Hope for the Digital Divide
Hope for the Digital Divide
Nov 21, 2005: The second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) has come to a close. And as it wound up, the resolution and motivation to govern, finance and implement an accessible worldwide information society for all has ramped up.
The summit aimed to discuss and action ways to make information and communication technologies (ICT's) accessible to all, weaving a tighter global community and improving prospects for people in the developing world.
The three key issues dominating the preparatory process leading to the Tunis Summit were Internet governance, financing strategies, and implementation mechanisms for the Action Plan developed by the first phase of WSIS in 2003, in Geneva.
An agreement between the UN and the US was inked earlier in the week failed to stop the issue of Internet governance overshadowing the summit, however, despite this the WSIS has been hailed as a resounding success by all participants.
"In a very real sense, WSIS is about making the best use of a new opportunity and a new tool." said Yoshio Utsumi, Secretary-General of the Summit. "WSIS reinforces the value of global dialogue and cooperation to address emerging issues in the 21st century. The Information Society can be a win-win situation for all, provided that we take the right actions."
And the right actions are paramount to closing the digital divide. All countries are called upon to develop national e-strategies as an integral part of national development plans and poverty reduction strategies. The deadline for this action is 2015, but many countries have already begun to implement such plans.
Affordability of access is a critical part of bridging the Digital Divide, and there has already been some important steps made towards making ICT accessible to all. There has been for example, much talk by companies such as Intel, Microsoft about revolutionising education worldwide with a US$100 laptop like the one under development at the MIT Media Lab.
The main purpose for the summit however, was highlighting issues and spearheading action by world leaders. "As a result of this Summit, world leaders are now fully aware of the critical importance of ICTs," he said. In the end, he continued, WSIS is "not just about technology. It's mostly about people, and their potential." said Utsumi.
Speaking of the long 7 year journey the summit has undergone since its adoption at the ITU Minneapolis Plenipotentiary Conference, Utsumi noted in his closing address: "It is fitting that this stage of our journey ends here in Tunis, the capital of the country that launched the process." He continued: "Uniquely, WSIS was a Summit held in two phases. Through this approach, WSIS took place in one developed and one developing country. This helped ensure that the full range of issues of the Information Society were addressed, while highlighting the critical need to bridge the digital divide."
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