
The ability to meaningfully use and apply the digital contents will help spur economic growth and sustainable development. For Thailand, we are building resources both in terms of access to technology and developing useful electronic contents.
We are constantly upgrading telecom services, including providing the latest generation mobile data, greater availability of wireless access points and affordable smart devices. My government is committed to expanding public WiFi services and broadband internet coverage in order to help bridge the digital divide, and to prepare ourselves for the emerging ASEAN Community in 2015.
We place special emphasis on capacity-building projects, particularly human resources development at the grassroots level.  For example, Thailand is focusing on ICT development at the basic education level by promoting the “One Tablet Per Child” project in order to support universal access to information and greater empowerment for the younger generations.
Our priorities also include the development of ICT for disaster management; public health or e-health; and the empowerment of women, children, the elderly and the underprivileged.More importantly, Thailand believes that equal access to digital contents will create a truly knowledge-based society. And equipped with the knowledge to effectively use the digital information, the users can help stimulate innovation, enhance productivity and generate employment, particularly for SMEs. These socio-economic opportunities will contribute to the inclusive growth and sustainable development that we all seek.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Although the internet and ICT development offer tremendous benefits, we must also be aware of the dangers and security implications of the ever-increasing use of cyberspace.
We can ill-afford security risks to this global meeting place of the minds.
Thailand looks at cybercrime as a transnational threat in the same vein as trafficking in persons and narcotic drugs. In promoting an open and secure cyberspace, we must do our utmost to stop online vice and criminality.
Not only does it lead to huge economic costs but also damaging human costs. Oftentimes, the potential victims are ordinary internet users who are lured by criminals such as online scammers, sexual predators and identity thieves. More often than not, they target victims beyond borders. International cooperation is therefore essential in securing cyberspace.
We support regional initiatives and frameworks to combat cyber threats, whether in the context of ASEAN, APEC or other forums.  Thailand pledges our full cooperation with the international community in this effort.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Before closing, I would like to inform you that Thailand together with the International Telecommunication Union will co-host the Connect Asia-Pacific Summit on 18 November in Bangkok. 
This will be an important opportunity for leaders of countries in the Asia-Pacific region to foster a shared vision and strategy for creating an inclusive information society in line with the objectives of the World Summit on the Information Society.  The Connect Asia-Pacific Summit will be held back-to-back with the ITU Telecom World 2013, which is a world class exhibition showcasing the latest ICT advances.
In closing, I wish to reiterate Thailand’s commitment to the joint efforts in bridging the digital divide for our mutual benefit and global prosperity. The more we share in ideas and experiences, the wider the benefits for our peoples’ well-being.

Thank you very much.