The Second WSIS PrepCom is taking place in Geneva from 17-28 February 2003. The main aim of the meeting is to produce a draft of the Declaration and Action Plan to be discussed and approved at the Summit.
The discussion will centre around the official documents and contributions provided by the different parties participating in the meeting.
The document “Information and communication for all” (pdf format) -submitted by the President of the WSIS Preparatory Committee- contains basic demands, such as universal access and the preservation of cultural and linguistic diversity, the overcoming of the digital divide, a regulatory framework for the information society, intellectual property rights, and the creation of ICT capacities, services and applications.
The NGOs for their part propose the inclusion of the following issues: the right to communication, the democratisation of communication and knowledge, ICTs and public policy, the sustainability of the information society, the overcoming of North-South inequalities, gender perspective, etc.
Sensitive issues for debate are present in the documents, the discussion and in different articles that have appeared in media sources.
Lastest (and final for the Prepcom2) version of the comments on the governments' Preamble, Vision, and Principles. Based on the discussion in the working group of sub-committee 2. Produced by de Civil Society Content and Themes Working Group. Doc format.
Compilation of comments received by the Drafting Committee of the Civil Society Working Group on Content and Themes. These issues are cited in the context of the sections and general structure of the Action Plan released on 27 February 2003 by the Working Group of Sub-committee 2. Doc format.
The following seven principles reflect the issue areas that the Civil Society working group on contents and themes, created by the civil society plenary, feels should be prioritized.
WSIS web site containing official documents to be discussed at PrepCom-2. It includes contributions made by NGOs and civil society organisations, business and ITU sectors, governments and international organisations.
The paper describes a proposal to hold a one-day Communications Rights Summit, alongside the World Summit on the Information Society in December 2003. The initiative is being launched by the CRIS campaign (Communication Rights in the Information Society) in collaboration with other civil society networks and organisations, and is actively building a broader partnership.
Open letter, drafted by members of the NGO gender strategies working group and other colleagues, in response to the 'Non Paper' written by Mr. Adama Samassekou.
Space to share information, develop women's lobbying positions, share strategies and resources, and create a platform for various forms of women's participation in the different gender and ICT forums in the coming months.
In June 2002, APC's council of members - who represent information and communications technology providers and trainers to civil society in 30 countries - identified the issues that they considered priorities to be addressed in the agenda for the World Summit on the Information Society which will be held in Geneva in December 2003.
To make communication and reporting on the 2nd WSIS Prepcom faster and more up-to-date, CONGO has, in cooperation with UNjobs, brought out a new online bulletin for civil society.
In the preparatory discussions for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), to take place in December, a rift has emerged between the visions aiming to put new technology at the service of business, or of citizens.
