August 21, 2007 -- The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) is delighted to announce that Hon. Min. Butare, Minister of State for Energy and Communications, Rwanda confirms his attendance at the forthcoming 5th Annual Forum 2007, to be held between the 24th & 26th September 2007 at the prestigious Ritz Carlton Resort, Rose Hall, Montego Bay, Jamaica.

The event promises to be the most multinational ICT event ever to be held in the Caribbean, with 30 speakers from 18 nations represented. Therefore, it presents an opportunity to learn and interact with the leading decision makers and thought leaders from around the Commonwealth.

The event is being hosted by the Office of Utilities Regulation, Jamaica and the Director General of the OUR, Mr J.P Morgan, gave this comment:

"Convergence and the development of NGNs mark the single biggest change in national telecommunications sectors since liberalisation and brings with it the potential to significantly impact the development of even the smallest economies.

This sets the stage for what we anticipate will be the most informative CTO Forum and best attended event in the 100 year history of the CTO. I look forward to seeing you this September in the wonderful setting of the Ritz Carlton, in idyllic Montego Bay, Jamaica."

The Hon. Butare will be amongst the following ICT Ministers, heads of regulatory bodies and CEO-level representatives from the Private Sector who have all confirmed their participation:

· Mr Ransford Smith, Deputy Secretary General, Commonwealth

· Hon. Minister Phillip Paulwell, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Science and Technology, Jamaica

· Hon. Minister Dr Jerrol Thompson, Minister of Telecommunications, Science, Technology & Industry, St Vincent and the Grenadines

· Hon Neletha Butterfield, J.P.M.P, the Minister of the Environment, Telecommunications and E-Commerce, Bermuda

· Ms Bernadette Lewis, Secretary General, CTU

· Mr Noor-ud-Din Baqai, Member (Telecom), IT & Telecom Division, Ministry of IT, Government of India

· A senior representative from the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications, Government of Malaysia

· Engr Ernest C Ndukwe, EVC and CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission

· Mr Paris Mashile, Chairperson, ICASA, South Africa

The Forum is the CTO flagship conference, as it precedes the CTO Council Meeting, so a large senior level delegation is guaranteed. One of the past attendees, Martin Springer, Business Analyst from BT Global Services had this to say:

"In an industry as complex as ours, it is important to communicate. Shared learning is invaluable and allows us to understand industry and country/regional constraints, challenges and successes. This forum was an excellent format for that"

By booking onto the event you will gain valuable information from:

• 30 confirmed speakers from around the world.
• 6 hours of scheduled interactive discussion to enhance your conference experience
• 13 hours of informal networking for you to develop your knowledge and contact base
• 18 country perspectives providing you with a huge variety of best practices and insights
• 12 private sector presentations, including from global leaders such as: BT, Nortel, Nokia, Cable & Wireless and Ericsson

For more information please contact:
Marco de Kock; Tel – 0044 208 834 1577, email – m.dekock@cto.int
Or read more about the event at - www.cto.int