Follow-up activities to the First Phase and Preparation for the Second Phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)

     The regional follow-up activities organized by UNESCAP focuses on the regional and national implementation of the outcomes of Geneva Phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, the formulation of the Tehran Declaration on Building the Information Society in Asia and the Pacific and the Regional Action Plan towards the Information Society in Asia and the Pacific, as well as the exchange of information at the regional level on two outstanding issues of Internet governance and financial mechanisms for ICT for development to be discussed at the Tunis Phase.

     The Regional Action Plan is to take cognizance of the concerted measures of all stakeholders at the national, sub-regional and regional levels needed to create the enabling ICT policy environment and build requested capability, especially, human resources to prevent developing member countries from being further marginalized by the growing digital divide.

Background

     The First Phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was held in Geneva from 13 to 15 December 2003. By adopting the Declaration of Principles and the Plan of Action, WSIS has established a common vision and global consensus at the highest political level on the vital role of ICT for sustainable development including the promotion of the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

     What is important now is the speedy and thorough implementation of the decisions of the Geneva Phase. Therefore, the main focus of the Tunis Phase is the implementation of the Geneva Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action by stakeholders at national, regional and international levels with particular attention to the challenges facing the Least Developed Countries. The Tunis Phase is also expected to deal with the two outstanding issues which have not been resolved so far. These issues are the Financial Mechanisms for ICT for Development and the Internet Governance. During the Summit in Geneva, it was recommended that the process for the preparation to the Tunis Phase be inclusive and include regional dimensions.

     In this regard, at its 60^th session held in Shanghai in April 2004 the UNESCAP Commission expressed support for the recommendation of the first Committee on Managing Globalization held in November 2003 that a Regional Plan of Action be formulated to lead to an Information Society. Accordingly, the secretariat played a leading role in developing regional consensus in the context of the preparation for the Geneva Phase. This role was highly praised by the Commission at its 60th session which also requested UNESCAP to continue to play an active role in the implementation of the Geneva Phase and the preparation to the Tunis Phase. In this regard, it may be recalled that the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference for the Geneva Phase organized jointly by the Government of Japan and UNESCAP in Tokyo on 11-13 January 2003 adopted the Tokyo Declaration – the Asia-Pacific Perspective on the World Summit. It is time now to translate the Tokyo Declaration in the concrete Regional Plan of Action which would also incorporate the outcomes of the major global events, such as WSIS, World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and MDGs. The Regional Plan of Action is required to take cognizance of the concerted measures of all stakeholders at the national, sub-regional and regional levels needed to create the enabling ICT policy environment and build requested capability, especially, human resources to prevent developing member countries from being further marginalized by the growing digital divide. The plan should be implemented at the national and regional levels by all stakeholders with active facilitation by UNESCAP and other members of the Regional Interagency Working Group on ICT.

Activities

• The First Regional Conference (11-12 October 2004)
  At the First Regional Conference, country representatives and participants from international organizations and NGOs discussed their follow-up activities in the follow-up to the Geneva Phase WSIS, as well as their views on Internet governance and Financial Mechanisms for ICT for Development. It was agreed to formulate the Regional Action Plan, to discuss the draft Regional Action Plan in order to further take into account the needs and priorities of the countries in the respective sub-regions, and to present the draft Action Plan revised with the input from the sub- regional conferences to the high-level regional conference. The Regional Conference also agreed to further work on Internet governance and Financial Mechanisms in the region.
  
  Sub-regional activities
  Upon request of member countries, UNESCAP planned to hold further consultations following the First Regional Conference. Accordingly UNESCAP has organized four sub-regional conferences (Central Asia, Pacific, South and South-West Asia and South-East and East Asia) aiming at reflecting different sub-regional perspectives and needs and to give sub-regional countries stronger ownership of the Regional Plan of Action. Additionally, the Conferences discussed and gathered views on other aspects of ICT development and applications including two focal issues of the Tunis phase (Internet Governance and Financial Mechanisms for ICT for Development). The conferences held in Bali, Indonesia and Kathmandu, Nepal also discussed the role of ICT for Knowledge-based disaster management. These will form our regional inputs to the Global debate on the issues, and possible projects for implementation in the future.
  
• Bishkek Conference on Information Society and Regional Cooperation in Information and Communication Technologies for Development (16-18 November 2004)
• Sub-regional Symposium on ICT for Development in Pacific Island Developing Countries, Suva, Fiji (6-9 December 2004)
• South-East and East Asia Conference on Follow up to the First Phase and Preparation for Second Phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, Bali, Indonesia (1-3 February 2005)
• South and South-West Asia Conference on Follow up to the First Phase and Preparation for the Second Phase of the World Summit on Information Society, Kathmandu, Nepal (1-3 March 2005)
• High Level Asia-Pacific Conference for the World Summit on the Information Society, Tehran, The Islamic Republic of Iran (31 May - 2 June 2005)
  The High Level Conference adopted the Regional Action Plan towards an Information Society for Asia and the Pacific and the Tehran Declaration. The Conference discussed progress made since the Geneva phase of WSIS, the issues of Internet governance, best practices of financial mechanisms for ICT for development. It further deliberated on the role of ICT for knowledge-based disaster management.
• Cases of Financing ICT for development in Asia and the Pacific