Preparation of WSIS in Tunis enters last phase with meeting in Geneva
|
The final preparatory meeting for the forthcoming Tunis Phase of the World Summit on the Information Society opens today at the Palais de Nations in Geneva with UNESCO observers participating throughout the two week event.
The meeting, which is expected to welcome some 1’500 participants from UN agencies, the private sector, civil society and the media, will work to finalize the working documents of the Summit, scheduled to take place in Tunis from November 16-18. Key agenda items include: Internet governance Financing mechanisms WSIS follow-up and implementation While general agreement has been reached on ICT financing strategies following the work of the Task Force on Financing Mechanisms, set up by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan following the first phase of WSIS in Geneva, 2003, Internet governance remains a highly contentious issue. In a bid to build global consensus on this complex issue, the multi-stakeholder Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG), established after WSIS 2003 to investigate and make proposals for action by the Summit’s second phase, was charged with arriving at a working definition of Internet governance, identifying relevant public policy issues, and developing a common understanding of the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders. The final report of the WGIG, released on 18 July, will serve as the catalyst for ongoing debate on this issue at PrepCom-3. UNESCO has consistently advocated the principles of openness, the free flow of information and freedom of expression that should rule Internet Governance. In general, UNESCO’s engagement with WSIS has been creative and constructive. Its distinctive contribution has been the elaboration of the concept of building knowledge societies, qualified by four key principles, namely: freedom of expression; quality education for all; universal access to information and knowledge; and respect for cultural and linguistic diversity. UNESCO’s position has been that, as both a description of present trends and as a characterization of a desirable future, the notion of a single global information society does not capture the full potential of the information and communication revolution for human development. By contrast, the concept of “knowledge societies” stresses plurality and inclusiveness instead of global uniformity. It maintains that the new technologies offer remarkable possibilities for advancing development. With these messages, UNESCO has helped to open up the Summit’s agenda and make it more relevant to the concerns of all Member States. Source:UNESCO |
Printable version