 Mr. Chairman, Mr. Secretary General, ministers, respected colleagues, on behalf of the United States of America, I thank the government of the United Arab Emirates for their generosity, their hospitality, and for welcoming us to the beautiful city of Dubai. Mr. Chairman, we wish you the best, and we believe that you will ably guide this conference to establish the work of the ITU telecommunications development sector for the next four years. Mr. Brahim Hasan, thank you for your tireless efforts at the ITU and your dedicated work for the preparation of this conference. Broadband for Sustainable Development is a relevant, timely, and appropriate theme for this WTDC. The futures of our nations are inextricably intertwined, so it is paramount that we work together to move all countries and all people into the digital economy. In a globalized world, we have both a responsibility and an incentive to help each other succeed. The United States is doing our part by supporting policies and actions, public and private, that accelerate the deployment of broadband communication services and applications worldwide. I respectfully request that you read the U.S. contribution on broadband and specifically the annex that details the activities of the United States government and private industry to help close the digital divide. We come to this conference with substantive proposals, united with our friends in the Americas and offered in good faith. We are particularly committed to addressing the needs of people in developing countries and are focused on the following priorities. 1. Increasing access to broadband services 2. Enhancing emergency communications for disaster relief 3. Advancing a culture of cybersecurity and combating spam 4. Addressing the needs of developing countries with respect to conformance and interoperability 5. Emphasizing access to ICTs for persons with disabilities and gender equality and 6. Improving the work of the sector so that more may be achieved. We believe this is an ambitious agenda, but one we can accomplish. These themes are repeated in numerous proposals to this conference from several delegations. With so much in common, I am confident that we can achieve a consensus on outcomes. In the end, the world will judge this conference by the degree to which the Dubai Declaration, the Dubai Action Plan, and our contribution to the draft ITU strategic plan sets the union on a course to meet the needs of people in developing countries. This conference is an important milestone on the path to the 2014 Plenty Potentiary Conference and the world is watching. We must work together in the spirit of cooperation and the spirit of collaboration to deliver results. With your leadership, Mr. Chairman, and the efforts of the distinguished delegates, I am confident that we can achieve a positive outcome. To you, Mr. Chairman, and to all of our colleagues, we extend our very best wishes for a successful conference. Thank you very much.