Preparing for WSIS-2005 in Tunis

Building on the success of the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), held in Geneva 10-12 December 2003, ITU and Tunisia are leading global preparations for the second phase Summit which will take place in Tunis, 16-18 November 2005.

The Geneva Summit brought together over 11,000 participants, including some 50 Heads of State and Government and other senior representatives from 175 governments as well as leaders from international organizations, the private sector and civil society. Over 1,000 international media covered the Geneva Summit.

World leaders in Geneva set out a common vision and agenda on how to use information and communication technologies to achieve the United Nations’ Millennium Goals, including important benchmarks for connecting all communities by 2015. They also addressed key issues such as cyber-security, freedom of expression, creating enabling environments and cultural diversity.

Preparations for a successful Summit in Tunis are well underway. Prepcom 1 was held in June 2004 in Hammamet, Tunisia. This meeting established the focus of the Tunis phase, with an emphasis on follow-up and implementation of the declaration and Plan of Action adopted at the Geneva Summit, including stocktaking of progress and a process to consider unresolved issues, namely the financing of development activities and Internet Governance. Delegates agreed to not reopen agreements of the Geneva phase and to pay particular attention to the needs of least developed countries. It was also agreed that Prepcom 2 would take place in Geneva, from 17-25 February 2005. For further details: http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/doc_multi.asp?lang=en&id=1253|0 .

As requested by the Geneva Summit, the United Nations’ Secretary-General has established two advisory bodies to provide advice on important outstanding issues: a Task Force on Financial Mechanisms (TFFM) and a Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG). The TFFM has been consulting stakeholders and will issue a report to be presented at Prepcom 2. For more information on the TFFM, see: http://www.itu.int/wsis/tffm/index.html . WGIG is meeting throughout the remainder of 2004 and into 2005, and will produce a report by the summer of 2005, in time for consideration by Prepcom 3, expected in the autumn of 2005. For more information: http://www.itu.int/wsis/preparatory2/wgig/index.html.

The President of the Preparatory Committee, Ambassador J. Karklins, was elected by Prepcom 1 to head the government Bureau responsible for guiding the Tunis phase preparatory process. Prepcom 1 approved an enlarged Bureau membership, with six representatives from each region, up from three per region during the Geneva phase.. http://www.itu.int/wsis/preparatory2/bureau.html.

The Prepcom President will also be assisted by a newly-formed Group of the Friends of the Chair (GFC) comprising up to 30 members of government delegations (6 per regional group) plus 8 ex-officio members and government observers. The GGC is charged with the task of preparing text to serve as the basis of negotiations. The GFC will present text for consideration by Prepcom 2. http://www.itu.int/wsis/gfc/index.html.

As in the Geneva phase, regional conferences and thematic meetings are being organized in various regions of the world. These meetings will provide input for the Tunis phase preparatory process, bringing an important regional perspective to areas such as the implementation of the WSIS Plan of Action. http://www.itu.int/wsis/preparatory2/index.html#regional.

As requested by Prepcom 1, the ITU Secretary-General launched a stocktaking exercise to encourage stakeholders to submit information about their respective projects related to the implementation of the WSIS Plan of Action. An online questionnaire is available on the WSIS website: http://www.itu.int/wsis/stocktaking/index.html . This process will provide a platform for stakeholders to share their experiences and lessons-learned and will hopefully lead to new partnerships. A preliminary stocktaking report is being prepared by the ITU and the WSIS Executive Secretariat and will be tabled at Prepcom 2.

To support preparatory activities of the Tunis phase, the ITU Secretary-General launched the WSIS-2005 Fundraising Campaign. The goal of the campaign is to raise 5 million Swiss Francs (approximately $4 million USD) to support core preparatory activities of the Summit. The campaign has reached 28 per cent of its goal to date, with contributions from both developed and developing countries as well as non-governmental stakeholders. The ITU Secretary-General is encouraging all stakeholders to make financial contributions to the Summit’s preparations. For more information about the WSIS-2005 Fundraising Campaign: http://www.itu.int/wsis/funding/campaign.html.

To accompany the political Summit being organized by the ITU and the WSIS Executive Secretariat, the host country, Tunisia is planning a major Summit exhibition as well as numerous Summit events organized by various stakeholders. There will be plenty of opportunities for stakeholders from all sectors to get involved. For contact information, consult the official host country website at: http://www.smsitunis2005.org/plateforme/contact.php?id=162 .

Roberto Blois
Deputy Secretary General
International Telecommunication Union