The Summit
Background
The international community is organizing a World Summit on the Information
Society. It will take place in two phases: in Geneva, December 2003, to be
followed up in Tunis two years later.
The Information Society is at the heart of the political, social, cultural
and economic questions confronting us in the beginning of the 21st century.
The focus of the Information Society Summit is not technology but the human
being - we must keep in mind that it is not enough to be connected to resolve
the fundamental problems that exist in the world.
What values do we embrace to ensure that the Information Society becomes
a vehicle for democracy, justice, equality, the respect for individuals and
peoples, their personal and social development? What is the role of communication
in shaping the future of the society we want to build?
Information travels at an increasingly faster rate. How does it affect
people of different cultures and stages of development? How do we respect
each other’s differences while building a responsible society? How do we
give each culture the space and visibility necessary to participate in a
dynamic that is revolutionizing society? How do we give each individual the
tools of information and communication necessary to his prosperity and creative
potential? These are among the questions facing the international community.
Everyone has a stake in the Summit. The opportunity is there to raise the
issues you would like to see addressed at the Summit. You will find here
the information you need to take part in the process.
The idea of a World Summit on the Information Society took root at the
ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Minneapolis in 1998 and is based on three
resolutions:
Objectives
The Summit plans to adopt:
- a Declaration embodying a set of principles and
rules of conduct aimed at establishing a more inclusive and equitable Information
Society; and
- a Plan of Action formulating operational proposals
and concrete measures to be taken so that people the world over will benefit
more equitably from the opportunities presented by the Information Society.
When and where
Geneva, 10 - 12 December 2003
A second phase is expected to take place in Tunis in 2005 to follow up
on the decisions taken in Geneva.
Who will participate?
The Summit will bring together Heads of States, representatives of government,
parliament, international organizations, local authorities, the private sector
and civil society.
A “Government PLUS” Summit
Without the active participation of civil society, local authorities, and
the private sector, an equitable Information Society cannot exist. This means
that a new form of dialogue must take place between governments and the partners
concerned:
- community & citizens’ networks
- professional associations
- development and solidarity associations
- multi-stakeholder coalitions
- academics
- trade unions
- media
To meet this challenge a new process has been
established to explore creative ways of interaction that will allow everyone
to provide input towards the decision-making process. In this way, the Summit
will act as a testing ground for future negotiations at a global level as
well as pave new ways of governance in the Information Society.
But much depends on the strong mobilization
of all stakeholders to come together and take part in the preparatory process
leading up to the Summit.
|