Dear all Echoing Chantal's and Adam's suspicions earlier , word going around
the various lists is PrepCom1 President Samassekou's "non-paper" may be an
reference document for the declaration/action plan. Therefore any engagement
CSOs will have may also have to be in relation to this.
For everyone's convenience, am attaching the .doc file of this non-paper,
and copying it in text below.
Can people then start reflecting on this and sending email on this thread
that may outline:
1. General reaction to the paper; other "global" comments
2. "Problematic" sections: i.e., what you think is inappropriate,
irrelevant, etc.
3. Suggested revisions/additions (together with the concrete
language/formulation please!)
4. Organizational suggestions: concretely, is it ok for those going to
PrepCom2 to work on your suggestions and try to synthesize them and submit
the document to the appropriate bodies (within the CS global coordinating
structures + the organizers)?
In addition, may I request VOLUNTEERS from this list to do the necessary
synthesis/collation work next week. (This is an appeal from a traveler to
Geneva--me--who still has to do the dirty work before I can leave, i.e.,
visas, logistics, accreditation/registration + all the work here that will
have to be rushed so my absence to attend PrepCom2 doesn't affect it that
much. So I am appealing to those NOT travelling to do this support work for
us who are!....(CONTENT group??? :-)
We have barely a week before people start travelling to Geneva so can your
comments come in on or before Monday (Feb. 10) so whatever synthesis can be
done can be posted on this list a couple of days after, so a quick
validation process is accomplished by Thursday/Friday next week.
===================
30 January 2003
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION FOR ALL
submitted by the President of the WSIS Preparatory Committee
Explanatory Note
The purpose of this note is to explain briefly, for the benefit of
participants in PrepCom-2, the origin and purpose of the attached document
entitled Information and Communication for All.
With the support and guidance of the WSIS Bureau, and with the very able
assistance of the Swiss and Executive Secretariats, the President of the
Preparatory Committee convened a meeting of a Group of Experts in December.
This group helped the President draft an informal document intended to
assist PrepCom-2 in its initial discussions of a draft Declaration and
Action Plan.
The members of the Group of Experts were all chosen and invited to the
meeting by the President of the PrepCom. They were chosen on the basis of
their know-how in the field of the information society, and in a balanced
geographical manner. They attended the meeting in their personal capacity,
and not as representatives of their country, region or employer.
The attached document represents the outcome of the Group of Experts
meeting. This document was prepared under the authority and guidance of the
President, on the basis of the results of the September Informal Meeting of
the Sub-committee 2, and the contributions sent to the Executive
Secretariat. It is a "work in progress paper" which will be enriched by the
results of all the WSIS Regional Conferences. It is presented to PrepCom-2
as a non-paper, without any formal status, to facilitate the discussions in
PrepCom-2 pertaining to a draft Declaration and Action Plan.
Adama SamassñÌou
President, WSIS Preparatory Committee
----------------------------
Proposal of an Orientation Document for PrepCom-2
(A non-paper intended to facilitate and assist PrepCom-2 in its initial
discussions of a draft Declaration and Action Plan
submitted by the President of the Preparatory Committee)
Information and Communication for All
An inclusive global information society is one where all persons, without
distinction, are empowered freely to create, receive, share and utilize
information and knowledge for their economic, social, cultural and political
development.
The World Summit on the Information Society offers an historic opportunity
to realize this vision.
By harnessing the potential of information and communication technologies,
in all areas of human life, we can now provide new and better responses to
vital and longstanding issues, such as in poverty reduction and wealth
creation, as well as equity and social justice.
Knowledge has always been at the core of human progress and endeavour. Yet
now, as never before, our individual and collective ability to create and
share knowledge has become the driving force in shaping all our futures.
Today, the dramatic increase in the volume, speed and ubiquity of
information flows that has been made possible through new information and
communications technologies has already brought about profound changes in
the demands and expectations upon government, business, civil society and
the individual.
Meanwhile the information and communication revolution is still in its
infancy.
Faced with complex and ever-evolving challenges, all stakeholders have
critical choices to make. New forms of solidarity and cooperation, new modes
of social and economic organization and new ways of thinking are called for.
In order to translate the rhetoric of the information and communication
revolution into equitable growth and sustainable development on a global
scale, and to realize the potential of ICTs to empower people, all
stakeholders need to embrace fully new roles and responsibilities.
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) should be regarded as a
tool and not as an end in themselves.
In all parts of the world remarkable success has been witnessed in using
information and knowledge for individual and collective development. The
Summit provides a platform to allow the dissemination and replication of
such success stories and best practices. In so doing it will contribute to
reducing disparities, including those of the "digital divide".
To take advantage of the unprecedented win-win situation that an information
society can yield, concrete action and global commitment are now required.
Key principles
1.
Enormous benefits can be derived from ICTs as a tool for development. This
will require the mainstreaming of information and knowledge concerns within
the broad range of societal goals, with focus on development policy, as well
as sectoral and cross-sectoral policies. The Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), approved by the United Nations Millennium Assembly, provide a
powerful methodological and political framework for using ICTs to achieve
this.
The Summit should promote adoption of the following principles at all levels
(global, regional, national, local/individual), and mobilize support from
all relevant stakeholders to attain consensus and solidarity in an open and
inclusive global information society.
1. Access to information and free flow of information are fundamental human
rights.
2. Information and communication technologies are central to the creation of
the global information society and play an important role in fighting
poverty and inequality at the global level; to effectively bridge the
digital divide possibilities must be identified and pursued to make digital
opportunities available to all and to promote universal access at an
affordable cost.
3. Reaping the full benefits of the information society requires an enabling
and transparent environment, including policy, legal and regulatory
frameworks.
4. In the rapidly changing environment, which characterizes the information
society, human resources development is a continuous and fundamental
requirement; education and training, the fostering of science, technology
and innovation deserves adequate support.
5. Cultural and linguistic diversity are hallmarks of a successful
information society; creativity in the creation, processing, dissemination
and conservation of local content, can best be stimulated and supported
through an adequate balance between intellectual property rights and the
needs of the users of information.
6. Civil Society, enterprises and entrepreneurship have key roles to play in
applying the power of information and knowledge to sustainable economic,
social and cultural development.
7. The information society should contribute to a better life for all
citizens. One way of doing this is through the use of ICTs in the promotion
of democracy, transparency, accountability and good governance.
8. Multi-stakeholder participation in national, regional and global
partnerships is a key ingredient in achieving the goals of the information
society.
9. Empowerment and inclusion are fundamental characteristics and objectives
of the information society. Young people and women in particular should be
recognized and empowered as driving forces in building such a society.
Special focus should also be devoted to disadvantaged and marginalized
groups. Connectivity is a critical enabling agent in building a global
information society in which all citizens can participate on an equal
footing.
10. Confidence and security are essential to the full functioning of the
information society. Guarantees must be provided to users of communication
and information networks and the media including protection of privacy and
confidentiality.
Action Lines
These principles can be translated into concrete actions by promoting usage
of ICT based products, networks, services and applications in order to
create measurable impact on societal development, notably in the achievement
of the MDGs. This requires the establishment of an enabling environment to
allow the participation of all stakeholders in triggering creativity and
attracting investment at all levels of the information society.
1. Mainstreaming information and communication technology into development:
the MDGs can be achieved more quickly by harnessing the full potential of
information and communication technologies. The principal action areas
include:
? ICT enhanced learning (including e-learning);
? E-Health;
? E-Government;
? E-business;
? ICTs for disaster recovery;
? Other sectors (agriculture, population, natural environment, weather
etc.).
2. Promoting cultural and linguistic diversity, local content and media
development: cultural diversity is a prerequisite for sustainable
development. Local content in a variety of languages disseminated through
the media is indispensable in achieving sustainable development.
? Promoting cultural and linguistic diversity in the use of ICTs throughout
the world.
? Encouraging, promoting and maintaining cultural and linguistic diversity
over communications networks, in particular the Internet.
? Ensuring the creation, diffusion and preservation of substantive material
in various languages presently in use.
? Preserving cultural heritage.
? Developing capacity for creative quality content.
? Ensuring the development of substantive content in communication networks
relevant to local needs and user requirements.
? Ensuring the preservation and use of traditional and indigenous knowledge.
? Promoting exchange of local content for better understanding.
? Promoting innovative integration of different media for delivery of
information services, including interactive mode.
? Working with the media in order to popularise the use of ICT.
3. Building human capacity: it is important to develop comprehensive and
forward-looking capacity building strategies, which would enable people to
acquire the skills necessary to benefit from the potential of the
information society.
? Strengthening human, institutional and organizational capacity through
human resources management and development.
? Enabling more people to benefit from ICTs, through education, training and
institutional capacity building.
? Promoting both formal and non-formal ICTs skills development programmes.
? Building capacity for training of specialists in ICTs.
? Creating local ICT training centres in cooperation with all stakeholders.
? Developing capacity for research and development of ICTs including
products and services.
? Creating and strengthening electronic networks to enable scientists to
share knowledge more widely.
? Launching wide popularization campaigns on the benefits of ICTs for
sustainable development.
? Organizing leader awareness programmes.
4. Fostering digital opportunities by extending access, connectivity and
developing infrastructure: advances in ICTs provide unique opportunities to
use the multiplier effect to enhance access and participation of all
communities and social groups for improving their quality of life.
? Serving all communities and social groups.
? A global program with the objective of providing sustainable connectivity
to every village and community and to extend access to ICTs, with particular
emphasis on the least developed countries and small island developing
states.
? Creating community information and communication centres, particularly in
rural, remote and isolated geographical areas.
? Ensuring equitable access to information and communication services for
all, especially women and young people.
? Addressing the special needs of the disabled, the elderly, indigenous
people and migrants by promoting the development of technologies,
applications, and content suited to their needs.
? Affordable and accessible terminal equipment for end-users is an essential
part of building the information society.
? Enabling small and medium-sized enterprises and local business to use
ICTs.
? Providing access to ICTS for all (universal service/access).
? Promoting the availability, affordability and accessibility of ICTs,
especially among underserved communities.
? Reducing the average cost of access to information and communication
services-especially in developing countries, countries with economies in
transition, small islands developing states and least developed countries-so
that they become more affordable.
? Developing next-generation ICT networks.
? Developing programs to describe and quantify the extent of the digital
divide and keep it under regular assessment, including community
connectivity indicators.
? Researching and publishing a "World ICT Development Report".
5. Enabling environment: there is a need to create a transparent,
competitive and trustworthy environment in order to maximize the economic
and social benefits of the information and communication technology.
? Formulating and implementing effective strategies for the expansion and
development of ICTs at the national and international levels.
? Adopting policies and strategies for attracting investment in
infrastructure and extending service to all at affordable cost, in
particular in underserved areas.
? Adopting policies and strategies for promoting fair and effective
competition in the provision of ICT products and services.
? Promoting effective participation by developing countries in international
ICT decision-making forums and create opportunities for the exchange of
experience.
? Broadening participation of all stakeholders in the governance of
information society.
? Developing, at the international and regional level, a predictable, stable
and transparent legal and regulatory framework for the development of the
information society.
? Developing policies and strategies that promote and facilitate open and
competitive markets for e-commerce.
? Enhancing human resource capabilities and capacity of regulatory agencies,
especially in developing and least developed countries, with respect to
domestic regulation and international market access commitments
? Promoting initiatives meant to ensure a balance between Intellectual
Property Rights and the needs of the users of information.
6. Building partnership and mobilizing resources for the information
society: Establishing new and innovative multi-stakeholder public-private
partnerships, prioritizing and mainstreaming information and communication
technologies (ICTs) in Official Development Assistance (ODA), National and
Regional Poverty Reduction Strategy Plans (PRSP), and enhancing coordination
of multilateral and bilateral initiatives.
? Bringing together relevant actors from government, civil society and
private sector to build partnerships in planning and implementing ICT
related projects and activities.
? Encouraging and supporting the research and academic communities to
develop innovative tools and methods for ICTs and development.
? Creating new forms of partnerships enable all stakeholders to actively and
responsibly contribute in decision-making processes in planning and
implementation of ICT related activities, based on the assumption of
specific responsibilities in relation to the deployment and use of ICT.
? Converting the current economic difficulties facing the ICT sector into
opportunities through forward-looking cooperative initiatives in social
uses.
? Creating a benchmarking framework for information society initiatives and
progress.
7. Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs. There is a need to
build confidence and security in the use of ICTs if they are to be more
widely used and with greater reliability.
? Protecting data privacy and consumer interests.
? Creating trust in cyberspace transactions and building confidence in
e-commerce.
? Developing appropriate global and regional technical standards to foster
the deployment and use of ICTs.
? Improving the quality and maintaining the interconnectivity and
interoperability of global and regional networks.
? Tackling the issues arising from the convergence between ICT and
broadcasting.
? Reinforcing international cooperation to fight against cyber-crime.
? Setting up appropriate mechanisms aimed at raising awareness of the
importance of information and communication network security and of the
resources available to the international community on this subject.
? Consideration of existing and potential threats in the sphere of
information and communication network security, including the presence of
computer pirates and viruses on the Internet, as well as methods and means
of repelling them.
? Improving the exchange of technical information and international
cooperation in information and communication network security.
? Reinforcing efforts aimed at:
a) assessing information security, including harmful interference with, or
misuse of, information and telecommunication systems and information
resources;
b) establishing methods and organizations of emergency security incident
response, sharing information and technologies on incident response;
c) considering the elaboration in the long term, of an international
convention on information and communication network security.
8. Protecting fundamental freedoms: the unprecedented development of the
ICTs requires further action to strengthen respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms in particular the right to freedom of opinion and
expression.
? Implementing legal provision for access to information and uphold public
right to access to information.
? Developing at the national level legal framework on freedom of expression.
? Applying information communication rights in cyberspace;
? Extending international declarations concerning freedom of expression to
the Internet.
? Promoting independent and pluralistic media.
Annex
Examples of possible concrete and comprehensive actions
1. The following could serve as benchmarks for actions to be taken:
? all villages of the planet to be equipped with a telecenter by 2010;
? all villages to be connected by 2010, with a community access points by
2015;
? all universities be connected by 2005 and all secondary schools by 2010
and all primary schools by 2015;
? all hospitals to be connected by 2005 and health centres by 2010;
? 90% of the world's population to be within wireless coverage by 2010 and
100% by 2015;
? all central governments departments to have a website and email address by
2005 and all local governments departments by 2010.
2. Developing national e-strategies for all countries within three years,
including the necessary human capacity building.
3. Launching of a "Global Digital Compact" as a new pattern for partnership
and interaction between governments and non-governmental actors, based on
division of labour and specialized responsibilities, as well as on
identified specific and common interests, will work together to achieve IT
development goals (e.g. governments create stimulating regulatory
environment and fiscal incentives, business bring in technology and made
available simple applications, non-governmental organizations undertake
awareness campaigns and work at community level etc.) (a model that will
start from the institutional relationships already existing in ITU, with ITU
as coordinator).
4. Launching and gradually developing an aggregate ICT Development (Digital
Opportunity) Index and publish it annually or every two years in a ICT
Development Report, where ranking of countries will be accompanied by
analytical work on policies and their implementation. (ITU is to catalyse
and combine in a coherent structure the existing experiences in various
organizations, universities, think-tanks etc.)
5. Elaborating and launching during the Geneva phase of the Summit a
"Handbook on good practices and success stories", as a compilation of
contributions from all stakeholders, in a concise and convincing format,
which is to be re-issued periodically and turned into a permanent
experience-sharing exercise.
6. Equipping and training content workers in the LDCs, such as archivists,
librarians, scientists, teachers and journalists in making use of the
expertise and operational capacity of the relevant international
professional organizations.
7. Revising the curricula of the primary and secondary schools in all
countries, within three years, in order to meet the challenges of the
information society.
8. Create the necessary technical (software and hardware) conditions, which
would permit all languages in the world to be present and used on the
Internet.
=================================== end
----- Original Message -----
From: Chantal Peyer <peyer@bfa-ppp.ch>
> Hello everyone,
>
> Just a very short note: from I heard until now, from the noices which are
> circularing in more or less official places, I was told that the proposal
> written by president Samassekou will constitue the basis of most
discussions
> of prepcom2. For example, the swiss delegation is preparing its position
on
> the basis of this paper...
>
> This paper was drafted during a very unformal expert meeting and we don't
> know who did participate to this meeting. But apparentlly this declaration
> willl have more impact on the discussions than any other (sometimes you
> wonder why we work so hard to give in our papers in time.... anyway...
> democracy is a long way away)
>
> Bets regards,
>
> Chantal
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Adam Peake" <ajp@glocom.ac.jp>
>
<snip>
> I think for guidance we need to refer to the "non-document" from the
> PrepCom President. See
>
<http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-s/md/03/wsispc2/inf/S03-WSISPC2-INF-0001!!MS
> W-E.doc>
>
> Note the intro to this document:
>
> "Explanatory Note
>
> The purpose of this note is to explain briefly, for the benefit of
> participants in PrepCom-2, the origin and purpose of the attached
> document entitled Information and Communication for All.
>
> With the support and guidance of the WSIS Bureau, and with the
> very able assistance of the Swiss and Executive Secretariats, the
> President of the Preparatory Committee convened a meeting of a Group
> of Experts in December. This group helped the President draft an
> informal document intended to assist PrepCom-2 in its initial
> discussions of a draft Declaration and Action Plan."
>
>
> Other documents to consider are the Millennium Development Goals
> <http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/>. Touchstone issues for WSIS and
> UN ICT Task Force.
>
498_2.doc