Facebook Chief Mark Zuckerberg plans to bring the internet to refugee camps

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg talks to China's president Xi Jinping in recent days. Photo: New York Times

United Nations: Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of Facebook, promoted access to the Internet as "an enabler of human rights" and a "force for peace", as he announced that his company would help the United Nations bring Internet connections to refugee camps.

"It's not all altruism," Mr Zuckerberg said later, in an implicit acknowledgment that drawing new users to his service is also good for Facebook's bottom line. "We all benefit when we are more connected"..

Calling for efforts to ensure Internet access for everyone globally by 2020, Mr Zuckerberg said Internet connections are a dynamic tool for sharing knowledge, creating opportunities, lifting communities out of poverty and promoting peace.

"A 'like' or a post won't stop a tank or a bullet, but when people are connected, we have a chance to build a common global community with a shared understanding," he told at private luncheon with business leaders at the United Nations. "That's a powerful force".

by Somini Sengupta