UNESCO contributes to preparing the World Summit on the Information Society

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Item 5 Report by the Director-General on the
implementation of the Information for All
Programme

Intergovernmental Council for the Information for
All ProgrammeThird SessionParis, 4-6 May
2004 Elizabeth Longworth Director, Information
Society DivisionCommunication and Information
SectorUNESCOe.longworth_at_unesco.org
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A. Actions carried out in the areas of the
activities of IFAP

• IFAPs mandate is to guide direct emphases in
  UNESCOs Regular Programme
• The following projects are from the Regular
  Programme and deliver on IFAPs objectives

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Objective 1 Promoting international debate on
the challenges of the information society

• Creation of linguistic and regional portals of
  the UNESCO Observatory on the Information
  Society

• Observatório da Sociedade da Informação, Brazil
• Regional Observatory of the Information Society
  in Asia and the Pacific (ROISAP)
• Observatory on the Information Society in Africa
• Observatory for Arab States

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Objective 2 Promoting and widening access to
information in the public domain

• Distribution of the Policy Guidelines for the
  Development and Promotion of Governmental Public
  Domain Information
• Inscription of 23 new heritage collections on the
  Memory of the World Register
• Establishment of the Caribbean Audiovisual
  Information Network (CAVIN) as follow-up of the
  First Caribbean Audiovisual Information
  Conference
• Development of an electronic library user package
  by UNAL
• Expansion of the UNAL network in Latin America
  through training and provision of software
• Workshop in Maputo, Mozambique, on
  implementingtelecentre helpdesks

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Objective 3 Supporting training, continuing
education and lifelong learning

• Preparation of a CD-ROM based learning module on
  digitization and digital libraries (with FAO)
• ISISMARC training course in Quilmes, Argentina
• ISIS in Transition-Seminar in Buenos Aires
• Development of a Distance-training module for
  university students in Hebron
• Training in the use of ICT for youth leaders from
  rural areas in 7 countries
• Establishment of a Public Internet Centre in
  Kabul

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Objective 4 Supporting production of local
content , fostering availability of indigenous
knowledge

• Establishment of a regional cooperation framework
  for universities with pilot project
  implementation in Côte dIvoire and Senegal
• First Regional Seminar on Virtual Universities in
  Latin America and the Caribbean, Quito
• Establishment of partnership between French and
  Mexican institutions to set up a virtual campus
  for the education of civil servants
• Foundation of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)
  Virtual University

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Objective 4 Supporting production of local
content , fostering availability of indigenous
knowledge (contin)

• Training of community consultants in the
  establishment of telecentres in Ethiopia
• Development of an interactive course for Latin
  America and the Caribbean, sharing the
  methodology of telework
• Range of actions for equitable access by the
  Initiative B_at_bel, e.g. handbook for documentation
  of endangered languages, multilingual knowledge
  base on cultural policies

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Objective 5 Promoting the use of international
standards and best practices

• Enhancement of open source Greenstone digital
  library software
• Regional Greenstone training workshops for Asia,
  Africa and the Pacific
• Initiation of a pilot project on the evaluation
  and usability improvement of open educational
  resources, involving 7 universities in Africa,
  the Arab States and the USA
• Organization of a pilot distance learning course
  in Africa, using multimedia digital radio
  technology

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Objective 6 Promoting information and knowledge
networking

• ICT forum on optimizing opportunities for women
  in Kuala Lumpur in order to increase awareness of
  the gender dimension of ICT
• Meeting of focal points for the Regional
  Information Society Network for Africa (RINAF)
  in Khartoum, presenting pilot projects, e.g. on
  distance education with ICT support

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B. World Summit on theInformation Society

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The Geneva Summit

• 10-12 December 2003
• More than 11,000 participants
• Heads of States and Governments from ca. 60
  countries
• Very successful process for UNESCO
• UNESCO succeeded in broadening the debate
• Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action
  entrench the four principles for Knowledge
  Societies
• International consensus on the values of
  inclusive and pluralist societies where all can
  benefit from the potential of ICT

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The Geneva Summit (contin)

• UNESCO events Towards Knowledge Societies
• High Level Symposium
• 8 thematic round table discussions (Round table
  on Cultural Diversity presided over by Ms
  Fernandez-Baca)
• Launch of the Community Multimedia Centres
  Initiative
• UNESCO stand at ICT4D platform
• WSIS Publication series comprising 8 titles
• Distribution of information material including
  IFAP brochure

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UNESCO between Geneva and Tunis

• Implementing the Action Plan in UNESCOsfields
  of competence
• Capitalizing on banner headline "Towards
  Knowledge Societies" by operationalizing this
  concept and the four principles
• 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
• Showcasing UNESCOs implementation activities
  leading up to, and at Tunis
• Involving professional NGOs

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Internet Governance and Digital Solidarity

• UN Secretary-General establishes working groups
• UNESCO will participate in the debates
• Internet Governance
• UNESCO to get involved in the discussion on the
  broader issues falling in its areas of competence
  (e.g. ethical, legal and societal issues)
• Digital Solidarity
• UNESCO neutral on pros/cons of a special fund
• UNESCO to promote an understanding that
  encompasses the principles for Knowledge
  Societies

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C. Follow-up to the Cyberspace Recommendation

• Adoption by General Conference at its 32nd
  session
• UNESCO to play a leading role in encouraging
  access to information for all and cultural
  diversity in cyberspace
• Member States requested to integrate the
  Recommendation into national legislation or
  policies
• Member States invited to provide information
  about activities

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D. Follow-up to the Charter on the Preservation
of Digital Heritage

• Adoption by General Conference at its 32nd
  session
• Fundamental policy document
• UNESCO to serve as a reference point and forum
• UNESCO to foster cooperation, awareness-raising
  and capacity-building
• UNESCO to propose guidelines
• Regional training workshops have been started

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E. Status of the IFAP National Committees

• To date, 40 IFAP National Committees
• Africa 5
• Arab States 3
• Asia and the Pacific 10
• Europe and North America 18
• Latin America and the Caribbean 4
• Institutional Frameworks
• Under UNESCO National Commission 17
• Within a governmental policy body 12
• Under the leadership of an institute 11
• Information requested on their needs and
  activities

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F. Relationship between IFAP and IPDC

• Different focus
• IPDC Mass media and their contribution to
  development
• IFAP Information and its potential to accelerate
  development
• Future relationship analysis by Bureaux as to
  constituencies, objectives, modalities, points of
  differentiation and synergies
• Options for collaboration
• Joint position papers by the Presidents
• Joint meetings of the Bureaux
• Back-to-back organization of the next two council
  sessions linked by joint thematic debate

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F. Relationship between IFAP and IPDC (contin)
IFAP
Areas of intervention

• Infostructure (legal frameworks,institutions,
  etc.)
• Information worker communities
• Policy development andimplementation

Target Groups
Primary Function
Knowledge Societies
IPDC
Areas of intervention

• Mass media and print press
• Journalists
• Project funding and delivery

Target Groups
Primary Function
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G. Relationship of IFAP with other international
initiatives

• Increasing number of organizations and programmes
  addressing the issue of ICTs for development
• several intergovernmental organizations
• important number of NGOs and private-sector based
  initiatives with smaller, more clearly defined
  scope
• Limited number of networking structures like
  Global Knowledge Partnership and UN ICT Task
  Force
• A relationship map which positions IFAP in a
  wider context would be relevant to the present
  debate on Digital Solidarity

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H. IFAP Visibility Plan

• Requires Council to identify and articulate the
  key messages as to IFAPs value and/or impact
• Main goal should be to communicate messages so as
  to help increase awareness of IFAP and encourage
  participation
• Primary audience UNESCO Member States,
  professional associations and institutions
• Secondary audience Donors and private sector
• Focus of IFAP must be clearly defined
• Needs to link to objective of promotion of a just
  information society
• Could refer to sharing of knowledge, experience
  and expertise to support development of
  information policies and capacity

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I. Development of benchmark indicators

• Data on ICT are being collected by a number of
  institutions on international and national levels
• Many data quality issues, including inconsistent
  collection practices and lack of availability
• Hugely resource intensive and complex process to
  create cross-nationally comparable data on ICT
• Role of benchmarking, versus proper use of
  quality statistics, is contentious
• UNESCO, through UIS, engaged in follow-up to WSIS
  aspirational goals, will continue to explore
  measuresfor societal impacts of ICT

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J. Priorities of 33 C/5 related to IFAP

• Calendar of preparation of 33C/5
• March-July 2004 input by Member States, IOs,
  NGOs
• Autumn 2004 preliminary proposal to Executive
  Board
• Preparing of Draft 33/C5
• Spring 2005 submittal to Executive Board
• Autumn 2005 submittal to General Conference

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J. Priorities of 33 C/5 related to IFAP(contin)

• IFAP Council could provide indications on
• programme priorities and orientations
• the operationalization of the Knowledge Societies
  concept
• UNESCOs contribution to Millenium Development
  Goals
• intersectoral cooperation
• focus and selection of projects related to the
  two cross-cutting themes of 31 C/4

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Private sector initiatives

• November forum with private sector
• Development of strategic plan
• Many relationships with industry developed, e.g.
  Hewlett Packard, Microsoft