1. WSIS – basic facts

2. How WSIS approaches IS
"It must be a true meeting of minds, bringing together all stakeholders from the developed and developing world.”
“It must have a common understanding of the Information Society and a concrete action plan."
ITU Secretary General, Yoshio Utsumi

3. Progressive rhetoric
“The real goal is not just to get more computers or more telephones, but rather to extend access to information, to guarantee the right to communicate and to focus on how ICTs can be used to achieve broader social and economic goals, such as the eradication of poverty.”
ITU leader, Yoshio Utsumi

4. How WSIS approaches IS Summit should concentrate on: Vision, Access,
Applications
NOTE: Orientation document for Prepcom 2
“Information and communication for all”
Adama Samassekou, president Prep Com

5. Issues within the document
Access
Roles of govt, business, civil society
Capacity building
Enabling environment
Policy making
Copyright

6. Issues within the document
Privacy
Security
Language, culture, local content
Proprietary vs open source software
ICTs in good governance, transparency
Originally missing: right to communicate!

7. Document: on development
Call for ICTs to be mainstreamed via:
E-learning
E-health
E-government
E-business
ICTs for disaster recovery
Agric, population, environment, weather

8. Draft proposals: Benchmarks to be adopted?
All education instits to be connected 2015
All hospitals by 2005, clinics 2010
90% people in range of broadcast 2010
All govt depts to have website by 2005
ICT development index to rank countries?
Publicise good practice & successes?
Train info workers.

9. WSIS declaration
Final declaration indicates WSIS moving away from technological determinism where IT is presumed to affect society much more than society affects IT.
Also toning down the technophilia stereotype which unquestioningly assumes that ICT growth is automatically a good thing.

10. WSIS declaration But no explicit definition of IS!
Yet, will have impact on global public opinion and policy:
Eg. telcoms regulation
Eg. donor policies
Eg. World Bank practices.
On freedom of expression & media growth?

11. Thank you