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WSIS-II/PC-3/DOC/5-E
32.
Civil society. The roles and responsibilities of civil society include:
• Awareness-raising and capacity-building (knowledge, training, skills
sharing).
• Promoting various public interest objectives.
• Facilitating network-building.
• Mobilizing citizens in democratic processes.
• Bringing perspectives of marginalized groups, including, for example,
excluded communities and grass-roots activists.
• Engaging in policy processes.
• Contributing expertise, skills, experience and knowledge in a range of ICT
policy areas.
• Contributing to policy processes and policies that are more bottom-up,
people-centred and inclusive.
• Research and development of technologies and standards.
• Development and dissemination of best practices.
• Helping to ensure that political and market forces are accountable to the
needs of all members of society.
• Encouraging social responsibility and good governance practice.
• Advocating for the development of social projects and activities that are
critical but may not be “fashionable” or profitable.
• Contributing to shaping visions of human-centred information societies
based on human rights, sustainable development, social justice and
empowerment.
33.
Furthermore, the WGIG recognized that the contribution to the Internet of
the academic community is very valuable and constitutes one of its main sources
of inspiration, innovation and creativity. Similarly, the technical community and
its organizations are deeply involved in Internet operation, Internet standard-
setting and Internet services development. Both of these groups make a
permanent and valuable contribution to the stability, security, functioning and
evolution of the Internet. They interact extensively with and within all
stakeholder groups.
34.
The WGIG also reviewed the respective roles and responsibilities of
existing intergovernmental and international organizations and other forums and
the various mechanisms for both formal and informal consultations among these
institutions. It noted that there is scope to improve coordination to some extent.
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