Global ‘ICT for development’ community meets
to decide on strategies beyond 2015
WSIS process is key to harnessing potential of ICTs to accelerate
human progress and achieve SDG 2030 Agenda
New York, 14 December 2015 – Ten years
after the UN World
Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), delegates from UN Member
States and observer entities are meeting in New York this week to identify
emerging trends, fresh priorities and innovations for advancing the ‘ICT for
development’ agenda, while strengthening the impact of ICTs as an enabler of
sustainable development.
Convened by UN General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft,
in close collaboration with lead agencies ITU, UNESCO, UNCTAD and UNDP, the
WSIS+10 High-Level Meeting (HLM) will result in an Outcome Document underscoring
the importance of ICTs for sustainable development and the need to promote equal
access to ICTs and broadband Internet in both developed and developing
countries.
In addition to bridging the digital divide, the WSIS+10
HLM – as the concluding milestone of the Overall Review of the Implementation of
the Outcomes of WSIS – will address issues of cybersecurity, Internet
governance, human rights on the Internet, as well as areas of future actions to
ensure a people-centred inclusive and development-oriented Information Society.
It is the largest and most comprehensive review of the
WSIS goals, targets and process since the Summit, organized by ITU in a
multi-stakeholder set up, was held in two phases, in 2003 (Geneva) and 2005
(Tunis).
“The WSIS Process is where the real grass roots work is
being done. It is where people gather if they believe in effectively using ICTs
for sustainable development,” said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. “WSIS has
been a major driver of socio-economic development by providing a tangible,
global framework for harnessing the tremendous power of ICTs, and I am confident
that it will play an even greater role in achieving the new 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.”
The
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development acknowledges that
global interconnectedness has great potential to accelerate human progress, to
bridge digital divides and to develop knowledge societies. ICTs have become an
essential part of long-term social and economic development, but progress will
depend on strong, resilient, available, secure and trustworthy communications
infrastructure and services. As the UN specialized agency for ICTs, promoting
access to ICTs – through
globally agreed
technical standards, collaborative
global spectrum
management and
ICT-focused
development activities – is ITU's core mandate.
The HLM will conclude on 16 December with an Outcome
Document which will serve as a road map for ongoing efforts to put ICTs at the
heart of new development strategies, where they can serve as an important
accelerator of access to education and health care, e-government services,
environmental monitoring, women’s empowerment, and more.
WSIS remains the unique global platform for broad
multi-stakeholder coordination of implementation of ‘ICT4D’ activities,
projects, and initiatives. It helps countries, private sector organizations and
civil society groups develop and implement strategies and tactics to more
effectively harness the power of ICTs to meet the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs).
The annual WSIS Forum, to be held from 2 to 6 May 2016 in
Geneva, will build on the WSIS+10 Outcomes and
WSIS-SDG Matrix while looking toward concrete solutions
strengthening the impact ICTs in advancing achievement of SDGs.
In addition to participation in the main WSIS+10 HLM
meeting, ITU is convening and/or participating in five side events:
-
WSIS+10 & Implementation: Strengthening the impact of WSIS
Action Lines for sustainable development: Showcasing best practices,
transferring know-how, fostering partnerships
Monday 14 December, 1.15pm-2.30pm
Conference Room # 11
-
The GEM-TECH Awards 2015: Gender empowerment through ICTs
Monday 14 December, 6.00pm-8.00pm
Civic Hall, New York
-
WSIS+10 & Gender: Women's Empowerment in the Digital Age:
Implementing WSIS Outcome and Agenda 2030
Tuesday 15 December, 1.15pm-2.30pm
Conference Room # 6
-
WSIS+10 & Measurement: Partnership on Measuring ICT for
Development: Measuring the Information Society: ICT Data for Policy Making and
Evaluation
Tuesday 15 December, 3.00pm-6.00pm
Conference Room A
-
WSIS+10 & Action Lines: Enabling a Trusted Connected World
Wednesday 16 December, 1.15pm-2.30pm
Conference Room # 7
Access to all side events is freely available to
accredited media.
More information is available on the event website
here. Information on the
WSIS+10 Review Process is available
here.
A social media toolkit is available
here.
Photos of the
event are available on Flickr
here.
An annual report on ITU’s contribution to
the implementation of WSIS Outcomes is available
here.
Join the conversation on
Twitter at #WSIS #WSIS10
#ICT4SDG
and Twitter handles @ITU,
@UN_PGA, and @WSISProcess
Note to editors:
ITU is the sole Facilitator of
Action Lines C2 (Information and communication
infrastructure) and C5 (Building confidence and
security in the use of ICTs); upon UNDP’s request
ITU accepted to play the role of Facilitator of
Action Line C6 (Enabling Environment), and is
actively engaged in the implementation of Action
Lines C1, C3, C4, C7 and C11 as co-facilitator and
partner for C8 and C9. In addition ITU, along with
UNESCO and UNDP, is playing the role of lead
facilitating agency for implementation of Geneva
Plan of Action, providing the platform for
coordination among all UN agencies in charge of the
WSIS Action Lines. ITU is also the rotating Chair of
the UN Group on the Information Society and Lead of
the Partnership on Measuring ICTs for Development.
Each year, ITU hosts and co-organizes with its sister
agencies the
WSIS Forum, where the
activities and projects of the WSIS Action Lines are reported and future
activities are discussed in a multi-stakeholder format. With the aim of drawing
the attention of the global community to good practices and ongoing projects,
the first set of projects nominated for the
WSIS Prize
contest will be released on 14th December 2015, on the occasion of the WSIS+10
HLM.
For more information please contact:
In Geneva |
In New York |
Paul Conneally
Head, Corporate Communications, ITU
|
Jaroslaw Ponder
Strategy & Policy Advisor, ITU
|
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