The Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development (GAID) is an inclusive, cross-sectoral, multi-stakeholder platform promoting the use of information and communication technologies for enhancing the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, notably the reduction of poverty. It was d by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 28 March 2006, and recognized by the Economic and Social Council in decision 2006/251. The Alliance was launched in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 19 June 2006. Since its founding, the Alliance has focused on developing its networks and modalities of functioning, defining its areas of priority, formulating its business plan, building collaborative links and raising awareness.

GAID has acquired strong brand recognition as an innovative and open United Nations initiative, bringing together all key stakeholders around a single networking platform in support of the United Nations development goals. It has secured the partnership of many competent and committed organizations from all stakeholder groups.

It has launched five Flagship Partnership and Advocacy Initiatives – to accelerate connectivity and access for Africa, enhance and scale up the telecentre movement, a Cyber Development Corps based on south-south and triangular cooperation, promote assistive technologies for persons with disabilities and advocate for free Internet accessibility for schools – and a number of Communities of Expertise.

GAID is now positioned to be a key contributor to the achievement of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society, especially by bringing multi-stakeholder input to the Economic and Social Council, and the Commission on Science and Technology for Development. It is also well placed to further the United Nations Development Agenda. A new level of commitment to work towards bringing broadband connectivity into Africa has been expressed by membership of the Alliance.

The work of GAID has to be organized in a fashion that respects the open and non-operational character of GAID itself (in terms of its non-involvement in funding and executing programs on the ground), yet addresses expectations of important stakeholder groups that the Alliance will trigger, in supporting the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, significant action within the four focus areas (education, health care, entrepreneurship, governance) identified at the Kuala Lumpur meeting.

A principal distinguishing feature of the Alliance, and its key value added, will be in providing a multi-stakeholder cross-sectoral platform and forum that will bring together all stakeholders representing relevant constituencies (for example, in governments - development cooperation, foreign policy, finance, social, sectoral (health, education) and regulatory agencies in the private sector - industry and workers associations, producers and consumers of ICT, the media in civil society – NGOs, CSOs, foundations, scientific, academic and ICT communities and individuals providing advocacy and oversight on Information Society issues and implementing programs addressing MDGs).