STATEMENT BY
Mr. Janusz Stańczyk
Undersecretary of State at THE
Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Mr. President, Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen
On behalf of the Government of Poland, I
would like to thank the International Telecommunication
Union, the United Nations and, in the first place the
Tunisian Government for their major contributions in
preparing the second phase of the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS).
Mr. President,
As we well know the objective of the WSIS
process was not to discuss the utilizing of ICT’s or to
consider their axiomatic value but to find a way to build
digital solidarity and to develop and expand the Information
Society. We believe that thanks to the Tunis Summit a
responsible and balanced dialogue among all the WSIS
shareholders has been launched to facilitating the
attainment of this aim.
The final documents of the Summit confirm
and reflect the engagement of all participants: governments,
international organizations together with the private sector
and civil society in the WSIS process. Their adoption does
not mean the end of this process. It is only the second
phase of the Summit that is coming to an end. We should
already prepare ourselves for the next stage in order to
establish effective mechanisms of implementation and
follow-up of the Summit recommendations.
At present the majority of people in the
world are not benefiting from the new technology. A digital
divide separates the rich and the poor countries. But there
is also a division between the old and the young and between
the educated and those without the benefit of education. It
is the task of all of us to come up to bridge such a digital
divide.
Mr. President,
The Internet and other ICT’s technologies
can be a reliable means of diving more substance to the idea
of sustainable development. In particular, they can be an
effective tool for forecasting and preventing global
threats. In fact, the challenges, which the world is facing,
justify the need to build up a widely and freely accessible
world information network. Such a network could serve to
provide monitoring, forecasting and early warning capacity
with regard to natural and man-made disasters and thus help
to implement the principles of sustainable development.
Such a network would be vital in shaping
sustained economic growth and fair globalisation.
Mr. President,
As we all know the question of Internet
governance is of special significance. We welcome in this
respect the intention to assess the adequacy of present
Internet governance arrangements and to develop a more
detailed understanding of the respective roles and
responsibilities of all actors. This will enable us to
identify those issues that have been already dealt with
satisfactorily within the existing structures and to
concentrate on the issues which require further coordination
or co-operation.
Bearing this in mind, Poland is of the
view that the existing mechanisms regulating the functioning
of the Internet are performing quite well. Nevertheless, in
the face of new challenges, we recommend their improvement
by allowing the contribution of all interested stakeholders
for the sake of development and better use of the Internet.
The development of the information and
communication technologies like in general the economic and
social progress is possible only through guaranteeing
freedom of speech, respecting the principles of democracy
and taking responsibility by each country for observing the
fundamental freedoms and human rights within its borders.
Allow me, summing up, to re-iterate the
readiness of the Republic of Poland to endorse the
conclusions adopted at this Summit and to actively pursue
their implementation, drawing on all its resources and
potential.
Thank you for your attention.
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