Editorial
The WSIS Executive Secretariat has decided to continue the tradition of the E-Flash to keep you updated on events in the post-WSIS process. We will also continue to update the official WSIS website. While the content of the web-pages regarding the Geneva and Tunis Summit will be “frozen”, the other parts including basic information, stocktaking and the new chapter on “WSIS Implementation and follow-up” will be regularly updated.

With our best wishes for a happy and peaceful 2006,

The WSIS Executive Secretariat and its E-Flash team
 

WSIS Executive Secretariat maintained
As part of the activities in the post-Summit period, the ITU Secretary-General has decided to maintain the WSIS Executive Secretariat, although on a smaller scale, to carry out the implementation tasks stipulated in the Geneva Action Plan and Tunis Agenda of WSIS. These activities include the coordination/facilitation of multi-stakeholder implementation and stocktaking, as well as other essential tasks.

Meeting on WSIS Action Lines Moderators/Facilitators on 24 February 2006 
The Tunis Agenda (para 108-109) states that multi-stakeholder implementation at the international level should be organized taking into account the themes and action lines in the Geneva Plan of Action, and be moderated or facilitated by UN agencies when appropriate. The experience of, and the activities undertaken by, UN agencies in the WSIS process – notably ITU, UNESCO and UNDP - should continue to be used to their fullest extent. These three agencies are expected to play leading facilitating roles in the implementation of the Geneva Plan of Action and organize a meeting of Moderators/Facilitators of Action Lines. Accordingly, ITU, UNESCO and UNDP are convening the first multi-stakeholder consultation meeting on 24 February 2006 in the Palais des Nations, room XXI, in Geneva.

In addition to finalizing the list of moderators/facilitators for the different WSIS Action Lines as set out in the Annex of the Tunis Agenda, the meeting will discuss the nature of the coordination process, its outputs and the modalities and logistics of the work to be undertaken on WSIS implementation. A draft annotated agenda will be published on the official WSIS website. A registration/badge request form for participants without a UNOG badge will also be available on the website. The form should be completed and sent to the WSIS Executive Secretariat at the latest by 22 February 2006.

The WSIS Action Lines Moderators/Facilitators meeting will be preceded, on 23 February, by a consultation meeting on WSIS implementation, open only to UN agencies.

Internet Governance Forum - consultations on 16 - 17 February 2006
Mr. Nitin Desai, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Adviser for WSIS, will hold consultations on the convening of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Geneva 16-17 February. All WSIS stakeholders are invited to attend the meeting, which will take place in Room XVIII in the Palais des Nations from 10:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 18:00 hours. The aim of the consultations is to develop a common understanding among all stakeholders on the nature and character of the IGF. The meeting will address the IGF's scope of work and substantive priorities as well as aspects related to its structure and functioning. It will also discuss the convening of the inaugural meeting including the agenda and programme. All participants are invited to a reception hosted by the Swiss Authorities on 16 February 2006 at 18:00 hours.

More information (including the official notification of the meeting, the agenda and additional information on participation and logistics can be found on the IGF website. Please note that all participants to this meeting have to pre-register. Registration forms should be sent by fax to the IGF Secretariat preferably by 4 February, but not later than 11 February. 

WSIS Golden Book
The WSIS Golden Book was launched in October 2005 with the objective of highlighting stakeholder commitments and new initiatives announced during the Tunis phase of WSIS. These initiatives complement those already underway, which have been recorded in the WSIS Stocktaking database. As stated in paragraph 120 of the Tunis Agenda, the Golden Book serves as one of the valuable tools for assisting with the follow-up, beyond the conclusion of the Tunis phase of WSIS. The submissions to the Golden Book database will provide an input to a special publication that will be released in the first quarter of 2006. For more information, see:  www.itu.int/wsis/goldenbook

WSIS Stocktaking
The first edition of the WSIS Stocktaking Report, released at the Tunis Summit, is now available from the ITU E-Bookshop. The report provides an inventory of activities undertaken by governments and other stakeholders in implementing the WSIS decisions (the Geneva Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action) and takes stock of the progress made in building the Information Society. It does not claim to be comprehensive or exhaustive, but is intended to highlight a representative sample of the projects submitted during the first phase of WSIS, focusing on those of a multi-stakeholder nature and those involving cross-border cooperation. After the Tunis phase of WSIS, the Executive Secretariat, together with ITU, is continuing to take stock of all new submissions by stakeholders in the field of WSIS implementation with the objective of updating the stocktaking database. More information on WSIS stocktaking is available at:  www.itu.int/wsis/stocktaking.

The ITU development initiative “Connect the World”
Leaders from Connect the World partner organizations gathered on the opening day of the Tunis Summit to exchange experiences and sign a global pledge to “connect the unconnected by 2015.” This landmark event served as an important milestone in a global effort to mobilize a growing movement of stakeholders to help achieve the WSIS connectivity goals. ITU also organized a “Partnership Pavilion” at the Tunis Summit to showcase ITU and partner initiatives.

ITU is now preparing a Connect the World “Partners’ Panel” in cooperation with the Government of Qatar, to be held as a side event during the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC), from 7-15 March 2006. The Partners’ Panel event will serve as an informal forum for stakeholders to exchange views and provide concrete inputs to the WTDC. The theme of the Panel is “Implementing the WSIS and WTDC agendas through multi-stakeholder partnerships.”

Looking ahead into 2006, Connect the World will take steps to enhance interaction among partners by introducing new on-line tools to support collaboration and networking as well as the launching of new partnerships. ITU will also introduce a series of indicators to track progress in meeting shared goals. Together, these tools will help stakeholders maintain momentum and guide collective efforts to connect the unconnected by 2015. For more information on Connect the World, visit: https://www.itu.int/partners/index.html.
 

WSIS Outcome documents
The final WSIS Outcome documents are available in six languages on the WSIS website.

New general WSIS contact e-mail address
Please note that due to spam overflow, we had to change the general e-mail address of the WSIS Executive Secretariat. The new general contact address is available at: https://www.itu.int/net/wsis/contact/index.html. Please avoid copying this address on your websites, as spammers have automatic search programmes for e-mail addresses on websites.