The question of implementation and follow-up of the Geneva and Tunis plan of action has been one of the two central issues of this third preparatory conference. This issue is also a fundamental issue for the whole WSIS process: it will define the real credibilty of the entire work done by the Governments over the last five years. The outcomes from the Tunis sumit on this issue will be the benchmark upon which the real political will of the Governments to implement decisions and to bridge the digital divide is measured.
However, at the end of the third preparatory conference, civil society is still concerned. Our greatest worry is that we are not ensured yet of a real international commitment that would fulfill the vision that was clearly laid out in the Geneva Declaration and the plan of action.
In our view, there is a clear need to institute a meaningful structure that would actually take us towards a Development Oriented Information Society. Given the complexity of the challenges and the rapid changes in the evolution of such an Information Society, we strongly feel there is a need for a «Commission for the Information Society » at the global level. Such a Commission must be set up by the Tunis summit. It must provide for full and effective participation of all stakeholders including Civil Society. The mandates of this Information Society Commission should include among others
- multi-stakeholder spaces for policy deliberations on information society issues
- Taking up new information society issues as they emerge, discuss and document their scope and contexts, and interface with various organisations, stakeholders and thematic clusters which may be concerned with these issues
- Co-ordinate between different organisations dealing with information society issues
- Promote and assess on an ongoing basis the integration of WSIS principles and objectives in the activities of all involved actors, particularly international organizations.
- Support Information Society and ICTD policies at national and regional levels
- Review on an ongoing basis the progress, or lack thereof, in the achievement of the WSIS objectives and report on an annual basis to the UN General Assembly.
This «Commission for the Information Society » should build upon precedents which exist in the UN system like the Commission on Sustainable Development. It should improve on their structures and inclusiveness towards the progressive ideals of the Information Society, as stated in the Geneva Declaration of Principles. Many countries, including from the European Union, have Information Society Commissions at the national level. This should be a reason to recognize the need for a Commission for the Information Society at the Global level.
We understand that there is a proposal to use the existing ECOSOC functional «Commission on Science and Technology for Development» for implementation and follow-up of WSIS. In our view, this would represent a retrograde step if were to imply that we see ICTs only as a Technology issue rather than one with far wider Socio-political and economic implications. It is this second understanding which provided the vision for holding a World Summit on the Information Society and we believe that we should not now go back to treating Information Society as a Science and Technology issue.
We call upon the prepcom to use the political authority of the WSIS summit to setup a Global Commission for the Information Society mandated to implement and follow up the WSIS Processes.
