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Global
News
February
20, 2003
Political
commitment required for GIS
GENEVA -- The World Summit on the Information Society,
scheduled to take place in Geneva from 10-12 December
and in Tunisia in 2005, provides a unique opportunity
to bring the tools of the information revolution to
the service of global development. Information and Communication
Technologies (ICTs) hold out the global promise of better
governance, and strengthen respect for human rights
and fundamental freedoms. However, while there has been
no shortage of international initiatives and good intentions
to bridge the 'digital divide' that exists between developed
and developing world, the time has come to mobilise
global resources and investment for the benefit of all
humanity.
Yoshio
Utsumi, secretary-general of the ITU, said: "We
need a commitment on the part of governments, the private
sector and civil society to realistic targets and concrete
action. We are at a critical time in the preparations
of the World Summit, which is less than a year away."
He urged the participants, experts, diplomats, policy
members and civil society representatives to help ensure
that the political leaders focus on this opportunity.
The
second global preparatory committee meeting was held
in Geneva from 17-28 February. The draft action plan
included the following main thematic lines:
- Mainstreaming
information and communication technologies into development.
Harnessing the full potential of information and communication
technologies can help achieve development goals more
quickly.
- Promoting
cultural and linguistic diversity, local content and
media development. Cultural diversity is a pre-requisite
for sustainable development. Local content in a variety
of languages disseminated through the media is indispensable
in achieving sustainable development.
- Building
human capacity. It is important to develop comprehensive
and forward-looking capacity building strategies,
which will enable people to acquire the skills necessary
to benefit from the potential of the information society.
- Fostering
digital opportunities by extending access, connectivity
and developing infrastructure. Advances in ICTs provide
unique opportunities to use the multiplier effect
to enhance access and participation of all communities
and social groups for improving their quality of life.
- Creating
an enabling policy, legal and regulatory environment.
There is a need to create a transparent, competitive
and trustworthy environment in order to maximise the
economic and social benefits of the information and
communication technology.
- Building
partnership and mobilising resources for the information
society. Establishing new and innovative multi-stakeholder
public-private partnerships, prioritising and mainstreaming
information and communication technologies in development
assistance and enhancing coordination of multilateral
and bilateral initiatives.
- Building
confidence and security in the use of ICTs. There
is a need to build confidence and security in the
use of ICTs if they are to be more widely used and
with greater reliability.
- Protecting
fundamental freedoms. The unprecedented development
of the ICTs requires further action to strengthen
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
in particular the right to freedom of opinion and
expression.
Contact:
International Telecommunications Union
Web: www.itu.int
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