Our Common Humanity in the Information Age. Principles and Values for Development

Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) 
The Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development 
(GAID), an initiative approved by the United Nations Secretary-General in 2006, was 
launched after comprehensive worldwide consultations with governments, the private 
sector, civil society, the technical and Internet communities and academia.
While the 2005 United Nations Summits emphasized the importance of ICT in achieving 
the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development 
Goals (MDGs), there was a need for a truly global forum that would comprehensively 
address cross-cutting issues related to ICT in development. Recognizing that no single 
actor is capable of achieving the MDGs in isolation, the creation of an open and inclusive 
platform that can broaden the dialogue on innovative ways of harnessing ICT for 
advancing development is crucial.
The Global Alliance is a direct response to this need. With its multi-stakeholder 
approach, the Alliance reaffirms the belief that a people-centered and knowledge-based 
information society is essential for achieving better life for all.

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About the Editor 
Aliye P. Celik is a Senior Advisor at the Global Alliance for ICT and Development and at 
the Institute for Urban Design. As the Chief of ECOSOC and Interorganizational 
Cooperation Branch/DESA, Celik was instrumental in strengthening the United Nations 
through innovative participatory mechanisms to build alliances to influence momentum 
towards addressing some of the world’s most pressing concerns in developing countries 
(2000 to 2005). She started the book series on the High Level segments of ECOSOC, and 
worked on the Ad-Hoc Advisory Groups on Countries Emerging from Conflict.
She joined the United Nations Programme for Human Settlements in 1981 and served the 
organization in various capacities, first in Nairobi (1981-1987), then in New York, as the 
head of the New York office from 1994 to 2000. During her tenure she directed the 
preparations for the Habitat II Conference, which was held in Istanbul, Turkey in 1996. 
As principal researcher in the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey 
(1971-1981), her research was mainly on affordable housing and energy conservation. 
She is the author of many papers, articles and books on the subject of human settlements 
development, affordable housing, energy conservation in buildings and sustainable 
development.
Celik lectures and serves on boards of NGOs. She holds masters degrees in architecture 
from Princeton University and Middle East Technical University (METU), B.Arch. from 
METU and PhD from Istanbul Technical University. Celik is a Fulbright scholar and 
received numerous awards including a Special Citation (1997) and an Award for 
Excellence (1970) from the American Institute of Architects and Woman of Distinction 
from Soroptimists International NYC (2006).

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