1. World Summit of
Information Society (WSIS)
Alain Nkoyock,
Addis Ababa, 3 December 2005
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2. WSIS: A Background
• The Resolution 73 of the ITU
Plenipotentiary Conference in Minneapolis,
USA in 1998
• Requested the United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA) to convene the World
Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)
• Resolution 56/183 of the UNGA in
December 2001
• Agreed to convene the WSIS under the
Secretary General of the United Nations.
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3. WSIS: A Background
• WSIS Geneva Phase:10-12 December
2003.
• Adopted Declaration of Principles and
Plan of Action of the Information Society.
• WSIS Tunis Phase: 16-18 November
2005
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4. Why WSIS ?
• To address the challenges of the Information
revolution .
• To provide a platform for all key stakeholders to develop a
common vision and a concrete Plan of Action on how to
increase and extend the benefits of ICT to the world
community.
• To harness the potential of ICT for achievement of the
MDGs of combating poverty and hunger, eliminating
illiteracy , reducing infant mortality, balancing gender
equality, combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases
and ensuring environmental sustainability.
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5. WSIS Objectives, Goals & Targets
to be achieved by 2015
1. Connect villages with ICTs by 2010 and establish community access points by
2015
2. Connect universities 2005, colleges, secondary schools 2010 and primary
schools with ICTs by 2015
3. Connect scientific and research centres with ICTs by 2005
4. Connect public libraries’ cultural centres, museums, post offices and archives
with ICTs by 2006
5. Connect health centres and hospitals with ICTs by 2005
6. Connect all local and central govt departments by 2010 and establish
websites and email addresses by 2005
7. Adapt all primary and secondary schools curricula to meet the challenges of
the Information Society
8. Ensure all the world’s population have access to television by 2015and radio
services by 2010
9. Encourage the development of content and facilitate use of all world
languages on the Internet
10. Ensure that more than half of the world’s inhabitants have access to ICTs
within their reach
11. 90% of Africa population to be within wireless coverage by 2010 and 100% by
2015
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6. Action Line
С1. The role of public governance authorities and all stakeholders in the
promotion of ICTs for development
С2. Information and communication infrastructure
C3. Access to information and knowledge
C4. Capacity building
C5. Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs
C6. Enabling environment
C7. ICT Applications
•E-government
•E-business
•E-learning
•E-health
•E-employment
•E-environment
•E-agriculture
•E-science
C8. Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content
C9. Media
C10. Ethical dimensions of the Information Society
C11. International and regional cooperation 6

7. Tunis Issues
1. Internet Governance: The control of the
Internet by the private company
ICANN
2. Digital Solidarity Fund: Lack of special
fund for building an Information
Society
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8. THE WAY FORWARD
At International Level
• To develop framework of processes, systems and structures to respond:
WSIS /MDGs / IAP / Targets
• Responsible international bodies: UNDP, The World Bank, ITU, UNESCO and
UN
At Regional Level
• NEPAD and related Initiatives: Regional bodies: UNECA, ATU and AfDB
• ARAPKE: African Regional Action Plan on the Knowledge Economy (ARAPKE)
At Sub-regional level
• RECs initiatives/e-strategies on ICT
At National Level
• National ICT Policy and Its Implementation Strategies: Government and other
multi-stakeholders (Private sector, Civil Society, Media, Parliament, Academia
etc.)
• Establishing networks on ICT4D
• Develop showcasing ICT programs and Projects agreed in WSIS
(Geneva/Tunis).
• Include gender equality as a goal within analyses, assessments, discussions,
conferences and other events; this is together with the need of people with
disabilities, minority groups etc. 8