Dear all people in this list and Patcha,
I attended to Asia Regional meeting for WSIS held in Tokyo and came back
home yesterday immediately after the end of the meeting. Then, still our
final document - Asia Pacific Regional Conference on the World Summit on
the Information Society / Civil Society Observations and Response to the
Tokyo Declaration (Final) - has not yet been posted. So, here, I attach it
here. It was revised in considering some comments from some groups like
women's group, Pacific island group and others.
I, as one member of content working group, played a facilitating role for
the production of the document. Again, I appreciate for all those who were
truly committed and energetic to make more constructive and creative
contribution. While on the first day, we started from a few people, around
the end of the meeting, we found that we were surrounded by all civil
society participants there. I really say thank you particularly for Arfa,
Bobby, John and Chuang. Even if Sacha and Al were in different working
group, they had also helped us perceive where we were. Mavic, Ogura,
Lee-in and one lady from Pacific island (I forgot her name. Sorry for
that) also joined in the process of making this document as
representatives from side event groups. And some more others provided
their idea and insights. Thank you again for all of them! And if possible,
as soon as possible, I hope that all of you endorse this document and
invite others to do it.
And here I also express my sincere solidarity mind with our Taiwanese
participants - Chaung and Anthony. Particulary Chaung's contribution in
our content working group was truly great. But due to Chinese delegate's
complain, she should have been changed into Dot Force member. I really
hope that all people's concern and contribution, if they have such a
willingness, could be allowed without any discrimination casued by any
thing including international power politics. This must be realized
particulary in our looking toward our future society - Information
Society. I think that this is all our NGO people's belief.
Regards,
Chun Eung Hwi
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Chun Eung Hwi
General Secretary, PeaceNet | phone: (+82) 2- 2166-2216
Seoul Yangchun P.O.Box 81 | pcs: (+82) 019-259-2667
Seoul, 158-600, Korea | eMail: ehchun@peacenet.or.kr
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Jan 15, 2003
Asia Pacific Regional Conference on the World Summit on the Information
Society
Civil Society Observations and Response to the Tokyo Declaration (Final)
Preamble
Civil society organizations have been fully committed to contributing
to the promotion of information society particularly since the Prep Com I
of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) on
July 1, 2002 in Geneva.
Despite the efforts to integrate different perspectives and views
from every level of the region by most stakeholders throughout the
preparation for WSIS, some government representatives have objected to the
participation of the non governmental organizations in the drafting
committee, which was formed to facilitate the accomplishment of official
output of the Asia Pacific Regional Conference on the WSIS. This is an
indication of their lack of trust towards the civil society and has
undermined the reflection of multiple stakeholders' concerns.
Civil society believes that, however, efficiency, economic growth, and
productivity should not be the only priority of the information society.
Information communication technologies (ICTs), therefore, should be
regarded as merely modern instruments for the pursuit of ultimate goals,
which includes the promotion of sustainable human development, empowerment
of the people and human values. These perspectives have been diminished by
the negotiations in the drafting committee of this regional conference.
To adequately present the points of view of the people, or civil society,
therefore, we the undersigned organizations have proposed this paper to
reflect the grassroots perspectives on the Tokyo Declaration for the
promotion of comprehensive and balanced evolution of the information
society. These voices of civil society are inspired and built upon the
previous outputs of Asian non governmental organizations, which are
respectively The Declaration of the Asian Civil Society Caucus at Prep Com
I in Geneva, The World Summit on the Information Society: an Asian
Response and the Joint Statement from Asia Civil Society Forum
Participants on World Summit on the Information Society.
The Asia Pacific Regional Conference on the WSIS was convened by the
Government of Japan (Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts
and Telecommunications and Ministry of Foreign Affairs) on 13-15, January
2003. The event was held to prepare for the year-end World Summit on the
Information Society in Geneva.
Participants invited to the event include representatives of the
government of 37 countries and territories, 26 international
organizations, 58 private sector entities and 199 non-governmental
organizations. The event was originally designed to provide the forum for
discussion for all stakeholders rather than exclusively governments and
inter-governmental agencies so as to fully incorporate opinions from
various communities, including the grassroots voices in the region to
guarantee full-scale evolution of the information society.
1. Communication rights should be fully recognized as a fundamental
and universal human right to be protected and promoted in the information
society.
2. The participation of civil society in the information society at
all levels should be ensured and sustained, from policy planning to
implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The information society should
be regarded as a collaborative effort of civil society, governments,
private sector and other stakeholders.
3. Fundamental issues, such as poverty, democracy, gender justice,
environment, and the impact of globalization should be taken into account
apart from technological and economic evolution in the development of
information society.
4. Special attention shall be given in the information society to
marginalized groups, such as indigenous peoples, women, people with
disabilities, older people, those who lack access to formal education and
refugees and migrants.
5. In all discussion spaces on gender and ICT policies, the
participation of women should be supported and promoted so as to realize
women's full potential as contributors and beneficiaries in building the
information society
6. Young people, the first Asia-Pacific generation growing up with
the internet, need support in adapting to changes in education, employment
and participation within society. At the same time, especially in our
region, youth are at the forefront of technological development and
adoption-their expertise and energy can assist in bridging the digital
divide.
7. Transparency and accountability of the government should be
enhanced in the formation of the information society.
8. Government must ensure that market competition is fair and that
monopolies are not perpetuated.
9. While government should promote and facilitate infrastructure
building, provide training, and create an enabling environment for ICT to
be accessible for all, it should not be the regulator of information
flow and content.
10. National compulsory projects utilizing ICTs, such as electronic
national ID card initiatives and electronic health care card initiatives,
should be prudently assessed with the consideration of privacy issues and
government surveillance issues before the implementation.
11. Traditional and newer technologies should be used in parallel to
promote equitable access to information at all levels of the information
society.
12. Technological progress based on community needs, with emphasis on
local content to preserve cultural and linguistic diversity, should be
promoted.
13. Privacy and personal security should be ensured in the information
society when promoting ICTs. Values of human rights, democracy and freedom
of expression should never be threatened by any kind of surveillance and
censorship.
14. Community based media should be supported and promoted. People's
equitable and affordable access to information should be assured in the
information society.
15. Civil society acknowledges its role as a major content provider in
the information society. The civil society should also be active in the
promotion of public awareness on the quality of content.
16. In the protection of intellectual property rights, priority should
be given to cultural and human development instead of mere economic
profit. It should not deter the free and balanced flow of ideas and
innovations. Public domains, including open source technologies, should be
promoted by all stakeholders in information society.
17. We recognize that safeguarding the environmental resources is
central to achieving a healthy networked community for all. Life cycle
management in the production flow of ICT related goods must be promoted
and implemented by the global ICT sector. Also, special attention should
be given to people who are living in small islands under the endangered
environment by hazards or global warming.
The following civil society organizations which endorse this document,
hereby request the governments in the region to take into account the
above principles and recommendations in their decisions and implementation
of policies, in relation to information society development.