Maseru — King Letsie III has appealed to the nations that attended the global summit on information society to adopt the digital solidarity agenda to facilitate the mobilisation of resources so that all nations could be included in the emerging information society.

Addressing about 175 heads of delegations in the global summit on an information society held in Geneva - Switzerland, the King said the quest for an information society should be pursued as a global initiative if all people would reap the full benefits that came with the new advent.

"It is my government's submission that the quest for an information society should be pursued as a global initiative if mankind as a whole is to reap the full benefits thereof," the King said.

The king indicated that the information and communication technology (ICT) was ideal in that it had the potential to better the lives of communities that employ it.

He cited examples that the technology allows small nations to compete equally in the global market without geographical locations being a barrier.

He therefore affirmed Lesotho's commitment to this society and that it aligns itself with the global development-oriented information society, that is geared towards the eradication of poverty and hunger.

However, the king acknowledged that the tiny mountain kingdom was at an infancy stage like other developing countries with regard to information and communication technology.

"Lesotho like most developing countries of the world, is still at an infancy stage of the information and communication technology (ICTs)," the king said.

He said the inequalities that exist between the developed and developing countries were still posing a challenge towards achievement of a balanced and comprehensive social and economic development for all.

He said some of the challenges facing the developing countries in implementing the ICTs was the access to support infrastructure such as electricity to reach the rural areas in order to get connected to the new system.

The King further said low skills in the use of ICTs and their awareness posed a greatest challenge, especially among the developing communities.

He therefore called for transfer of skills and overall human resource development, and that the developing nations need to develop and adapt the computer software to their domestic conditions. The king further acknowledge the use of foreign language and computer illiteracy among people who live in the developing communities as a challenges that needed to be dealt with.

The nationals of the world had felt the need to have a summit where they would deliberate on the adoption of the digital solidity agenda three decades ago.

The summit was attended by about 175 heads of states, 4 900 delegations and 660 non-governmental organisations who came up with a plan of action that will be adopted by all countries.

All countries were asked to earmark 0.3 per cent of their Gross National Product (GNP) to support this initiative.