WSIS
E-FLASH N°27, 2 OCTOBER 2006 (Summer-Autumn
2006) |
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17 May
2006, World Information Society Day
The first World Information Society Day was
celebrated on 17 May 2006 in response to the WSIS call to
raise awareness of the potential of ICT for the world’s
inhabitants. 17 May also marks the inception of the
International Telecommunication Union over 140 years ago in
1865. On this important occasion, the first
ITU World Information Society Award was presented to two
distinguished and eminent personalities whose outstanding
personal contributions have furthered the cause of building
a more inclusive and equitable Information Society and
helped close the digital divide. The inaugural ITU Award was
given to President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and Professor
Muhammad Yunus, Managing Director of Grameen Bank,
Bangladesh.
[More…]
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Cluster of WSIS-related events from 9-19 May 2006
A
cluster of WSIS-related activities took place over a 10-day
period, 9-19 May 2006. Geneva was the venue for several
significant steps being taken towards implementation and
follow-up action on the World Summit on the Information Society.
In keeping with the Tunis Agenda, ITU along with UNESCO and UNDP
took the lead to facilitate implementation of the WSIS Plan of
Action.
Moderators/facilitators of WSIS Action lines, such as ITU,
UNDP, UNCTAD, ILO and the United Nations Department of Economic
and Social Affairs organized Action Line Facilitation (ALF)
meetings to take the WSIS implementation process forward. The
results of these meetings as well as the dates of new ALF
meetings are available at:
www.itu.int/wsis/implementation/meetings.html
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1st Meeting of the UN Group on the Information
Society (UNGIS), 14 July 2006
Implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS) gathered momentum with the launch of
the United Nations Group on the Information Society (UNGIS).
High level representatives of twenty-two UN agencies met on
Friday, 14 July 2006 at ITU Headquarters in Geneva under the
chairmanship of ITU Secretary-General Yoshio Utsumi to
facilitate the process. UNGIS serves as an interagency
coordinating mechanism within the UN system to implement the
outcomes of WSIS. The Group will enable synergies aimed at
resolving substantive and policy issues, avoiding redundancies
and enhancing effectiveness of the system while raising public
awareness about the goals and objectives of the global
Information Society. UNGIS will also work to highlight the
importance of ICTs in meeting the Millennium Development Goals.
[More…]
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ECOSOC adopts resolution on the follow-up to WSIS
and review of the Commission on Science and Technology for
Development, 28 July 2006
In a resolution (E/2006/L.37) passed on 28 July 2006, entitled
“Follow-up to the World Summit on the Information Society and
review of the Commission on Science and Technology for
Development”, ECOSOC indicated how it will oversee the
system-wide follow-up of the Summit outcomes, as requested in
the Tunis outputs. This is in the context of the annual
consideration by ECOSOC of the integrated and coordinated
implementation and follow-up of major United Nations
conferences. To this end, ECOSOC decided that the Commission on
Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) will assist the
Council as the focal point in the system-wide follow-up of WSIS.
It was agreed that this would entail a strong development
orientation and that the Commission would be strengthened in its
substantive capacity through the effective and meaningful
participation of Member States in its work. While preserving the
inter-governmental nature of the Commission, ECOSOC decided that
CSTD should make use of the successful multi-stakeholder
approach that was pioneered by WSIS. During the next two
sessions (2007 and 2008), the deliberations of CSTD will
therefore be open not only to NGOs in consultative status with
ECOSOC, but also, after approval by ECOSOC, to other interested
NGOs and civil society entities. Those entities who wish to
participate in the work of the Commission should apply for
consultative status with ECOSOC. Business entities will also be
able to participate in the work of the Commission, on approval
by ECOSOC. The CSTD Secretariat will provide information about
the approval procedures in due course.
[Full
text of the resolution...]
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UNESCO organizes consultations on post-WSIS action
in Paris and Beijing in October 2006
UNESCO is organizing a series of consultations from 16 to 22
October in Paris and Beijing at which partnerships for
implementing a number of WSIS action lines are expected to be
brokered.
The action lines that the five consultations will cover are:
access to information and knowledge, ethical dimension of the
Information Society, e-learning, e-science, and media. For all
of them, UNESCO was assigned the role of an “interim focal
point”.
The meetings are intended to facilitate the initial contacts and
sharing of information among all stakeholders based on their
priorities and expertise in the implementation of each Action
Line. Also on the agenda is the establishment of a team of
stakeholders for each Action Line, including the nomination of a
facilitator for each team. Stakeholders are expected to agree on
the working methods of the multi-stakeholder teams, including
their activities and expected outcomes.
The meetings are open to all WSIS stakeholders; those interested
in participating are invited to
register online.
The consultation meetings on access to information and
knowledge, ethical dimension of the Information Society,
e-learning and media will take place 16 - 19 October 2006 at
UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, whereas the meeting on
e-science will be organized on 22 October 2006 in Beijing,
China, in conjunction with the Annual Conference of the
Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA).
- Cluster of WSIS-related events 2007, Geneva , 15 to
25 May 2007
As in 2006, a cluster of WSIS-related events will take place
in Geneva 15 to 25 May 2007 and will include celebration of the
second World Information Society Day. Several Action Line
Facilitation meetings will take place during this period. More
information on the cluster of events will be available on the
WSIS website early 2007. These events will be open to all WSIS
stakeholders.
- Other events:
Internet Governance Forum, Athens (Greece), 30 October to
2 November 2006
The first Internet Governance Forum will take place in
Athens, Greece, 30 October to 2 November 2006. This meeting is
open to all stakeholders. More information is available at
www.intgovforum.org and on the
website
of the host country.
The Global Alliance for ICTs and Development launched at
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) 19-20 June 2006
In a follow up to the recent decision of the
Secretary-General of the United Nations (see
UN press release), the inaugural meeting of the Global
Alliance for ICT and Development was held 19-20 June 2006 in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
World E-Gov Forum, Issy-les-Moulineaux, (Paris-France), 18-20
October 2006
The Forum calls for action to implement the “Universal
Digital Citizenship Agenda” in line with the WSIS commitments.
National Governments, Local Authorities, Experts and Business
leaders will discuss hands-on projects and agree on common
assessment tools. The programme includes plenary meetings,
workshops and special events. Registration:
www.worldegovforum.com
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With best regards,
WSIS EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT
https://www.itu.int/net/wsis/
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