Brussels, 23/05/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has just adopted a communication on the forthcoming World Summit on Information Society setting out the main objectives for the EU at this summit. This communication will be the basis for discussions at the next meeting of the Telecommunications Council in Luxembourg to be held on June 5, where preparation for the WSIS is on the agenda. The ministers are also expected to reach agreement on defining a common EU stance for the WSIS. This summit, the first world-wide event in the Information Society field, is under the patronage of the United Nations, and will be held in Geneva in December 2003, continuing in Tunis in November 2005.
The Summit should allow many countries to better understand the benefits of the Information Society for their socio-economic development and for better integration into the world economy. The political declaration and the plan of action to be adopted by the Summit will influence the national policies and will help to further develop the global Information Society. The EU has been playing a very active role in the Summit preparations. The communication adopted by the Commission clarifies the general context and identifies the key objectives for the EU. In particular:
Building the Information Society prerequisites. The Summit should base its outcomes on a core of principles based on fundamental human rights, establish the framework for an enabling environment and capacity building by investing first in people, and finally paving the way for an Information Society "which reflects our values and principles" as well as its appropriate governance.
Developing the right tools. The Summit should encourage all interested parties to devise and implement coherent e-strategies, including appropriate regulatory frameworks, and allow broad mobilisation of all stakeholders.
Seizing the benefit of the Information Society for countries and individuals. The Summit should reinforce the right to communicate and to access to information and knowledge, contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals laid down by the United Nations, enable participation in the major flows of economic, scientific and cultural exchange, using Information and Communication Technologies for social development and economic growth.
The communication intends to pave the way for concrete actions and proposals by the EU to the Plan of Action, based on the EU's longstanding experience in dialogue and co-operation with partner countries, in particular with developing ones. Several countries have expressed interest in the EU's e-Europe initiatives in this field, and according to the Commission this will lead to the further development of dialogue and support for the elaboration of e-strategies. In addition, action programmes could be envisaged for example in the fields of e-Government, e-Learning e-Schools e-Health and an initiative for Education and Research Networks.