Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 09:45:25 +0800 From: "Alan G. Alegre" <alalegre@fma.ph> Subject: [communication 831] Fw: WSIS E-FLASH #7 To: "wsis-asia" <communication@wsisasia.org> Message-Id: <001c01c3652a$d40a9140$9d00a8c0@mshome.net> X-Mail-Count: 00831Newsroom E-Flash: World Summit on the Information Society----- Original Message ----- From: WSIS Executive Secretariat To: WSIS eFlash Subscribers Sent: Friday, August 15, 2003 6:15 PMSubject: WSIS E-FLASH #7 If this message doesn't display correctly, click on: http://www.itu.int/wsis/newsroom/eflash/2003/august/number7.html =to read it on the web. WSIS E-FLASH #7 a.. UN SECRETARY GENERAL APPOINTS SPECIAL ADVISER FOR =INFORMATION SUMMIT United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed =Mr. Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social =Affairs, as his Special Adviser for the World Summit on the Information =Society. b.. PREPCOM PRESIDENT AND SWISS DELEGATION MEET UN =SECRETARY-GENERAL Adama SamassñÌou, President of the WSIS Preparatory =Committee and a delegation from the Swiss Government met at United =Nations Headquarters in New York with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan =and his Special Advisor for the Summit, Nitin Desai. The meeting focused =on the strategic objectives to be achieved at the first phase of the =Summit and reinforced the UN commitment to the World Summit on the =Information Society. c.. VIRTUAL WSIS TAKES THE SUMMIT TO THE WORLD A multimedia showcase, entitled Virtual WSIS, was =announced at the Intersessional meeting in Paris. Virtual WSIS consists =of an ICT project showcase, as well as a web cast of the summit =proceedings. It will feature television interviews from its on-site =studio, and - via web cast, phone and satellite links - will connect to =ICT projects and partners in the field. d.. DIGITAL DIVIDE IS A GENDER DIVIDE More than 100 participants took part at the Second Meeting =of the ITU Working Group on Gender Issues (WGGI). The meeting focused on =how to increase the involvement of women in the WSIS process and the =inclusion of a gender perspective in the Declaration of Principles and =Action Plan. e.. SUMMIT PREPARATIONS CONTINUE The Third Meeting of the Preparatory Committee for WSIS =(PrepCom3), Geneva 15 - 26 September, will attempt to finalize the =working documents for the Summit. The latest version from the Paris =meeting of the draft Declaration of Principles is now available on the =website. The revised draft Action Plan will be on the website as of 23 =August. For participant information for PrepCom3, click here. EVENTS a.. 20 - 23 Aug 2003 Forum on ICTs and Gender: Optimizing Opportunities, Kuala =Lumpur, Malaysia. The event is a partnership of ITU, UNESCO, the =Government of Malaysia, and GKP. The objective is to identify ways in =which women in developing countries can gain access to and advantage of =information and communication technologies (ICTs) b.. 26 - 28 Aug 2003 Regional Civil Society Forum on the Information Society =for the Middle East, West and Central Asia, Kish Island, Iran. This =meeting is organized by the Iranian Civil Society Organizations Resource =Center. The objective of the forum will be to prepare a regional civil =society action plan and declaration for ICT development in the region. c.. 27 - 29 Aug 2003 World Information Technology Forum (WITFOR), Vilnius, =Lithuania. Organized by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania in =cooperation with the International Federation for Information Processing =(IFIP), UNESCO and ITU. d.. 04 - 05 Sep 2003 AIF, Ministerial Meeting of La Francophonie on WSIS, =Rabat, Morocco. The conference is dedicated to analyze the new =Information and Communication Technologies. e.. 10 - 11 Sep 2003 Fourth Meeting of the Council Working Group on WSIS, =Madeira, Portugal. The meeting will focus on how the ITU work programme =contributes to the fulfillment of the objectives outlined in the WSIS =draft action plan. INFORMATION SOCIETY INITIATIVES a.. GLOBAL MEDIA LEADERS TO GATHER AT THE SUMMIT A landmark event at WSIS will examine the role of the =media in the information society and its influence on global issues such =as violence and economic development. The "World Electronic Media =Forum", to be held 9-11 December, is an initiative of the United Nations =Department of Public Information (DPI), the European Broadcasting Union =(EBU) and the Government of Switzerland. In addition to a global =television and radio broadcast of the event, the forum will attract =media leaders and executives to a series of panels and workshops dealing =with topics of concern to the media such as freedom of expression. b.. SCHOOLNET TO BE LAUNCHED AT WSIS The World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva will =bring together educators and students in 40 countries, in an online =exercise to examine the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Students =will focus on Article 19 (Freedom of Expression) and Article 26 (Right =to Education) and attempt to redraft them in order to better reflect the =realities of the information society. The event, co-organized by the =United Nations Cyberschoolbus and the European SchoolNet, will be held =on 11 December, the 55th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of =Human Rights. c.. SHARE YOUR ICT STORY WITH THE WORLD An ICT Story Competition, Tony Zeitoun Awards, organized =by the IICD, InfoDev and GKP, is open for your submissions until the =26th of September. The stories will highlight 'ICT for development' =experiences. The winners will be invited to present their story to the =ICT4D Platform at WSIS. For more information click here. INFORMATION LINKS a.. ITS NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN THE ICT4D PLATFORM The ICT4D Platform, organized by GKP and the Swiss Agency =for Development and Cooperation (SDC), brings together ICT development =specialists, case study examples, innovations, and experiences from =around the world in a multi-stakeholder showcase at WSIS. For =reservations, please click here. SDC is also sponsoring the ICT Entrepreneurs4D Fund for =small and medium-sized companies in ICT from developing countries to =finance the cost for the surface and stand at the Exhibition as well as =travel cost and accommodation for 1 representative. Deadline for =applictions is 20 August. b.. Other important deadlines, key dates and events of the =Summit process c.. Make your suggestions d.. Contact us e.. Subscribe | Unsubscribe With best regards, WSIS EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT HTTP://WWW.ITU.INT/WSIS/831_2.html (attatchment)(tag is disabled)