Bucharest declaration - principles and themes

This is the declaration from the European WSIS consultation that finishes
today. The
document sets out a number of principles and priority themes.


Principles

Securing access to information and knowledge
Promoting universal access at affordable cost
Promoting linguistic diversity and cultural identity
Developing human capacity through education and training
Setting up an enabling environment, including legal, regulatory and policy
frameworks
Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs
Addressing global issues


Priority Themes

E-Government: More Efficient and Accountable
E-Business: More Competitiveness and Better Jobs
E-Society: Broader Local Content and Applications
E-learning and E-Education: Empowering people


The full document follows.

THE BUCHAREST PAN-EUROPEAN CONFERENCE
IN PREPARATION OF THE WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY:


TOWARDS AN INFORMATION SOCIETY: PRINCIPLES, STRATEGY AND PRIORITIES
FOR ACTION


                        9 November 2002


The Member States of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe met
in
Bucharest at the Pan-European Conference on the Information Society (7-9
November
2002) and agreed on the following set of principles and priorities:


Vision of an Information Society beneficial to all (E-inclusion)

The European regional conference proposes the vision of an Information
Society, where all
persons, without distinction of any kind, exercise their right to freedom of
opinion and
expression, including the freedom to hold opinions without interference, and
to seek, receive
and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of
frontiers.

The Information Society offers great potential in promoting sustainable
development,
democracy, transparency, accountability and good governance. Full
exploitation of the new
opportunities provided by information and communication technologies (ICTs)
and of their
combination with traditional media, as well as an adequate response to the
challenge of the
digital divide, should be important parts in any strategy, national and
international, aimed at
achieving the development goals set by the Millennium Declaration. There is
also a need for
a people - centered approach, one that emphasizes social, cultural, economic
and
governance goals. This approach must ensure that the knowledge and
experience of citizens
is integrated into this process as the driving force behind the new
information society.

The Information Society is based on broad dissemination and sharing of
information and
genuine participation of all stakeholders - Governments, private sector and
civil society.
Their contribution is vital in the efforts to bring full benefits of the
Information Society to all.
Governments and other stakeholders should also provide the necessary
conditions to ensure
womens equal access to information and knowledge, as well as equal
opportunities as
participants and decision-makers in all aspects, related to the shaping of
ICT policies and
frameworks. Global and regional initiatives should build upon previous and
current initiatives
by Governments, regional and international organizations as well as from the
contribution of
the private sector and civil society.
Member States welcomed the active participation of these stakeholders and
their
contribution to the overall work.

The following fundamental principles aim at defining the main directions for
e-strategies for
developing an information society. A number of priority themes of
e-strategies can already be
identified.


Principle 1. Securing access to information and knowledge

Individuals and organisations should benefit from access to information,
knowledge and
ideas. Notably, information in the public domain should be easily
accessible. Information is
the basis of a well-functioning and transparent decision-making process and
a prerequisite
for any democracy. Knowledge is the key agent for transforming both our
global society and
local communities. Public policy should broaden opportunities in providing
information for all,
including disabled, inter alia by creating content, and thereby redressing
inequalities. ICTs
have the potential not only to strengthen the effectiveness of public
service delivery, but also
to involve individuals in shaping government policies. Moreover,
communications technology
is not an end in itself, but a means of supplying quality content in the
information society. In
this regard, mass media  in their various forms  are recognized as
important means of
fostering public information, societal development and social cohesion.


Principle 2. Promoting universal access at affordable cost

An adequately developed infrastructure is the precondition for secure,
reliable and affordable
access to information by all stakeholders, and for the upgrading of relevant
services. The
improvement of  connectivity is of special importance in this respect, and
it is undertaken by
the public and the private sectors, acting in partnership. Community-led
development is a
critical element in the strategy for achieving universal access to
information and knowledge.
Community access centers and public services (such as post offices,
libraries, schools) can
provide effective means for promoting universal access in particular in
remote areas, as an
important factor of their development. Moreover, in order to ensure greater
affordability,
policy action should aim at setting up an appropriate open and competitive
environment.


Principle 3.  Promoting linguistic diversity and cultural identity

The Information Society is founded on respect for, and enjoyment of,
cultural expression.
New ICTs should stimulate multiculturalism and plurilinguism and enhance the
capacity of
governments to develop active policies to that end. Access and contribution
to knowledge
and information broaden the contents of the public domain and foster mutual
understanding
and respect for diversity.


Principle 4. Developing human capacity through education and training

It is important for Governments to develop comprehensive and forward-looking
education
strategies. People should be enabled to acquire the necessary skills in
order to actively
participate in and understand the Information Society and fully benefit from
the possibilities it
offers. Individuals should be engaged in defining their own needs and in the
development of
programs to meet those needs.

These skills integrate ICT - related specific notions with broader
knowledge, and are
generally obtained through primary, secondary and higher education,
on-the-job training, but
also increasingly through distance learning. Technological change will
progressively require
life-long learning and continuous training by all. Public policy should take
into account
inequalities in access to quality education and training, particularly in
the case of vulnerable
groups and underserved or remote areas. Specific attention has to be paid to
training of
trainers. ICTs open completely new opportunities for e-learning. New forms
of partnership
between public and private sectors are needed in this field.


Principle 5. Setting up an enabling environment, including legal, regulatory
and policy
frameworks

To maximise the economic and social benefits of the Information Society,
governments need
to create a trustworthy, transparent, and non-discriminatory legal,
regulatory and policy
environment, capable of promoting technological innovation and competition,
thus favouring
the necessary investments, mainly from the private sector, in the deployment
of
infrastructures and development of new services.

The Information Society is, by nature, a global phenomenon and issues such
as privacy
protection, consumer trust, management of domain names, facilitation of
e-commerce,
protection of intellectual property rights, open source solutions etc.
should be addressed with
the active participation of all stakeholders.


Principle 6.  Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs

To realise fully the benefits of ICTs, networks and information systems
should be sufficiently
robust to prevent, detect and to respond appropriately to security
incidents. However,
effective security of information systems is not merely a matter of
government and law
enforcement practices, nor of technology. A global culture of cyber-security
needs to be
developed  - security must be addressed through prevention and supported
throughout
society, and be consistent with the need to preserve free flow of
information.

ICTs can potentially be used for purposes that are inconsistent with the
objectives of
maintaining international stability and security and may adversely affect
the integrity of the
infrastructure within States, to the detriment of their security in both
civil and military fields,
as well as in relation to the functioning of their economies. It is also
necessary to prevent the
use of information resources or technologies for criminal or terrorist
purposes.

In order to build confidence and security in the use of ICTs, Governments
should promote
awareness in their societies of cyber security risks and seek to strengthen
international co-
operation, including with the private sector.


Principle 7. Addressing global issues

International policy dialogue on Information Society at global, regional and
sub-regional
levels should promote the exchange of experience, the identification and
application of
compatible norms and standards, the transfer of know-how and the provision
of technical
assistance with a view to bridging capacity gaps and setting up
international cooperation
programmes, in particular in the field of creation of content. Sharing
success stories and best
practice experiences will also pave the way for new forms of international
co-operation.

***

E-Strategies

It is important for the Governments to promote comprehensive and
forward-looking national
strategies for the development of the Information Society, involving private
sector and civil
society. Private sector involvement is crucial for a sound and sustainable
development of
infrastructures, content and application. National e-strategies need to be
adapted to the
specific requirements of varied communities and reflect the stage of
development and the
structural characteristics of the national economy. Such strategies can
benefit from existing
knowledge and experience and exchanges notably on best practices would play
a key role,
allowing countries to learn from one another through peer dialogue.

To be effective, beyond the identification of goals, the strategies should
include timeframes,
indicators and mechanisms for monitoring performance based not only on
quantitative but
also qualitative criteria.

In the case of smaller countries, regional strategies can  contribute to the
emergence of
larger markets, offering more attractive conditions for private sector
investment as well as for
a competitive environment. Furthermore ICTs could be of particular relevance
in the
development context, because they offer opportunities to Public
Administrations, help attract
private investments and allow for leapfrogging using new and advanced
technologies.

***

Based on these principles the following priority themes for e-strategies
were identified to
develop future strategies.



Priority Themes


E-Government: More Efficient and Accountable

ICT tools will make policies more accountable and transparent and will
enable better
monitoring, evaluation and control of public services and allow for greater
efficiency in their
delivery. Public administration can make use of ICT tools to enhance
transparency,
accountability and efficiency in the delivery of public services to citizens
(education, health,
transportation etc.)  and to enterprises.


E-Business: More Competitiveness and Better Jobs

Enterprises both large and small can use ICTs to foster innovation, realize
gains in
productivity, reduce transaction costs and benefit from network
externalities. In support of
this process, Governments need to stimulate, through the adoption of an
enabling
environment services, regulatory framework for the promotion of private
investment
applications and content, based on a widely available broadband
infrastructure, and foster
public - private partnerships. Use of digital technologies can enhance the
role of enterprises
in promoting entrepreneurship, the accumulation of knowledge, the upgrading
of skills, and
thereby increasing productivity, incomes and jobs and promoting qualitative
improvement of
working life. Special attention should be given to small and medium
enterprises both as
beneficiaries and promoters of e-business.


E-Society: Broader Local Content and Applications

In the Information Society, the involvement and participation of all,
irrespective of gender or
economic status, as well as the facilitation of ICT use in daily life and
work, is a major
objective.

Governments should actively promote the involvement of different
stakeholders in the
development of applications that improve overall quality of life,
particularly in key areas such
as education and health, both globally and at the local community level.
Public policy should
also foster the creation of varied information content, which helps to
preserve and
disseminate local and national culture, language and heritage. Local
authorities have an
important role to play, because for citizens they represent the first level
of contact with the
administrations and they could also foster the development of local
communities. Promotion
of cultural diversity and identity, including the creation of varied
information content and the
digitalisation of the educational, scientific and cultural heritage is an
important priority in the
development of the Information Society. Research on the social and cultural
impact of ICTs
should be continued.



E-learning and E-Education: Empowering people

E-learning is about development of skills to access  knowledge, which
addresses numerous
issues such as local content, multi-lingual and cultural diversity and
intellectual property
rights. Access to knowledge is an essential tool in economic, cultural and
social
development. The potential exists for all those still outside the reach of
the formal
educational system to be offered education and information tailored to their
need and
culture. Education empowers people to overcome poverty, therefore e-learning
is one of the
most important issues in the bridging of the digital divide.


*  * *


Follow-up

The abovementioned principles and priorities should be submitted as a
regional contribution
to the WSIS process and its follow-up, and should assist Governments to
shape policies and
to take necessary action, with a view to developing the Information Society.


                    ___________________________________________






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