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TechnologyDaily Mobile
Hopes For The Information Society
by William New
GENEVA -- A look at the myriad side events at this week's U.N. World Summit on the Information Society here reveals the many hopes and efforts of people affected by the Internet.
All types of people, indistinguishable in their interest in developing the potential of the Internet, crowds the makeshift avenues and many booths and meeting rooms of the immense convention hall adjacent to the airport. Typical music and the buzz of human exchange continuously waft over the heads of somber officials explaining positions, ruminating Internet legends and scientists, purposeful nonprofit representatives, and opportunistic businessmen.
Individual governments that have caught the Internet fever once raging in the United States have booths populated by fancily dressed denizens of their Net cultures. The bright colors and brilliant designs of native African, Latin American and Asian dress are everywhere, easily distinguishable from the countless variations on the standard Western suit.
And not all of the events fit in the giant convention center. Negotiators from some 150 countries have spent most of their time since Friday in closed meetings at the nearby U.N. building. At the other extreme is the "fringy" Cyber Festival at an outer neighborhood forum where global artists are generating content for the Web. Local university students have been dismissed from classes to attend any events they can access.
Participants from developed and developing countries alike are taking the summit seriously. For many nations and their citizens, it is an important opportunity to join the world's digital elite.
The list of expected heads of state has dwindled in recent days from the nearly 60 who previously confirmed attendance, including the leaders of major European economies. But several dozen presidents and prime ministers from developing countries are here, along with those from secondary European economies such as Ireland and European Union newcomers like Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which will join the union in May 2004.
The Scene Beyond The Summit
The side events included a two-day meeting of nearly 30 chief technology officers (CTOs), who on Tuesday agreed to defining principles for advanced information and communications technologies (ICTs). In particular, they agreed that standards are key to future technologies.
CTOs from many of the world's largest telecom and tech companies attended the meeting. The officers drafted a statement on the future of ICT to be released later in the WSIS process and generally agreed that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is in a "unique position" to drive the standards-setting process, according to a release.
"The value of this unprecedented meeting cannot be overstated," said Houlin Zhao, director of the ITU's standardization bureau and organizer of the event. "This meeting of minds has the potential to have real influence on the development of ICT. Consensus at this level stands to benefit not just industry but the whole of society."
Groups of indigenous peoples from various regions also have a parallel event all week at another location in the city. They will explore the potential to use the Internet to address problems faced by people native to regions around the world, addressing topics such as e-health, e-learning, cultural preservation through digital media and citizen empowerment. The U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is facilitating the event.
In addition, gender issues are prominent at the WSIS. Gender activists are urging the international community to ensure that women have the potential to gain from the Internet, too.
Also on Tuesday, a high-level roundtable was held on "taking responsibility in the information age." James Rubin, former assistant secretary of State for public affairs, moderated the discussions, which included many Internet constituents and resulted in several recommendations. Swiss President Pascal Couchepin and Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, convened the roundtable.
Vaira Vike-Freiberga, president of Latvia, said participants agreed that connectivity is needed for the next 5 billion people but did not set a date for that goal. They agreed that the issue needs leadership from the highest levels, which Vike-Freiberga said is "not a trivial requirement because we know there are societies where even a fax is illegal."
"Access to information [is] one of the fundamental human rights for people across the globe," she said, adding that the concerns include freedom of speech and regulations allowing the implementation of technology. She said other needs are integrated infrastructure in tandem with the private sector, education and the encouragement of a diversity of approaches.
Eyes On The Services Market -- And Women
Robert Greenhill, president and chief operating officer of the Canadian airplane maker Bombardier, discussed his committee's work on the shift from connection to content. He said ICTs will enable industry to accelerate the "third wave of globalization" -- services. The first two were capital and manufacturing. He said that services, already 60 percent to 70 percent of any economy, likely will have a "massive impact."
Key underlying elements will be providing education and training, key access points, appropriate financing, and good policies on technology and general business, he said. Greenhill called attention to possible problems, such as a number of countries still resisting the opening of their services markets and a potential backlash to jobs moving overseas, such as engineering jobs and those in call centers for technical support.
The group recommended early acknowledgement of the coming job loss, in part by moving to ensure that people where the jobs are going are treated equally. The group also warned against creating any new "digital dividers."
Maureen O'Neil, president of the International Development Research Center in Canada, said the group discussing new technologies shared examples of ways new technologies have made an unexpected difference. For instance, rural woman in some developing countries have been able to use the Internet to check prices for their products in the marketplaces of nearby towns before deciding whether to walk miles to get there. The group also cited the need for standards.
On Wednesday, the U.N. Research Institute for Social Development will publish a new book called "Communicating in the Information Society." It focuses on women and local communities, among other things.
Summit Critics Focus On Media, Human Rights
Not everybody is happy with the way things have gone at the summit. Community and alternative media groups issued a statement of opposition to the event on Tuesday, saying that along with "civil society" groups, they will reject the official declaration and plan of action for the summit.
The media groups have pushed for governments to open airwaves and allocate frequencies and channels for nonprofits and community-based organizations to provide alternatives to mainstream and private media. They took umbrage with the reference in WSIS documents to "access for all" but with no mention of their constituency. The group will hold a press conference on Friday.
In addition, several human rights groups have raised concerns about the WSIS documents. And the U.N. High Commission on Refugees this week will present its tool on refugees and human rights, called Refworld. It is a comprehensive collection of databases containing crucial information for decision-making and policy formation, the commission said.
Also this week, five leading technology networks plan to launch the Telecenters of the Americas Partnership, which represents more than 4,000 centers across the Western Hemisphere where people can access and learn about new communication technologies.
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