special coverage: information society & WSIS

22.03.2005 PrepCom III, leading to the Tunis phase of WSIS, will be held from 19 to 30 September. It will take place in Palais des Nations, Geneva. During the Inter-Sessional period between PrepCom – 2 and PrepCom –3, the Group of Friends of the Chair (GFC) will continue to draft proposals for Chapter one (Implementation Mechanisms) and four (The Way Ahead) of the operational part. All the governments and other stakeholders can contribute to this process during this period.

18.03.2005 A lot of policy issues that get inscribed in the documents and declarations at important inter-governmental UN conferences, like the WSIS, set the directions for activities of governments and other important organizations in the area of development, for decades to come. Reports ITforChange, on its advocacy efforts in WSIS.

11.03.2005 Four grassroots women representing local NGOs went to Geneva to lobby for their own space in the World Summit on the Information Society. OneWorld South Asia, a Delhi based NGO, which uses ICTs in poverty alleviation and sustainable development, has promoted the concept of creating a Grassroots Caucus for the Summit.

07.03.2005 World Bank proposes a partnership between public and private institutions to build the ICT infrastructure. Developing nations in Africa and Asia have seen remarkable growth of ICT media, especially fixed and mobile telephone connections in 90s.