Brussels, 08/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has adopted a communication in which it lays out the EU's priorities for the world Summit of the United Nations on the information society, to be held in Tunis from 16 to 18 December 2005, at which the EU will be represented by the Council and the Commission. This summit is to reach a consensus on two essential issues which could not be resolved at the previous meeting in Geneva, in December 2003: governance of the Internet, and financial mechanisms to reduce the digital divide between the developed and the developing countries. At the summit, the EU will speak out in favour of broader support for the Internet via global development strategies for the information society, including the development of creative application content. On the reduction of the digital divide in the developing countries, the EU welcomes the creation of the Digital Solidarity Fund, which aims to support broader distribution of new technologies in these countries. It feels that a more holistic approach is necessary in order to mobilise the necessary human, financial and technological resources to help integrate ICT in development policies. On the governance of the Internet, the summit will discuss the management of fundamental Internet resources (domain name systems, Internet protocol addresses, route server systems). The EU would prefer to focus the debate on this on the implementation of a new co-operation model defining the role of the parties (governments, private sector, civil society and international organisations). In order to ensure that there is a correct implementation of the Geneva action plan and political follow-up to the summit, the EU stresses the need to introduce a simple and effective mechanism to take full advantage of UN agencies and existing government bodies, which will also guarantee full involvement of the civil society and the private sector. "The Internet is without a doubt the most powerful tool we have at our disposal to safeguard freedom of expression and other human rights. This is why international cooperation (...) and the financing the modalities of this cooperation are a major concern for political decision-makers and Internet users the world over", said Viviane Reding, the Commissioner for the Information Society and the Media.