New York — The African Union has passed a resolution calling on world leaders to participate in the upcoming global summit convened by the United Nations telecommunications agency to explore ways to utilize information technology to overcome poverty.

The resolution passed by the organization's 53 African nations proposes regional and global partnerships between private, public and civil society to ensure that the developing world has equitable access to information and communication technologies (ICTs), which are key catalysts for social, economic and cultural development.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed Saturday's decision and called upon "leaders from the developed and developing world, private sector and civil society to use the unique opportunity provided by the Summit to forge an action plan that will put technology at the service of human development."

The first part of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), convened by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), will be held in Geneva from 10 to12 December.