|
SUMMARY
OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO “THEMES” DOCUMENT (4) FOR WSIS
PREPCOM 1
(Geneva, 1 – 5
July 2002)
 Government
contributions
Comments
from United Nations Organisations
1.
GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTIONS
AUSTRALIA
Comments on possible themes
Requests consideration of the
following four key aspects of the information society
- Cross
border Electronic Commerce
The Summit should lend impetus to
work currently being undertaken in various
international for a to encourage the application of
information technology and to support sustainable
investment in electronic commerce
- The
application of intellectual property rules
Copyright legislation governs the
way in which content can be commercially exploited and
accessed over the Internet
- Standardization
of electronic security
The Summit can encourage broader
global engagement in international collaboration on
improving e-security, based upon work already underway
in international for a
- Importance
of the free flow of information
Developing local content is
essential to take full advantage of the Internet as a
way for all languages and cultures to communicate
TOP
SWITZERLAND
General comments
- Proposed
structure complicated and not very clear
- Need
for a clear and simple concept with a view to
mobilising stakeholders and other international
organisations
- Thematic
structure could be organised in the form of a grid
that would allow for regional input as well as for
specific stakeholder input. This could take the
form of a subdivision of the overall themes
according to the interests of different regional
and institutional stakeholders
Detailed
comments (relating
to an older version of the draft document)
- Summit
should be broad and comprehensive in its scope (as
suggested in Paragraph 5).
- The
relationship between "themes" (Paragraph
3) and "key issues" (Paragraph 7) seems
neither clear nor convincing. The subdivision into
the proposed six sub-themes is somewhat confusing
and would like to suggest limiting it, for the
time being, to a structure with three main themes.
A sub-division may well impose itself once there
is a more conceptual clarity with regard to the
content.
- The
terms "Access"
and "Applications" (Paragraph 7 - Vision
/ Access / Applications) fail to reflect the
official title of the summit, i.e.
"Information Society". They are more
technological in nature and relate to ICT rather
than to the concept of an Information Society
Switzerland
prefers to articulate the structure according to the
following dimensions of the theme Information Society:
- First
dimension: “Objectives“ - Declaration
of Principles to fall under this heading
What
kind of information society do we want?
What
are the more specific objectives that are necessary to
help bridge the digital divide?
o
Access
for all
o
Cultural
diversity
o
Sustainable
development
o
Freedom
of information
o
Regulatory
framework and enabling environment
o
Rule
of law and security
- Second
dimension: “Instruments“: applications
best suited to overcome the problems,
how to make best use of the opportunities
and to reach the objectives, what is the
value-added of ICT compared to other instruments?
Issues to be covered include:
o
Education
o
Health
o
Telecommunications
o
Media
o
Knowledge
management
o
E-commerce
and e-government
- Third
dimension: "Stakeholders":
Implementation of the Plan of Action to fall under
this heading. Questions to be addressed:
Who
needs what and who does what?
What
is the future role of Governments and what is the
right distribution of tasks between Governments, the
private sector, civil society, international
organisations and other stakeholders?
The
structural link between the WSIS and the Millenium
Declaration, as contained in Section C and Annex 2,
seems somewhat artificial and not necessarily
conducive to achieving concrete results. Should not
determine the structure of debate and outcome.
TOP
UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA
Comments
on early draft of Document 4:
Paragraph 3: Suggest two
additional themes: “Freedom of the Media” and
“The Role of ICTs in Good Governance”.
Paragraph 6: Delete last sentence
of paragraph “PrepCom needs to determine what is the
problem that the Summit is trying to solve”
Paragraph 7A: Prefer “common
ground” or a “shared vision”
Paragraph 7C: Remove first
sentence “The development of ICTs is primarily
driven by commercial concerns
Paragraph 11: Clarification on
the identity of the “participants”
Paragraph 19: More emphasis on
success stories, private sector participation, market
liberalization, and creation of independent regulatory
agencies
Paragraph 25: US is supportive of
the concept of “local content” as critical to
Internet development world.
Paragraph 30: There should be a
reference in the second sentence to the activities of
the ITU, especially the World Telecom Development
Summit and the Plenipotentiary conference
Annex 1: Fourth bullet “Vision
– Opening Gates”: Add “with due consideration to
intellectual property rights”
“Developing a Framework”:
Delete “and legal exceptions” from second bullet
point
“The
Needs of Users”: Eliminate bullet point “Ethics of
the Information Society” and remove bullet point
“Content Regulation”
Annex 2: US does not support
linking the WSIS to the Millennium Declaration Goals
as Annex suggests.
Annex should be more flexible in
order to include categories that may be refined at the
national level
Fourth bullet – replace bullet
with “increase access to basic social services,
including reproductive health care”. US cannot
accept the term “reproductive health services”
TOP
EUROPEAN
UNION (received 25
June 2002)
THEMES
WSIS debate should include:
- Content:
respect of languages etc.; development of local
content
- Knowledge:
training of human resources required by the
Information Society
- Participation:
implication of civil society in economic,
technical, local and international choices
Summit should progress towards
Global Deal on key topics
- ICT
policies aiming at poverty alleviation and
economic wealth
- Access
to knowledge
- Participation
and new mechanisms for governance
Main priorities of the European
Union:
- adoption
of policies which support the growth of a European
Information Society - e-Europe initiative
- eEurope
2002: aims to make the EU the world's most
competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy
- e-Europe
initiative
-
bring the Information
Society closer to all citizens of Europe
-
develop economic
wealth
-
address growing social
needs
-
focus on cultural
identity and diversity
- Implementation
of e-Europe
initiative
-
Develop faster, safer
and cheaper Internet access
-
Invest in people and
knowledge
-
Stimulate use of the
Internet
PROCESS
- Format
and positioning: (key factor) traditional UN
Summit, limited to Heads of State and Government
not appropriate. Representation from all
interested groups to be sought
- Public
resentment of recent summits: based on perception
that policy making processes are not sufficiently
transparent. WSIS should show that inclusive
processes possible
- Preparatory
process could take twofold approach:
o
Regional
preparatory consultation mechanism led by governments
but open to other participants
o
Thematic
preparatory mechanism able to bring new vision and
proposals
o
Key
concepts for Regional preparatory mechanism
o
Design a process aiming at establishing
national and regional e-Strategies
o
WSIS
not to be an exclusive event for Heads of
State/Government – to be complemented and opened up
to include all spheres of interest
- Proposal:
Networked Series of Events
o
“Political
Summit”:
Heads of state/government, civil societies and private
sector – convergence point of networked summit with
Political Declaration and Action Plan reflecting
preparatory process - focused on “Global Deal for
the Knowledge Economy”
o
“An
Investment marketplace”:
bilateral and multilateral donors meet with actors
from developing countries to promote access to
investment and infrastructure.
Key
concept: brokerage on financing the projects with a grass roots approach
Constituencies
involved:
NGOs, civil society, local development actors,
financial community
Interaction
within the Networking Summit: identification of
difficulties to found specific phases of the projects;
challenges represented by the scaling up of local
success stories; relation with the other actors
(government and private sector) for the development of
a project
o
“Connectivity”:
opportunity
to address infrastructure and networks access
Key
concept : Ways and means of
new partnership between private and public
sector for developing large infrastructure etc.
Constituencies
involved : multilateral/regional organisations,
private sector, governments , financial community.
Interaction
within the Networking Summit : identification of
obstacles to found infrastructures
better synergies between private and public,
national and regional, identification of best
practices.
o
“Thoughts
for the future”:
meeting place for academics and visionaries to discuss
social, cultural, economic and political elements for
future Information Society. Output: agreement on areas
of future study and research
o
Issues
for society”: standard
conference to discuss e.g. cultural issues, local
content, education etc.
Key
concept : open debate without predetermined
agenda, focused on technological issues and social
transformation
Constituencies
involved : academic, research, network communities
Interaction
within the Networking Summit : Will make reports
available for Summit and will provide key elements for
trends and needs
o
“Governance
in the Information Society”: conference
for all stakeholder on shared vision. Will deal with
various levels of governance: National level e.g.
strategies, eGovernment etc., Global level: governance
of ICT sector etc.
Key
concept : the responsibility and the role of
governments and multilateral organisations
in the era of the knowledge economy
Constituencies
: policy makers and decision makers from the private
sector and the civil society
o
“World-wide
media event”: Media
sector – discussion of role of media in the
Information Society, coverage of all events and
outreach to the population all over the world.
Key
concept : transformation occurring in the role of
the media and directly related to the knowledge
economy era, didactic role of the media in the
changing environment
Constituency
: media
from all over the world
Interaction
with the Networking Summit: media will play its
role between the public and the Summit, insuring
communication until the last couple of miles and
reaching citizens everywhere
o
Specific
events: Youth
and Women. Gender equality to be mainstreamed in each
opportunity
Advantages
of networked Summit
-
Broad
participation by all stake holders
-
Bottom-up
participation
-
Discussions
of many aspects of Information Society in
considerable depth and from a variety of
perspectives
-
Heads
of State will have possibility to participate in
debates in other elements of the Summit
2. Comments from United Nations
Organizations
United
Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
Interests:
- Protecting
refugees
- Seeking
asylum for persons who are persecuted or in fear
of persecution
Proposed themes for the Summit
- Government
responsibilities (governments to take into
account the situation of the refugees in national
technological programs especially in education)
- Developing
Infrastructure (enable affordable access to
the Internet)
- Encouraging
economies to use electronic information (national
policies that reflect this trend and encourage
businesses to move with the information age are
necessary)
- Education
(education of national economies on the use of
electronic information and access to electronic
information by NGOs involved in refugee education)
TOP
Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
List of thematic conferences on
the WSIS website, should include: OECD Global Forum:
“Policy Frameworks for Digital Economy”, in
co-operation with APEC, January 2003.
- Gain
understanding of the policy implications of the
challenges and opportunities of the next decade of
development of information society
- Promote
consensus on broad principles of policy strategies
to encourage development of digital economy and
global information society, to ensure greatest
participation in global information society and to
maximize and widely share the benefits of the
global digital economy
- Clarify
the roles of the various stakeholders
Outcome or deliverables of this
Forum will be transmitted to WSIS.
TOP
World
Health Organization (WHO)
Proposal: A session on
health
Title of session: “The vital
role of the information society in health
development”
Objectives:
- Demonstrate
the range of needs, models and impact of using
information and communication technology (ICT) in
support of health care, research and policy.
- Outline
the issues, problems and progress in efforts to
provide equitable access to health information
- Ensure
that health institutions are given high attention
when building and financing connectivity and
infrastructure
- Stimulate
interest in private sector and governments to
support WHO’s work (health systems development,
Health InterNetwork)
Focus:
- Examine
ideological, economic, professional and political
issues – the use of ICTs in health development.
- Show
how effective use of ICTs can contribute to the
delivery of health services, the conduct and
sharing of health research and the formation of
sound health policy.
- Present
research, experience and policy studies from the
health sector and related sectors, to highlight
the many issues in the use of ICTs for health in a
networked world.
Examples of topics:
- International
level: the role of international agencies:
multi-government policies, standards,
infrastructure investment and agreements (e.g.
intellectual property):
- National
level: government policies and practices that
affect private sector investment and
infrastructure and uptake of ICTs in the health
sector:
- Local
level: use and impact of ICTs on health services,
research and policy
WHO is prepared to design the
WSIS Health session in cooperation with other
partners. However, no direct resources are available
from WHO.
TOP
United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Proposals:
- E-business
for development
- E-business
opportunities for economic diversification in the
least developed countries;
- E-business
as a means to increase the share of developing
countries in value-creation chains: tourism,
commodities, etc.
- The
role of e-finance in promoting entrepreneurship in
developing countries
- E-logistics:
quicker, cheaper access to foreign markets
- E-government
and business: improving efficiency, promoting good
governance
- Transfer
and diffusion of ICTs
- Examination
of the extent to which ICTs are being used and
diffused in developing countries
- Identifying
strategic policy options aimed at helping
countries at the bottom of the scale in technology
development catch up and those keeping pace to
become more competitive
Main activities of UNCTAD in
the field of ICTs and the information society
Electronic Commerce and
Development (www.unctad.org/ecommerce)
The ASYCUDA Programme -
Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA). Reform
and modernize the management of the customs
administrations of developing countries and countries
with economies in transition (www.asycuda.org)
ACIS (Advanced Cargo
Information System) A logistics information system
that used ICT to improve transport efficiency in
developing countries by tracking equipment and cargo
on transport modes (rail, road, lake/river) and at
interfaces (ports, Internal Clearance Depots) and
providing information in advance of cargo arrival. (www.railtracker.com
/ www.unctad.org/en/techcop/tran0105.htm)
Trade Point Programme –
Aims at facilitating the use of ICT by developing and
in particular the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and
small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
United Nations Commission on
Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) –
The CSTD was created by the General Assembly in 1992
to give high-quality advice on Science and Technology
to the General Assembly and the Economic and Social
Council (ECOSOC), and to sever as a forum to discuss
and advance understanding on emerging science and
technology issues. (www.unctad.org/stdev/)
TOP
Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Established the World
Agricultural Information Centre (WAICENT) for
agricultural information management and dissemination,
in an effort to fight hunger with information.
Established the Consultation of
Agricultural Information Management (COAIM)
- First
consultation: 5-7 June 2000
- Second
Consultation: Rome, 23-25 September 2002
Proposal
- The
management of agricultural information issues as a
contribution to reduce digital divide and ensure
food security.
TOP
United
Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (UNECLAC)
A Proposal for a
Conceptual Framework on the Information Society
Structuring of the themes and
issues of the Information Society in a
three–dimensional conceptual framework
- Horizontal
interest
- Vertical
interest
- Diagonal
interest
General architecture of
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
Characteristic of ICT: made up of
three different technological paths referred to as ICT-convergence.
- Information
technologies (systems which support the flow of
information, e.g. printing press)
- Communication
technologies (transmit small messages fast, over a
large distance, e.g tele-communications)
- Informatic
applications (technological solutions that help to
process information and to codify formerly tacit
knowledge and skills, e.g microprocessor).
ICT enables the storage and
diffusion of information and its exchange in “real
time” (communication) e.g. television.
Example of convergence – A
person can:
- read
a book (information)
- have
it translated in a foreign language (informatics
– translation software)
- comment
on it “real time” (communication)
Layers of ICT architecture
Infrastructure:
“the Net” (physical infrastructure e.g. modems,
transmission cables connected to fixed, wireline,
wireless or mobile networks.)
Language: enables
communication(transformation and retransformation of
information into data in order to enable transmission
e.g. binary digits over Internet Protocol, digital
applications and software)
Structure: “The Web”
(structures communication and coordination mechanisms,
e.g the World Wide Web is structuring “cyberspace”
through hyperlinks)
Content: storage,
diffusion and real-time exchange of information part
of every sector of society, e.g. commerce health,
government and public administration etc.
Concept of “digital conduct”
and the process of digitalization
Layers derived from the
architecture of modern ICT, which help to structure
the concepts of an “Information Society”
Four
layers of digital conduct:
- First
layer: Infrastructure Layer – Physical
creation of “the Net”, build-out of a computer
network, telephone lines, fiber-optic networks,
wireless networks. Companies in this layer include
telecom operators, electronics companies,
equipment producers
- Second
layer: Applications Layer – Products and
services in this layer build on the First layer
infrastructure to make it technologically feasible
in order to create value. Software production e.g
Microsoft, web hosting, browser and multimedia
applications fall into this category
- Third
layer: Intermediary Layer – increases the
efficiency of electronic markets by structuring
communication in a certain way i.e. facilitation
of meetings and interactions of online activities.
Examples include portals like Yahoo, electronic
market places like Mercado Electronico,
governmental of civil society sites and
international organizations.
- Fourth
layer: Fulfillment Layer – digitalizing
part of the final performance. Fulfillment could
take place in e.g health sector, education,
entertainment, public administration etc. In
business sector, participants differentiated by
different segments: B2B, B2C, B2G etc.
(digitalization most advanced in this sector).
HORIZONTAL AREAS : Where
“Infrastructure Layer” and “Applications
Layer” set the ground on which the process of
digitalization takes place. Necessary, but not
sufficient for the creation of an Information society
VERTICAL AREAS of the Information
Society: different sectors of society, which are
subject to the process of digitalization, build up
vertically onto the horizontal groundwork. The stage
of development of an Information Society can be shown
through them.
DIAGONAL AREAS – process of
digitalization needs to supported by a number of
interrelated fields. These issues penetrate diagonally
different subjects that belong to both horizontal
areas and vertical areas. The inclusion of different
diagonal areas enables to identify issues that require
adjustment in the existing environment and to find
policies to support the creation of an Information
Society. Examples of diagonal areas:
Regulatory framework:
Horizontal areas:
- “Infrastructure”:.
telecommunications regulation, liberalization and
competition in telecom sector, technical standards
etc.
- “Applications
layer”: standards for software agents, open vs.
proprietary software etc.
Vertical areas
- Legislation
relating to secure data transmission and privacy,
special legislation for specific vertical areas
e.g. special privacy laws in the e-health sector
etc.
Human capital:
“life-long-learning”, “on-the-job-training”,
required professional profiles etc
Horizontal areas:
- telecommunication
engineers, software programmers etc.
Vertical areas:
- entrepreneurship,
training of the workforce in the health/public
sector, training teachers etc.
Financing mechanisms: foreign
investment in telecommunications market etc. (Infrastructure/Applications layer)
Vertical
Areas
- Ways
need to be found to finance adequate application
required by specific and local vertical areas
Financing
in the e-business sector – creation of Venture
Capital markets etc.
Horizontal
and Vertical Areas
- General
trade issues and economic support
Establishment and implementation
of development Strategies: can be employed for every
single one of the different horizontal and vertical
areas or can aim for an integrated approach.
Local ICT initiatives, national
development strategies, public-private sector
partnerships, regional efforts and global initiatives
etc for achieving a large variety of socioeconomic
development goals through the help of ICT
DIGITAL DIVIDE:
Originates in the Infrastructure
Layer.
Extends to Application Layer –
ICT-access costs are a combination of hardware and
software pricing.
Vertical area: connectivity of
companies, municipalities, connectivity in schools,
hospitals etc.
TOP
International
Labour Organization (ILO)
Suggested Themes
1. Rapid evolution of ICTs
contributing to the widening income and social gaps
both within and across countries.
- Economies
with poor infrastructure, scarce human resources,
limited entrepreneurial skills, volatile financial
markets and weak judicial system will find it
increasingly difficult to integrate themselves
into global supply chain.
- ICTs
changing the operations of markets for goods,
services and production factors.
- Economies
where enterprises profit from low-cost
intermediary goods and which can integrate
effectively to supply chains will become
increasingly competitive, edging out firms in less
well-endowed countries.
- Low
labour costs will cease to be, on their own,
competitive advantages.
2. Development of ICTs has
enhanced the growth of global supply chains.
- Important
consequences over the structure and survival of
firms in developed and developing countries alike.
- Structures
of sectors being transformed into “virtual”
corporations with highly adaptable subcontractors
around the world.
- International
division of labour can be affected by these
transformations.
3. Affordable, sustainable and
accessible communication necessary, but not sufficient
for economic growth and social progress.
4. Active participation of
workers and their organization essential to harness
the benefits of new technologies.
- Governments
and employers’ organizations must play active
role in the preparation and implementation of
integrated policies to harness benefits of ICTs.
5. Introduction of specific
computer based applications can radically change
labour demand and might increasingly shift labour from
developing to developed countries.
- International
efforts to bolster the use of, and training in,
open sources operating systems and software
indispensable.
- Will
ensure that developing countries jumpstart their
own efforts in this field.
6. Unequal access to
telecommunications leads to unequal access to
employment.
- Public
authorities and employers’ and workers’
organizations could join forces to strengthen
labour market information systems and develop
strategies to improve access to these systems.
7. Widely available information
facilitates social participation.
- Workers’
and employers’ organizations must be empowered
to develop own information systems to enhance
communications with respective memberships.
8. WSIS should explore digital
divide as contributing factor to global social
deficit. Should expand policy scope to include factors
that limit the effective use of new
technologies, and emphasize the role of social actors
as agents of change. Summit could suggest:
a)
Stimulate demand for information services and
products by:
i.
Strengthening managerial skills to permit
effective use of richer, more pertinent and reliable
data.
ii.
Ensuring
conditions to permit local enterprises to participate
competitively in supply chains.
iii.
Enhancing
public statistical and economic data sets to improve
policy formulation and improve marketing exercises.
iv.
Improve
accessibility, quality, reliability and scope of
labour market information systems.
v.
Developing
business development services that place emphasis on
the appropriate use of information and provide
services to harness it.
vi.
Promoting
associative or cooperative use of infrastructure and
services to permit small enterprises, workers and
organizations affordable access to information
services.
vii.
Adopt
e-government strategies contracted locally and based
on publicly available open source code.
b)
Enhance human resource development by:
i.
Enforcing high quality education for all.
ii.
Introducing life-long training practices and
strengthening retraining for unemployed workers.
iii.
Promoting the use of open source code
throughout the educational system.
c)
Facilitate introduction of new information and
communication technologies by:
i.
Ensuring active tripartite dialogue on the
economic transformations required.
ii.
Hosting Internet sites and virtual fora for
social partners and providing technical support for
development and use of such facilities.
iii.
Generating wide public debate on importance of
training and information as a means to enhance the
competitiveness and democracy in societies.
d)
Adopt macroeconomic policies that minimize the
cost of operating telecommunications and data
processing equipment and of accessing the
corresponding services.
TOP
United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) (received
June 21 2002)
Main challenges that WSIS has to
address:
- Digital
divide
- Work
towards ensuring the free flow of, and equitable
access to, data, information, best practices and
knowledge across all sectors and disciplines
- Build
international consensus on newly required norms
and principles to respond to emerging ethical
challenges and dilemmas of the information society
A. UNESCO’s Input to WSIS
Core mission of UNESCO:
Promote “the free exchange of ideas and knowledge”
and to “maintain, increase and diffuse knowledge”
Strategic thrusts of the
Organization:
·
Developing universal principles and
norms, based on shared values, in order to meet
emerging challenges in education, science, culture and
communication and to protect and strengthen the
“common good”;
·
Promoting pluralism, through recognition
and enhancement of diversity together with the
observance of human rights;
·
Promoting empowerment and participation
in the Information Society through equitable access,
capacity-building and sharing of knowledge.
Growth of networks and ICT
applications will not in itself provide the
foundations for knowledge societies – constructing
and disseminating knowledge with its intrinsically
complex and cognitive elements, is a far more
intricate and costly process.
Information is not enough – the
information society to be shaped in a way that it
evolves into knowledge
societies that fully respect the huge diversity of
cultures and identities and the universality, indivisibility
and interdependence of human rights.
UNESCO
puts emphasis on content aspect of the Information
Society, including sociocultural and ethical
dimensions
UNESCO’s
contribution to the Summit focuses on four main
objectives:
1.
WSIS proposed themes: Opening the Gates/Developing a framework
UNESCO:
Agreeing on common principles for the construction of
knowledge societies
Principles
and actions for consideration by the Summit
Principles
·
The
Information Society should be strongly based on a
commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms
and should in particular ensure the full realization
of the right to education and all cultural rights as
well as freedom of expression as fundamental human
rights.
·
In
the Information Society, access to the public
domain of information and knowledge for
educational and cultural
purposes must be as broad as possible.
·
Information
must be of high quality, diversified and reliable.
·
The
Information Society must ensure the diversity of
languages, scripts and cultures.
Actions
·
Consensus-building
among States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector on a
number of basic principles, concepts, objectives,
policies and practices for progressing towards
equitable knowledge societies.
·
Awareness-raising
and design of patterns of cooperation that are most
conducive to diversity of supply and effective
participation of all countries as producers and
consumers of information, knowledge, as well as
cultural works.
·
Encourage
linguistic diversity as well as the production,
safeguard and dissemination of diversified contents in
the media and global information networks, promote the
role of public radio and television services in the
development of audiovisual productions of good
quality, in particular by fostering the establishment
of cooperative mechanisms to facilitate their
distribution.
·
Ensure
protection of copyright and related rights and fair
remuneration of creative work, while at the same time
upholding a public right to access to information.
·
Recognize
and encourage private sector’s contribution to
enhance cultural diversity in the Information Society.
·
Produce studies and research on the
impact of the information society, in particular on
education, science and culture, and foster the
exchange of knowledge and best practices in this
respect.
2. WSIS proposed theme: The
needs of the users
UNESCO:
Promoting the use of ICTs for empowerment, governance
and social participation
Principles
and actions for consideration by the Summit
·
The
Information Society is only equitable if all people,
including disadvantaged and marginalized groups, as
well as women
and youth benefit equally from ICTs for network
strengthening, information sharing, creating knowledge
resources and developing skills necessary for
life/work in the new digital environment.
·
The
enhancement of dialogue between citizens and public
authorities must be one of the major objectives of the
Information Society.
·
The
Information Society must be based on the sharing of
information and the genuine participation of social
groups at various levels; and on the use of ICT as a
means of empowering local communities and help them
combat marginalization, poverty and exclusion.
Actions
·
Consensus
building on common shared values and ethical
principles that should underlie the Information
Society.
·
Promoting
the creation and sharing of local content and ICT
applications and studying their impact.
·
Fostering
increased participation of citizens in civic life and
in decision making by means of ICTs.
·
Strengthening
capacity building for ICT use by citizens including
through networked MCTs and CMCs.
·
Promoting
the development of appropriate information and
communication tools to support decision making and to
encourage dialogue.
·
Encouraging
the formulation of policies for enhancing the role of
women and youth in the Information Society, and the
diffusion of information on gender and ICT policy
issues.
·
Promoting
the access to information and knowledge sources of
youth as a prerequisite for their competent social
choice, behaviour and participation.
·
Improving
training of women and youth in ICT literacy and
technical skills in order to enable them to enter
empowered into the information society.
3.
WSIS proposed themes: Services and applications
UNESCO:
Strengthening capacities for scientific research,
information sharing, cultural creation, performances
and exchanges
Principles
and actions for consideration by the Summit
·
For
the Information Society to be equitable for all,
access to and participation in all forms of
intellectual activity for educational, scientific,
cultural and communication purposes must be ensured.
·
The production and dissemination of educational, scientific and cultural
materials and the preservation of the digital heritage
should be regarded as crucial elements of the
Information Society.
·
Networks
of specialists and of virtual interest groups should
be developed as they are key to efficient and
effective exchanges and cooperation in the Information
Society.
Actions
·
Enhancing the
capabilities of national institutions in developing
countries to adapt to the demands of the information
society.
·
Improving
access by developing countries to ICTs for scientific
data and information dissemination.
·
Increasing
effective use of ICTs for better transmission and
sharing of scientific
knowledge at all
levels, including establishment of virtual
universities, also taking into account local and
indigenous knowledge.
·
Fostering use of ICTs by cultural
industries in developing countries.
·
Contributing to broadening international
exchange of cultural goods and services through
development of endogenous cultural industries;
fostering use of ICTs for exhibition, promotion and
marketing of cultural works.
·
Developing an international framework
for the preservation of digital heritage
4.
WSIS proposed theme: ICTs and Education
UNESCO:
Enhancing teaching and learning opportunities through
access to diversified contents and delivery systems
Principles
and actions for consideration by the Summit
·
ICTs
must contribute to enhancing the quality of teaching
and learning, the sharing of knowledge and
information.
·
ICTs
have the potential to introduce in the educational
process a higher degree of flexibility in response to
societal needs.
·
The
potential of ICTs to lower the cost of education and
to improve internal and external efficiencies of the
education system must be grasped.
·
The
Information Society must seize the opportunities of
ICTs as innovative and experimental tools to renew
education.
·
ICTs
should be seen both as educational discipline and as
pedagogical tools capable of enhancing the
effectiveness of educational services.
·
Broad-based
dialogue among all stakeholders and consensus building
at national and international levels can yield
strategies and policies for expanding access to
education and learning, progressing towards EFA
targets at country level and renewing formal and non
formal education systems.
Actions
·
Disseminating
knowledge and best practices related to the use of
ICTs in education and learning processes and to their
impact on education systems (e.g. through online
clearing houses and multimedia resource centres).
·
Demonstratring
the impact of ICT-based alternative delivery systems
through pilot projects, notably for achieving EFA
targets.
·
Furthering
teacher training in the use of ICTs in education and
learning as well as new forms of
networking of teacher institutions and
teachers.
·
Promoting the
use by governments of ICT-based delivery systems in
formal and non-formal education, utilizing different
mixes of new and traditional media and appropriate
methodologies.
·
Disseminating
research results on ICT facilitated dynamics of the
teaching/learning process and its impact on content
and teacher-learner interaction, in particular as
regards distance education and teacher training and
development.
·
Fostering
international debate and reflection in favour of
developing internationally compatible descriptors and
standards for distance and e-learning courseware, and
for e-learning institutions.
B. UNESCO’s Preparatory Work for the Summit
UNESCO
acting on two levels:
1.
governmental level involving Member States
through National Commissions for UNESCO
2.
non-governmental level through professional
communities and civil society
UNESCO
member states involvement
o
Intergovernmental Council for the
Information for All Programme
o
Organization of regional UNESCO
pre-conferences and symposia in cooperation with the
National Commissions for UNESCO
Professional
communities and civil society involvement
o
Thematic consultations and regional
conferences
Providing
background material for discussions and decisions
a)
UNESCO will prepare and widely distribute
material on:
·
ICTs and education
·
Cultural diversity and multilingualism
·
Libraries and archives in the
Information Society
·
Media in the Information Society etc.
b)
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) preparing
a statistical report giving a global picture of the
present status of ICT usage in education, sciences,
culture and communication
ANNEX
II
Consultations
with non-governmental organizations - Input of Civil
Society and non-governmental organizations for
PrepCom1 (see UNESCO contribution at http://www.itu.int/wsis/HLSOC-members-page/UNESCO
Strategy June 2002.doc)
TOP |
