NGO/UNESCO Liaison Committee –11/ 2004–Slide 1 UNESCO and WSIS: From Geneva to Tunis and Beyond...

NGO/UNESCO Liaison Committee –11/ 2004–Slide 1

UNESCO and WSIS: From Geneva to Tunis and Beyond

Presented by

Axel Plathe

Senior Programme SpecialistUNESCO, Information Society Division UNESCO [email protected]


• “Promote the free flow of ideas by word and image”

• “Maintain, increase and spread knowledge”

UNESCO’s mandate


• Enhancing information flows and providing infrastructure is insufficient

• A more comprehensive vision and a clearly developmental perspective are needed.

• Rather “Knowledge Societies” than “Information Society”

UNESCO’s Concept of Knowledge Societies


Knowledge

Dissemination

Knowledge

Utilization

Knowledge

Preservation

Knowledge

Creation

Building Knowledge Societies

Human Needs and Rights

Knowledge Societies

Pluralism


UNESCO in Geneva: Strategic Lessons

• Consistency of UNESCO’s message ”Towards Knowledge Societies”

• Importance of endorsement of this message by UNESCO governing bodies & Ministerial Roundtable Meeting

• Continuous profiling and visibility using various approaches (Cyberspace Recommendation, Charter on Preservation of Digital Heritage, participation in all Preparatory events, organization of Summit events, etc.)

• Importance of relationship management (e.g. with Permanent Delegations and professional NGOs, including IFLA and ICA)


WSIS Geneva: Results

• Process more important than Summit event, as it created unique opportunity for international dialogue on Information Society issues

• UNESCO’s visibility as a key actor & profile of its competencies greatly enhanced

• Declaration of Principles reflects UNESCO’s main concerns:• Freedom of Expression (Article 19) • Universal access to information (Key role of libraries)• Capacity-building in ICT and in using information resources• Cultural and linguistic diversity• Access to education (ICT-enhanced learning)• Importance of traditional, free & pluralistic media

• Plan of Action with many opportunities for UNESCO


WSIS Action Plan

• Includes ca. 75 actions (total: 150 actions) for which UNESCO can claim responsibility as it directly affects its mandate and its areas of expertise

• 32 C/5 (Programme and Budget for 2004-2005) as framework for implementing actions


Action Plan - UNESCO’s areas of competence

A. Media

B. Access

C. Education / Capacity-building

D. Sciences

E. Cultural diversity


A. Media

• Encouraging the media – traditional and new – to continue to play an important role in the Information Society

• Encouraging development of domestic legislation that guarantees independence and plurality of the media

• Promoting balanced and diverse portrayals of women by the media


B. Access

• Developing policy guidelines for public domain information (already developed, potential role for IFLA in implementing the Guidelines)

• Establishing multi-purpose community access points, need to make better use of library infrastructure

• Supporting capacity-building for local authorities / local governance

• Developing digital public library/archive services

• Facilitating access to periodicals and books


C. Education/Capacity-building

• Developing programmes to eradicate illiteracy using ICTs and libraries

• Promoting e-literacy skills for all

• Developing ICT-based alternative educational delivery systems, notably for achieving Education for All targets

• Using ICTs to meet the educational needs of information professionals

• Developing distance learning, training and other forms of education as part of capacity-building programmes


D. Sciences

• Promoting electronic publishing, differential pricing and open access initiatives such as Open Archives

• Promoting ICT use and networks to share scientific knowledge

• Promoting long-term systematic and efficient collection, dissemination and preservation of scientific digital data

• Promoting collaborative IPR models for sharing technological and scientific know-how


E. Cultural Diversity

• Creating policies that support cultural and linguistic diversity - Recommendation on Universal Access and Multilingualism

• Promoting the production of cultural, educational and scientific content

• Developing local cultural industries suited to the linguistic and cultural context of the users

• Using ICTs for the preservation of natural and cultural heritage as well as intangible heritage

• Promoting understanding of other cultures as a means of facilitating global dialogue


Action I

Action II

Action I

Action II

Action I

Action II

Action I

Action II

Highlighting “Knowledge Societies”

Freedomof Expression

Universal Accessto Information

Cultural and LinguisticDiversity

Equal Accessto Education

Actions

Concept

Principles

Links to WSIS Action Plan

Action I

Action II

Towards Knowledge Societies


ICA

NN

?

Issues

Civil society

Private sector

Industry

Standard bodies

Academia

National bodies: Governments

International bodies: IGOs

Internet GovernanceFeatures Stakeholders

Users

Autonomy

Transparency

Competence

Participation

Openness

Stability

Technical issues•IP standards•DNS•Root server•Access

Dispute resolution

Publicdomain

Rights-holders’ interests

Child protection

Cybercrime

Universal & equitable access

Operational stability

Privacy/Data protection

Multi-lingualism

Freedom of expression

Cultural diversity

Consumer protection

Ethical, legal and societal issues


Financial Mechanisms

• UN Secretary-General established Task Force on Financial Mechanisms (TFFM)

• UNESCO’s position

• UNESCO neutral on pros/cons of a special Fund

• Promote an understanding that encompasses the principles for Knowledge Societies

• Ensure inclusion of other than financial aid (e.g. capacity-building, content provision)

• Ensure link to development agendas

• Encourage improved cooperation among existing funding and capacity-building mechanisms


Report

Resolution

Declaration of Principles

Share common views

Plan of Action

Share objectives (what/when)

Review actions

Build concrete mechanisms for actions (who/how)

Regional Meetings

PrepComsGeneva Summit ITU

WSIS-ES

HLSOC

Follow up

Coordination Group

(stakeholders)Thematic meetings(& Regional meetings)

WG on Internet Governance

TF on Financing Mechanism

PrepComs

Deliverables Modalities Secretariat

Ph

ase

IP

has

e II

Bureau

Tu

nis

Su

mm

it

Bureau

ITU

WSIS-ES

Sec

retariat for

Co

ord

inatio

n G

rou

p

HLSOC

Road Map to Tunis

Group of Friendsof the Chair


Between Geneva and Tunis – Actors

• PrepComs

• Bureau of the PrepCom

• Group of the Frieds of the Chair

• High Level Summit Organizing Committee (HLSOC)

• WSIS Executive SecretariatSame role as for Phase 1

• Tunisian WSIS SecretariatOrganizing committee: Habib Ammar

• Civil Society Caususes

• Other initiatives (e.g. wsis-online.net: platform for all stakeholders to identify issues of common concern)


Between Geneva and Tunis: UNESCO

• Capitalizing on banner headline "Towards Knowledge Societies"

• Operationalizing this concept by implementing the Action Plan

• Building on adopted positions:

• Recommendation on the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace"

• UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity

• UNESCO Charter for the Preservation of Digital Heritage

• Ministerial Round Table on Knowledge Societies

• Involving Member States (Briefing Sessions for Delegations, etc )

• Involving professional NGOs (with official status with UNESCO UNESCO, such as IFLA and ICA, meeting NGO-Liaison Committee/UNESCO 29/4)

• Organizing events around themes like ‘Freedom of Expression’, ‘Cultural/linguistic Diversity’, ‘ICT for Reaching the Marginalized’, and ‘Capacity Building’


Principles for Stocktaking (I)• Use stocktaking exercise for monitoring progress and

tracking changes• Develop a dynamic solution that facilitates identifying

and building relationships• Maintain clear links to the structure of the WSIS Action

Plan • Encourage and record input from all stakeholders

(Governments, IGOs, Civil Society, Private Sector)• Create synergies with other initiatives

(e..g. Development Gateway, wsis-online.net)


• Facilitate the development of online communities committed to implementing the WSIS Action Plan

• Take decision on passive, unqualified versus “validated” (criteria based) content contribution

• Use a single online platform of interoperable systems to create a primary repository of information on implementation activities

• Ensure editorial independence and transparency of the stocktaking process

• Only some of these suggestions will be realized

Principles for Stocktaking (II)


WSIS Action Directory

• UNESCO has established an online tool for taking stock of its contribution to the implementation of the WSIS Action Plan

• Access by :• categories of the WSIS Action Plan• regions and countries• types of actions• UNESCO’s main fields of competence• UNESCO’s four principles for Knowledge Societies

• Built on a robust, modular, database driven directory management platform (Gossamer-Threads LinksSQL)


UNESCO Directory

Access by type of activities

Access by regions and countries

Access by WSIS Action Plan areas

Access by UNESCO principles

Access by UNESCO areas


Multi level descriptionsBrief descriptions of activites in a given Action Plan area

Detailed description of single entry


Community ParticipationSearch functions available throughout the Directory

High level of interactivity/community building through «Add a comment» screen available for each activity


Backoffice

Easy to use and intuitive web based administration interface

Content management can be fully decentralized by assigning specific editorial rights to specific content areas


UNESCO’s Offer• UNESCO’s WSIS Directory management platform:

o Is fully customizableo Can be tailored to specific needso Can accommodate the management of different types of information

through personalized look and feelo Can have different content managers for different categories of

information o Supports multilingualism

• UNESCO’s WSIS Directory management platform is available for the stocktaking exercise by using: o UNESCO's technical infrastructure (servers, network, internet

bandwidth)o UNESCO's IT experts


Process

UNESCO participates actively in• Preparatory Committee meetings (PrepComs)• Regional conferences• Working Group on Internet Governance • « Group of friends of the President » • Thematic meetings


ProcessUNESCO’s thematic meetings• Exptected results

• Concrete actions identified• Key activities “showcased”• Strategic alliances established

• Themes• Freedom of Expression in Cyberspace• Harnessing the potential of ICTs, including satellites, for capacity

building • Multilingualism in Cyberspace• Cultural Diversity• Empowering citizens through knowledge


Building Knowledge Societies. Information for All Programme


Content

• Knowledge Societieso Definitiono Principles

• IFAP and Knowledge Societies

• IFAP o Methods & Toolso Objectiveso Actionso Areaso Partnerso National Committees o Adminstration


UNESCO’s mandate• “Promote the free flow of ideas by word and image”• “Maintain, increase and spread knowledge”

UNESCO: A focus on content

UNESCO’s Mandate

Enhanced UNESCO’s relevancein the information society


• Enhancing information flows and providing infrastructure is insufficient

• A more complex, holistic and comprehensive vision and a clearly developmental perspective are needed.

• Rather «Knowledge societies» than «Information society»

About Knowledge Societies


Know-ledge

Dissemi-nation

Know-ledge

Utili-zation

Know-ledge

Preser-vation

Know-ledge

Creation

Human Needs and Rights

Knowledge Societies

Pluralism

About Knowledge Societies


Principles

• Freedom of ExpressionRespect for Article 19 of UDHR, freedom of the press, freedom of speech on the Internet

• Universal access to information and knowledgeInfrastructure and connectivity; affordability; information literacy; know-how for use and development; education; free flow of information; public domain

• Respect for cultural/linguistic diversityUnderstanding and respect for other cultures; plurality and diversity of content and languages; importance of locally relevant content

• Quality education for allAccess to education as a fundamental right; education as a tool for combating illiteracy, marginalization, poverty and exclusion


What is IFAP?

• Intergovernmental Programme created in 2001

• Successor of General Information Programme (PGI) and Intergovernmental Informatics Programme (IIP)

• International framework for• Facilitating reflection and debate

• Developing strategies, methods and tools

• Promoting networks

• Initiating pilot projects

What is IFAP?


IFAP Methods & Tools

How can IFAP make a difference?

• Uniqueness & influence of its intergovernmental nature

• IFAP’s ability to influence at the national level and to use its local network

• IFAP’s potential to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and to the implementation of the WSIS Plan of Action


IFAP Objectives

• Promote international reflection and debate on the ethical, legal and societal challenges of the information society;

• Promote and widen access to information in the public domain through the organization, digitization and preservation of information;

• Support training, continuing education and lifelong learning in the fields of communication, information and informatics;


• Support the production of local content and foster the availability of indigenous knowledge through basic literacy and ICT literacy training;

• Promote the use of international standards and best practices in communication, information and informatics in UNESCO’s fields of competence;

• Promote information and knowledge networking at local, national, regional and international levels.

IFAP Actions


IFAP Areas

• Area 1: Development of international, regional and national information policies

• Area 2: Development of human resources and capabilities for the information age

• Area 3: Strengthening institutions as gateways for information access

• Area 4: Development of information processing and management tools and systems

• Area 5: Information technology for education, science, culture and communication


Partnerships

Why?

• to harmonize positions and policies • to create a multiplier effect from improved communication and

collaboration

With whom?• UNESCO Sectors • International programmes within and outside the UN• Stakeholder NGOs• Private sector


National CommitteesWhat?o Increase awareness of IFAP’s purpose to capture imagination and resourceso Encourage participation by Member States o Translate IFAP’s global objectives into national activitieso Foster efficient and effective national practices, through international exchange

Where?• Afica: 5

• Arab States: 3• Asia and the Pacific: 10• Europe and North America: 19• Latin America and the Caribbean: 4

Who?o UNESCO National Commission: 18o Within a governmental policy body: 12o Under the leadership of an operational, research or educational institute: 11


Administrative Structure

• Intergovernmental Councilo Function: Guidance its planning and implementationo Twenty-six Member States of UNESCOo President: Daniel Malbert, France o Annual meetings in the first three years of its existence

• Secretariat: UNESCO (Information Society Division)


www.unesco.org/webworld/ifap

NGO/UNESCO Liaison Committee –11/ 2004–Slide 1 UNESCO and WSIS: From Geneva to Tunis and Beyond...

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