The Ministry of Information Technologies was created to realize the state policy and to regulate market relationships in the sphere of ICT. Together with the World Bank we prepared a new political plan on telecommunications which was approved by the state. Several laws and legal normative documents on creation of a legal base for ICT development and transition to an information society were accepted. The laws “On Telecommunications”, “Post service”, “Digital signatures and documents” and “Electronic commerce” were accepted. Systems of simplified licensing and tariffs of easy regulation were developed. For ICT development in 2005-2008 we adopted the Program. With stage-by-stage principle the Structure of Free Regulation was created. The ICT sector is the most dynamic area in development in Azerbaijan after the energetic one. The increase in the ICT sector in 2004 made 38 %, and for 9 months of 2005 – 35 %. In 2004 about 90 million investments and 120 $ million in 2005 were done. Formation of a new network infrastructure of the post system, the project on post and finances, bank and information services introduced together with the World Bank within the frameworks of the program on poverty reduction are immediately directed to reduce poverty and digital difference in the country. A main digital network with a speed of 10 Gb, covering the whole country is being set up to maintain communication and IT services in country sides, to solve the problem of the “last site” and stable high-quality services on the whole territory of the republic. This work is to be completed in 2007. Our country is located on a crossroad of the East-West and North-South roads of an optical Trance-Asia-Europe Highways which was first in the region attached to a basis of Europe. The Azerbaijani government considers necessary to expand the ICT sphere of application and to realize its role in protection of democratic values of a society and human rights, with projects of E-management in the frameworks of the state program. There are several specialized networks, including actual networks of the State Customs Committee, the Ministries of Finance and Taxes, the State Pension fund, electronic election system and networks on science and education functioning in our country. Tens of state and government WEB-sites have been opened for citizens and businessmen. They are elaborating a bill on an electronic government. We are proud, that Azerbaijan is among the leading countries, initiators putting forward theses on ICT role in human rights protection. Azerbaijan approved this in Declarations accepted by the CoE Cabinet of Ministers in the frameworks of the summit (WGIS).
By the way, Azerbaijan as a sponsor of the summit and an active participant of the managerial committee organized two international exhibitions on ICT within two years between the summits in Geneva and Tunis. The next stage of the World Summit on the Information Society was held on November, 16-18th, 2005 in Tunis. The speech of the president of the country Ilham Aliyev at the summit in Geneva and realization put there tasks proved once more that Azerbaijan is walking to an information society and our country will rise to the level of the countries succeeding in this area in the future. Presidents of 46 countries, vice-presidents, prime-ministers, ministers of other countries, and high ranked officials from 196 countries made reports at this summit. At the summit several parallel events during which they studied ways on formation of an information society were held.
The UN Secretary Kofi Annan, presidents of Switzerland and Tunis, the president of the American company “Intel” and other officials participated in the summit. At the summit a number of important problems were discussed. One of them was on Internet management. The summit adopted two important documents. Our republic was active at the event. The delegation consisting of representatives from the public sector, international organizations, private sector, nongovernmental organizations and 67 employees of mass-media under direction of the Communications and Information Technologies Minister Ali Abbasov represented Azerbaijan. Our delegates differed in activity in more than 100 events. During the summit one day was declared “The Day of Azerbaijan”. It is necessary to note, that Azerbaijan was a member of the managerial committee of the summit in Tunis and sponsored the action.
The projects realized in Azerbaijan with application of new technologies, drew general attention. The delegation at the summit included 64 persons. Among them there were representatives of the state, heads of nongovernmental organizations, and public representatives. Bilateral meetings held within the frameworks of the summit are of a special value. The document on cooperation on Information Technologies signed at the meeting with the representative of the Egyptian Arabian Republic is especially highly estimated. Nongovernmental organizations represented Azerbaijan at the international event as well. The Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan Free Speech Foundation also participated in this important event. Vice-president of the ACSDA Veli Alibeyov and the AFSF expert Teimur Najaf-zadeh represented the NGOs and mass media of the country at the summit. They showed a number of mass media and video clips covering activities of the represented NGOs in Tunis. During the summit dialogues with representatives of NGOs, mass-media, governments and businessmen of many countries took place. We may hope, that this visit will contribute to regulating both internal, and foreign relations. The world Summit on Information Society completed its work.

The Azerbaijan Free Speech Foundation expert
Teimur Najaf-zade