world summit on the information society (wsis) and digital ... · world summit on the information...

world summit on the information society 1

World Summit on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Information Society (WSIS)

and the Digital Divideand the Digital Divide

Dr Tim Kelly, Head, Strategy and Policy UnitInternational Telecommunication Union

KADO/APWINC Digital Opportunity Conference, Seoul, 24 November 2004


Agenda

WSIS: Origins and First PhaseDigital Inclusion

Availability (Digital divide)Accessibility (Social inclusion)Affordability (Wealth/Age divide)

What does WSIS say about the Digital Divide?WSIS: Tunis Phase


WSIS: Origins and statusWSIS originally proposed by Tunisia at ITU PP in 1998Formally endorsed by the UN in 2001PrepCom process, started in July 2002Regional meetings, 2002 – 2003First phase, Geneva 10-12 December 2003PrepCom process, restarted in June 2004 Regional and thematic meetings, 2004-05Second phase, Tunis, 16-18 November 2005


WSIS first phase: some numbersMore than 11’000 participants

176 UN member statesAbout 50 Head of States and Governments and Vice-Presidents3’300 representatives of from civil society514 business representatives from 98 organizations87 international organizationsMore than 1’000 media representatives

More than 300 Summit events


Adoption of a Declaration of Principles and a Plan of Action which:

Create a common vision of the information societySet out an agenda for building an inclusive

development-oriented Information Society Establish a framework which will involve all

stakeholdersRequest the UN Secretary General to initiate

action in a number of crucially important areas such as the creation of a Digital Solidarity Fund and Internet Governance


A common vision of the Information society

“We […] declare our common desire and commitment to build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented Information Society, where everyone can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge, enabling individuals, communities and peoples to achieve their full potential in promoting their sustainable development and improving their quality of life…” (Declaration, Paragraph 1)

WSIS Key Principles

1) The role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development

2) Information and communication infrastructure: an essential foundation for an inclusive information society

3) Access to information and knowledge4) Capacity building5) Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs6) Enabling environment7) ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life8) Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and

local content9) Media10)Ethical dimensions of the information society11)International and regional cooperation

7world summit on the information society

Summit Objectives by 2015

a) to connect all villages with ICTsb) to connect all educational institutions c) to connect all scientific and research centres;d) to connect all public libraries, museums and archivese) to connect all health centres and hospitals;f) to connect local and central government departments

g) to adapt all primary and secondary school curricula to meet the challenges of the Information Society;

h) to ensure that all have access to television and radio services;i) to encourage the development of content on the Internet;j) to ensure that more than half the world’s inhabitants have

access to ICTs within their reach.

8world summit on the information society


Digital Divide: Availability of ICTsDistribution of population and ICTs, 2003

100%

83%51%

45%

17%

49%55%

Population Fixed Mobile

24%

76%

PCs

68%

32%

Internet users

80%

DevelopedDeveloping60%

40%

20%

0%

Source: ITU World Telecommunication Indicators Database.


Effective teledensity, 2002

Phones per 100 inhabitants2002

Above 46 per 100 (47)23 to 46 (33)11 to 23 (32)

3 to 11 (38)Below 3 per 100 (48)

Note: “Effective teledensity” = fixed lines or mobile phones per 100 inhabitants, whichever is higher. Source: ITU.


The shrinking digital divide

141 288546

440521

567

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1993 1998 2003

Fixed-lines (million)

380

608

31244

734

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1993 1998 2003

Mobile (million)

DevelopedDeveloping

Source: ITU Internet Reports 2004: The Portable Internet


All developing regions are doing well

0.8 1.1

4.5 5.2

1.5

7.9

15.0

4.05.3

7.0

17.1

19.6

24.8

31.4

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

South Asia Sub-SaharanAfrica

Pacific Arab States East Asia Latin America& Caribbean

Europe &Central Asia

1993

2003

Change in effective teledensity, developing regions, 1993-2003



Mobile communications leading to a new era of growth

7.5%5.6% 5.7% 6.4%

24.6%

Growth rates in effective teledensity,Africa, 1978-2003

1978-83 1983-88 1988-93 1993-98 1998-2003



Digital inclusion (2): AccessibilityGender balance in ICT usage

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Germany France

Brazil Switzerland

JapanNorway

UK Hong Kong Singapore

Taiwan Korea (Rep)

MexicoCanada

USA

% Female users,

At homeJune 2001

Source: Nielsen-Netratings.


Digital Inclusion (3): Affordability

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Fixed charges

Usage charges

Total charges

Average trends in OECD economies (30), 1990=100

Source: OECD Communications Outlook, 2003


What does WSIS say about the digital divide?

We are fully committed to turning this digital divide into a digital opportunity for all, particularly for those who risk being left behind and being further marginalized. (Declaration, para 10)

Realizing that the ambitious goal of this Declaration—bridging the digital divide and ensuring harmonious, fair and equitable development for all—will require strong commitment by all stakeholders, we call for digital solidarity, both at national and international levels.(Declaration, para 17)


Preparatory process for Tunis PhaseThe second phase of the summit will take place in Tunis from November 16th to 18th, 2005 Preparatory process:

Drafting work carried out by Group of Friends of ChairPrepCom-1, Hammamet, 24-26 June 2004: Focus and output of Tunis PhasePrepCom-2, Geneva, 17-24 February 2005: Financing MechanismsPrepCom-3, September 2005: Internet Governance

Regional and Thematic MeetingsE.g., ITU WSIS Thematic Meeting on Countering Spam, Geneva, 7-9 July 2004E.g., Govt of Japan/ITU/UNU on Ubiquitous Network Society, Tokyo

Outline of the preparatory processJune 2004 Feb 2005 Sept 2005 Nov 2005

PrepCom 1 PrepCom 2 PrepCom 3 Summit

Task Force on Financial Mechanisms

Working Group on Internet Governance

Inter-sessional work


Focus of the Tunis Phase (PrepCom 1)Follow-up and implementation of the Geneva Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action by stakeholders at national, regional and international levels, with particular attention to the challenges facing the Least Developed Countries;Consideration of the report of the Task Force on Financial Mechanisms (TFFM) and appropriate action;Internet governance: consideration of the report of the Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) and appropriate action.


Tunis Focus (1): Follow-up and implementation

StocktakingCreation of database of WSIS-related activitiesSee www.itu.int/wsis/stocktaking

Measuring ICT for developmentPartnership bringing together ITU, UNCTAD, OECD, UN regional commmissions and othersWSIS Thematic Meeting, February 7-9 2005, GenevaRegional meetings to establish a core set of indicators

WSIS regional and thematic meetings


Tunis Focus (2): Internet governanceThe UN Secretary General is asked to set up a working group … to investigate and make proposals for action, as appropriate, on the governance of Internet by 2005 (Paragraph C6, 13 b) Plan of Action)

Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG)Chaired by Nitin Desai, Head of Secretariat, Markus KummerInitial Consultations, 20-21 September 2004First meeting, 23-25 November 2004Future meetings in February, April and June 2005Final report in July 2005

For more information: www.wgig.org


Tunis Focus (3): Digital solidarity fundA review – to be completed by the end of 2004 - of the adequacy of current financial mechanisms and the possibility to create a voluntary Digital Solidarity Fund, will be be conducted by a UN Task Force on Financial Mechanisms (TFFM) (Paragraph D2 f) Plan of action)

Task Force under auspices of UNDPMembership announced October 2004Report to UN Secretary-General, December 2004


website: www.itu.int/wsis

contact: [email protected]

Thank you

world summit on the information society (wsis) and digital ... · world summit on the information...

Documents