Chair Global Industry Council and Vice-Chair of IFIP’s International Professional Practice Partnership (IP3), Stephen Ibaraki, presented at an historic United Nations High Level meeting on the WSIS+10 Sustainability Goals on Thursday 2nd July.
One of a handful of influential leaders invited to take part in the overall review of the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), Mr Ibaraki gave an official speech at the UN and took part in several other interactions.
Building on the extensive work by IP3 to promote professional standards for ICT workers, he discussed key outcomes from the WSIS 2015 Forum held in Geneva last month.
“Given the reach of ICT in our lives, it is important for an ICT professional to be technically strong (in order to use the right technology for the relevant problem), ethically grounded (to ensure that technology is put to the right use), socially conscious (so that the technical solution takes into consideration elements of sustainability) and business savvy (to ensure commercial viability which is required for social prosperity and funding of new developments),” Mr Ibaraki said.
“These are grounded in professionalism much like accounting where ICT professionals’ exhibit demonstrated professional development, adherence to a code of ethics, personal responsibility, public accountability, quality assurance and recognized credentials.”
Mr Ibaraki also referenced a key outcome from the IP3 workshop at the WSIS 2012 Forum: “The common denominator for sustained growth in economic development, GDP, innovation, sustainability and security is a professional workforce supported by internationally accredited industry relevant education, demonstrated skills development, recognized ethical conduct and adherence to proven best practices and standards. This involves the collaboration of business, industry, governments, academia, and professional societies.”
IP3 is preparing a report for the UN, which is due for submission by 31st July 2015.
