WSIS Action Plan Action Lines

Reference to IsAP Programmes, Initiatives, Council, WTDC02 and PP02 Resolutions

IsAP Actions implemented in 2004

C1. The role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development

8.  The effective participation of governments and all stakeholders is vital in developing the Information Society requiring cooperation and partnerships among all of them. 

a) Development of national e-strategies, including the necessary human capacity building, should be encouraged by all countries by 2005, taking into account different national circumstances. 

b) Initiate at the national level a structured dialogue involving all relevant stakeholders, including through public/private partnerships, in devising e-strategies for the Information Society and for the exchange of best practices.  

c) In developing and implementing national e-strategies, stakeholders should take into consideration local, regional and national needs and concerns. To maximize the benefits of initiatives undertaken, these should include the concept of sustainability. The private sector should be engaged in concrete projects to develop the Information Society at local, regional and national levels. 

e) Identify mechanisms, at the national, regional and international levels, for the initiation and promotion of partnerships among stakeholders of the Information Society. 

g) By 2005, relevant international organizations and financial institutions should develop their own strategies for the use of ICTs for sustainable development, including sustainable production and consumption patterns and as an effective instrument to help achieve the goals expressed in the United Nations Millennium Declaration. 

h) International organizations should publish, in their areas of competence, including on their website, reliable information submitted by relevant stakeholders on successful experiences of mainstreaming ICTs.

i) Encourage a series of related measures, including, among other things: incubator schemes, venture capital investments (national and international), government investment funds (including micro-finance for Small, Medium-sized and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), investment promotion strategies, software export support activities (trade counseling), support of research and development networks and software parks.

ISAP Programme 4 - Assistance to members

 - Assist members in identifying telecommunication/ICT market and investment opportunities, including those that meet national universal access goals.

- Assist countries in promoting viable telecommunication/ICT investment opportunities, with special attention to local private and/or institutional investors.

ISAP Programme 4 - Partnerships

- Liaise with global, regional/subregional, private and public organizations and foundations dealing with telecommunication/ICT networks and services in order to harmonize development initiatives and promote more efficient use of resources.

- Liaise, share and exchange financial and economic data and information with other organizations involved in the economics and finance of telecommunications/ICT, e.g. UNDP, World Bank, IFC, OECD, WEF, UNCTAD, UNESCO and WTO.

ISAP Programme 4 - Creation of tools and financial support

- Create national and international funding mechanisms to support user access to ICTs in suburban and rural areas.

6679  Implementation of initiatives for financing telecommunication development (Albania, Bolivia, Cameroon and Chad)

6896  Revision of the financial institutions/Private Sources database

6112  Project:  Regional assessment of the telecommunication market in Latin America

6528  Analysis of tools and models to conduct economic forecasts, simulations and sensitivity analyses

C2. Information and communication infrastructure: an essential foundation for the Information Society

9.  Infrastructure is central in achieving the goal of digital inclusion, enabling universal, sustainable, ubiquitous and affordable access to ICTs by all, taking into account relevant solutions already in place in developing countries and countries with economies in transition, to provide sustainable connectivity and access to remote and marginalized areas at national and regional levels. 

a) Governments should take action, in the framework of national development policies, in order to support and enabling and competitive environment for the necessary investment in ICT infrastructure and for the development of new services.

b) In the context of national e-strategies, devise appropriate universal access policies and strategies, and their means of implementation, in line with the indicative targets, and develop ICT connectivity indicators.

ISAP Programme 4 - Creation of tools and financial support

- Create national and international funding mechanisms to support user access to ICTs in suburban and rural areas.

ISAP Programme 4 - Assistance to members

- Assist decision-makers in conducting economic forecasts, simulations and sensitivity analyses by means of case studies, tools and models.

- Assist national regulatory authorities (NRA), where appropriate, in developing relevant cost-orientated pricing mechanisms (e.g. price-cap regulation, tariff rebalancing, access deficit compensation, interconnection).

- Actions:  Assistance to countries with economic and financial advice in the form of direct assistance, seminars and workshops.

6265  Capacity-building:  assistance in training in technical and financial audit 2004-2007

6383  Training workshop on COSITU for Latin American countries

6384  Training workshop on COSITU for Caribbean countries

6385  Training workshop on COSITU for French-speaking Arab countries

6643 Training workshop on COSITU for CIS countries

6644  Assistance on market analysis and studies to Romania

6645  Seminar on telecommunication market analysis for the CEE and Baltic States

6672  Economic and financial aspects (COSITU) of enabling a policy, legal, regulatory and operational environment in Asia and Pacific

6678  Training workshop on COSITU for Arab countries for English-speaking countries

6527  Support for the collection, analysis and publication of benchmark information on tariffs, traffic and interconnection rates

6485  Regional seminar on costs and tariffs and regional meeting of the Tariff Group for Africa (TAF)

6487  Regional seminar on costs and tariffs and regional meeting of the Tariff Group for Latin America (TAL)

C6. Enabling environment

13. To maximize the social, economic and environmental benefits of the Information Society, governments need to create a trustworthy, transparent and non-discriminatory legal, regulatory and policy environment. Actions include:

a) Governments should foster a supportive, transparent, pro-competitive and predictable policy, legal and regulatory framework, which provides the appropriate incentives to investment and community development in the Information Society.

f) Promote effective participation by developing countries and countries with economies in transition in international ICT forums and create opportunities for exchange of experience.l) Governments, in collaboration with stakeholders, are encouraged to formulate conducive ICT policies that foster entrepreneurship, innovation and investment, and with particular reference to the promotion of participation by women.

m) Recognising the economic potential of ICTs for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), they should be assisted in increasing their competitiveness by streamlining administrative procedures, facilitating their access to capital and enhancing their capacity to participate in ICT-related projects.

ISAP Programme 4 - Assistance to members

- Assist members in identifying telecommunication/ICT market and investment opportunities, including those that meet national universal access goals.

- Assist countries in promoting viable telecommunication/ICT investment opportunities, with special attention to local private and/or institutional investors.

6679  Implementation of initiatives for financing telecommunication development (Albania, Bolivia, Cameroon and Chad).

6112  Project:  Regional assessment of the telecommunication market in Latin America

6672  Economic and financial aspects (COSITU) of enabling a policy, legal, regulatory and operational environment in Asia and Pacific

C11. International and regional cooperation

26.  International cooperation among all stakeholders is vital in implementation of this plan of action and needs to be strengthened with a view to promoting universal access and bridging the digital divide, inter alia, by provision of means of implementation.

a) Governments of developing countries should raise the relative priority of ICT projects in requests for international cooperation and assistance on infrastructure development projects from developed countries and international financial organizations. 

b) Within the context of the UN’s Global Compact and building upon the United Nations Millennium Declaration, build on and accelerate public-private partnerships, focusing on the use of ICT in development.

c) Invite international and regional organizations to mainstream ICTs in their work programmes and to assist all levels of developing countries, to be involved in the preparation and implementation of national action plans to support the fulfilment of the goals indicated in the declaration of principles and in this Plan of Action, taking into account the importance of regional initiatives.

ISAP Programme 4 - Partnerships

- Liaise with global, regional/subregional, private and public organizations and foundations dealing with telecommunication/ICT networks and services in order to harmonize development initiatives and promote more efficient use of resources.

- Liaise, share and exchange financial and economic data and information with other organizations involved in the economics and finance of telecommunications/ICT, e.g. UNDP, World Bank, IFC, OECD, WEF, UNCTAD, UNESCO and WTO.

6679  Implementation of initiatives for financing telecommunication development (Albania, Bolivia, Cameroon and Chad)

6896  Revision of the financial institutions/Private Sources database

6112  Project:  Regional assessment of the telecommunication market in Latin America

6528  Analysis of tools and models to conduct economic forecasts, simulations and sensitivity analyses