The Commonwealth Secretariat will shortly be launching the Commonwealth Connects Programme.

The programme offers a new network of services, a centre of expertise and resources for finding solutions to bridge the digital divide within the Commonwealth. It also aims at developing ways to share the Commonwealth's vast ICT wealth and expertise to assist those countries that need it most.

The launch will be webstreamed live today at 4pm and will showcase the Commonwealth's new website and its key pilot projects. Speeches from Secretary-General Don McKinnon, Malta's foreign affairs minster Dr Michael Frendo and Naimur Rahman from 'One World South Asia' will also be webstreamed.

The Commonwealth Connects Programme originates as a concerted exercise between the Commonwealth Secretariat and constituent agencies in an effort to mitigate increasing digital fragmentation. It also aims at exploiting the common ICT wealth prevalent in the Commonwealth and enabling the provision of ICT expertise to those countries lagging behind in ICT capacity.

Malta has taken a leading role in meeting these targets. Foreign Minister Michael Frendo was appointed by Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon to head the Steering Committee of the Commonwealth Connects Programme, set up in line with the decision of Heads of State and Government at CHOGM last November.

As stated in the 'Malta Declaration on Networking the Commonwealth for Development', the Commonwealth views ICTs as powerful instruments of development rather than ends in themselves.

Interested viewers of the Commonwealth Connect Launch can click on http://www.axisto.com/webcasting/investor-relations /commonwealthconnects -030806/index.htm to register for the live webstream.