Geneva,16/9/03 by Johnson Honimae, Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation.
The Pacific Islands delegations at the third meeting of the Preparatory
Committee of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) will today
attempt to make stronger the paragraph on Small Islands Developing States
(SIDS) in the draft Declaration of Principles.
Pacific Islands delegations at the meeting include Fiji, Samoa and
Federated States of Micronesia. The Secretariat of the Pacific
Community(SPC) also has a delegation at the meeting.
In a memorandum circulated to Government delegations at the meeting, the
Fiji Government representative to WSIS, Abel Caine said: "We believe the
small addition of unique characteristics of SIDS and landlocked states
allows for the easier linking to the Action Plan and subsequent project
funding applications."
The current SIDS paragraph in the draft Declaration of Principles reads
that special attention must be given to:
"- the challenges faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS, landlocked
countries, countries with extremely difficult topography and those with
unique geographic features."
The change being recommended reads that special attention must be given to:
"The geographic challenges faced by landlocked countriues and Small Islands
Developing States (SIDS) vulnerable to environmental hazards, small
homogeneous markets, high costs of access and equipment, human resources
contraints, limited access to networks and remote locations."
The Federated States of Micronesia delegate at the meeting, James Naich
said "the Information Society cannot serve the interests of all nations and
all people of the world unless it addresses the high costs and unique needs
of the countless islands spread across numerous oceans, seas and other
bodies of water that comprise approximately 70 percent of the globe."
Mr Naich said: "These island states are facing similar obstacles to
bringing digital opportunies to their citizens, achieving sustainable
economic development and a better quality of life."
"Many of thes islands communities include extremely remote population
centers located on islands scattered widely across hundreds or even
thousands of kilometres. Isolation, distance, and a small resource base
pose unique challenges and high costs that make it difficult for these
states to bring broadband digital service to their citizens."
The chances of the change being accepted is not clear as the meeting is
trying to condense the current draft Declaration of Principles from the
current 12 pages to a much smaller document.
The third preparatory meeting of the WSIS Preparatory Committee is the
final scheduled chance for any countries to make changes to the Declaration
of Principles and the Action Plan before it goes before world leaders at
the Summit in Geneva 10 - 12 December 2003.
ENDS.