special coverage: information society & WSIS

22.12.2003 The WSIS process was born in 1998 at an ITU plenipotentiary meeting where it was nodded through as the last item on the agenda. Few can have imagined that it would result in a meeting of the kind that has just taken place, writes Russell Southwood from http://www.balancingact-africa.com/.

19.12.2003 This is the 'alternative' declaration adopted by civil society representatives on the sidelines of the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva. The declaration was needed because the official process had constantly been disillusioning and frustrating, said civil society representatives at a conference.

18.12.2003 A United Nations human rights expert has voiced concern that the declaration of principles and action plan adopted at the recent global summit on information and communications technologies mostly ignored issues of freedom of opinion and expression.

17.12.2003 Maureen O’Neil, President of Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), announced during the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) a new initiative that will help people in South and South-East Asia surf the Net in their native tongue.

14.12.2003 The first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva ended with the "unanimous adoption" of a declaration on the values of an information society. The "Declaration of Principles" expresses "the common desire and commitment" by governments at the summit to build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented information society, where everyone can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge.

14.12.2003 As part of the ICT for Development Platform, a parallel evenet at the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva, the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) held the awards ceremony for the winners of the awards for gender, youth, media and poverty reduction. The GKP awards aim to recognise and promote ICT projects in order to inspire others to take on similar
initiatives.

12.12.2003 Malaysia is highest in the use of ICTs for human development (known as the ICTforHD Index), well ahead of China and Thailand. A UNDP report examines several of the world’s most populous countries, including some making great strides in ICT and achieving the goals.

12.12.2003 The APC Women's Networking Support Programme celebrated 10 years of working to make ICTs accessible to women. At the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva, they hosted a day-long series of panels, workshops and presentations.

12.12.2003 Two innovative African projects that have set the pace in Information Communication Technology content development were recognised by the inaugural World Summit on the Information Society.

12.12.2003 Scientists around the world have pondered what continuing role science should play in pushing the future of the digital age, especially given the critique that the scientific community has been less than active in determining how these technologies can best be utilised.