 elected officials of ITU, Excellencies, Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, who are getting from the people and government of Nepal. First of all, let me, on behalf of the government of Nepal, my delegation and on my own, thank the International Telecommunication Union, ITU, and the government of Argentina, for the invitation to this conference. I also take this opportunity to thank you for the warm hospitality and excellent logistics made for this conference. BDT activities of the late three years have been very important and critical in implementing Dubai Action Plan. The output of the study groups is commendable. BDTS work has been very useful for the membership in shaping their policy, legal and regulatory frameworks and creating a conducive market environment. Nepal will always remember ITU's prompts, assistance with emergency communication system during the massive earthquake of April, May, 2015. I also take this opportunity, thank ITU, for assisting us in developing cyber security capacity through the formulation of national awareness. Framework on cyber security and child online protection, national cyber security policy, cyber crime, legislation, and conducting capacity building workshops. Nepal's deployment in the ICT sector was guided mainly by the Dubai Action Plan and ITU Connect 2020 vision that resulted in the formulation and perhaps wish of implementation of national broadband policy and master plan and national ICT policy 2015. Nepal's telegenicity, as of mid-July 2017, stands at 135% and data penetration stands at 61%. We have started massive broadband infrastructure deployment projects both for backbone and access networks and entire population is expected to be covered by broadband access within the next two years. We have also focused on the application size of ICT by implementing government networking and automation, e-government master plan, national e-health strategy, ICT in education master plan, two name a few. Despite immense challenges posed by the topography and frequent natural disasters, we are paving the way for digital Nepal by 2025. We are highly encouraged and inspired by the support we are receiving from ITU and other partners agencies. All of us have accepted ICT broadband as a means and a catalyst for overall deployment and particularly in achieving the sustainable deployment was set by the United Nations. This is the reason ICT particularly broadband has taken a center stage in the deployment agenda of every nation. Mr. Chairman, I would like to bring to the serious attention of the delegates of this conference on the following seven important issues. Firstly, without reinventing the wheel should be able to utilize the huge repository of very valuable knowledge and wisdom that ITU produce. Of course, we can customize this knowledge to suite our one requirement. Secondly, all the commitments we have made to meet the global telecommunication ICT targets through ITU Connect 2020 vision. WSIS action lines and targets Dubai Action Plan ATC and also in other nations, regional and international forum should translate into action. It is my understanding that larger scale initiative will be effective and sustainable, which is led by governments and driven by private sectors. Thirdly, detail divide that manifest in multiple dimension spanning across issues such as accessibility, availability, avoidability is gender culture ATC. Need to be addressed through specifically designed policy and regulatory interventions. Market forces do not work all the times. Fourthly, ICT being cross sectoral in nature. The whole of the government has to be on board in adopting and ICT services and application for achieving the sustainable development goals while ensuring interoperability and optimal use of the resources. Fifth, all of ICT agenda and commitments in national, regional, and international levels should be connected to the development goals to the Gardner international level should be connected to the development goals to Gardner political support in the respective countries and also in the regional and international level. Our experiences tell us that while millennium deployment goals were taken seriously, WSIS targets were not. Sixth, in the case of least deployment countries, landlocked deployment countries, and small island deployment states, the cost of the international internet bandwidth is a serious concern where the old leaders should find some solution to make international internet bandwidth available to these countries in the price it is available in the developed countries. Finally, cyber security is becoming a serious issue. Even in the developing countries, ITU in partnerships with many others agencies to design special programs of capacity building in ensuring cyber security in the developing countries. Mr. Chairman, I have the full confidence that this confidence will be able to draw upon relations from the past and chart a future course of action to ensure that the ICT and broadband be not only a flourishing industry fully supported by the entire ecosystem, but also an agent and means for meeting people's aspirations for sustainable development. Before I close, let me wish you all a successful and meaningful conference. Thank you once again.