Phase two of the WSIS Summit opened on Wednesday with more than 16,000 delegates from 176 countries meeting in Tunis to focus on forging strategies to improve the accessibility and affordability of ICT.

Speaking at the summit's opening ceremony, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Yoshio Utsumi warned of the threat of increasing global inequality if access to these powerful tools for economic growth remained predominantly in the hands of the world's richest nations.

The summit was officially opened by Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, president of Tunisia. He stressed the need for more cooperation between all international players to reduce disparities between peoples and ensure a balanced, safe and equitable Information Society.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan focused his attention on the issue of Internet governance and stressed that the UN is striving to protect and strengthen the Internet and to ensure that its benefits are available to all.

The importance of enshrining open access to information was also taken up by Switzerland President Samuel Schmid, who made a plea for freedom of expression and information to be made central themes of this World Summit and beyond.

Other opening speakers included Craig Barrett, chairman of Intel Corporation, Ambassador Janis Karklins, president of the WSIS Tunis phase preparatory process, and Shirin Ebadi, winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize.