Asia Pacific Regional Conference on the
World Summit on the Information Society
Civil Society Observations and Response to the Tokyo Declaration
January 15, 2003 Preamble Civil society entities have been fully committed to promoting and defining the 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, which is to be held in December 2003, some government representatives opposed to the participation of non governmental organizations (NGOs) in the drafting committee of the Asia Pacific Regional Conference on the WSIS, which was formed to facilitate the accomplishment of official output of the conference (Tokyo Declaration). This is in contradiction of the avowed principle of WSIS to be inclusive of all stakeholders in shaping the future information society. The regional conference was originally designed as a 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. The event 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 to prepare for the year-end Summit. Participants invited include representatives of the government of 37 countries and territories, 26 international organizations, 58 private sector entities and 199 NGOs. Civil society firmly believes that, 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 gender equality, equitable and sustainable human development, empowerment of the people and all fundamental human rights. We, the undersigned organizations, are convinced that these voices of civil society, or the people, must be adequately presented despite being deminished by negotiations in the regional conference¡¯s drafting committee, and therefore propose this paper to reflect the grassroots perspectives so as to promote comprehensive and balanced evolution of the information society. These voices of civil society are inspired and built upon the Asian NGOs¡¯ previous outputs, 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. 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 promoted with collaborative efforts of civil society, governments and private sector entities altogether. 3. Fundamental issues, such as poverty, democracy, gender justice/gender equity, environment and the impact of globalization should be taken into account apart from technological and economic evolution in the development of the 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, refugees, migrants and those who lack access to formal education and higher technical training. 5. In all forums to discuss ICT policies, the participation of women and consideration of gender issues should be supported and promoted so as to realize women¡¯s full potential as contributors and beneficiaries of 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, especially when youth are at the forefront of technological development and adoption of our region?their expertise and energy can assist in bridging the digital divide. 7. Transparency and accountability of the government as well as civil society participation in policy, programme and service development, should be enhanced in the formation of the information society. 8. Governments must ensure that market competition is fair and that monopolies are not perpetuated. 9. While governments should promote and facilitate infrastructure building, provide training, and create an enabling environment for ICT to be accessible for all, they should not play the role of regulators of information flow and content. 10. Privacy and government surveillance issues should be the priority concern in the assessment of whether national compulsory projects utilizing ICTs, such as electronic national ID card and electronic health care card initiatives and national fingerprint database building, should be implemented. 11. Availability of both traditional and newer technologies should be guaranteed 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. Surveillance
on people by governments, consumers by entrepreneurs, employees
by employers, by utilising new information and communication technologies
are a severe threat to human rights. We call on all parties to take
appropriate measures to protect the right to privacy including freedom
from surveillance at all levels of information society. We are opposed
to any kind of censorship imposed by anyone that restricts freedom
of expression. 14. Community based media should be supported and promoted. The equitable and affordable access to information for all should be assured in the information society. 15. Civil society acknowledges its role as a major content provider in the information society and should, therefore, be active in the promotion of public awareness on the quality of content of information circulated in the society. 16. In the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), priority should be given to cultural and human development instead of mere economic development and commercial profits. The protection of IPR should not deter the free and balanced flow of ideas and innovations. Public information commons, including open source technologies, should be promoted by all stakeholders in the 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/ small islands in an environment endangered by hazards or global warming. The following civil society organizations that 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 the development and definition of the information society. Endorsements: 1. Tadayoshi Fujita 2. Shigetusa Muraki 3. Sally McLaren 4. Myoungjoon Kim 5. Songhoi Lee 6. YJ Park 7. Fuatai Purcell 8. Nobuo Sakiyama 9. Celestino Mac 10. Mar Sophal 11. Cheekay Cinco 12. Nies Purwati 13. PatchA 14. Midori F. Sugushi 15. Lisa Sekine 16. Kiyoko Shinkai 17. Fung Fei Yin 18. Yuko Wakumoto 19. Yuki Noguchi 20. Chuang Chiting 21. Nalaka Gunawardene 22. Suzuo Uchiyama 23. Pak Joun Woo 24. Lo Huei-Wen 25. Ching-yi Liu 26. Milagros Rivera 27. Reshari Sarkar 28. Gaurab Raj Upadhaya 29. John Fung 30. Mavic Cabrera-Balleza 31. Robert Francis Garcia 32. Loyog Joseph 33. Rajendra Adhikai 34. Emranul Huq Chowdhury 35. Sacha Jotisalikorn 36. Alan G. Alegre
|