GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: General Hamadoun Touré, secretary,  ITU, said: "Global mobile cellular subscribers are likely to reach the 4 billion mark before the end of this year."

Touré was speaking at the high-level event on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in New York, where he also participated in UN Private Sector Forums addressing the global food crisis and the role of technological innovation in meeting the MDGs.

The MDGs were adopted following the United Nations Millennium Declaration by UN Member states in 2000, representing an international commitment to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health. To combat epidemics such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, ensure environmental sustainability and develop a global partnership for development that would include making available the benefits of information and communication technologies. ICTs have been recognised as an important tool to achieve the MDGs.