The first Preparatory Meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) opened today in the coastal city of Hammamet, Tunisia.
Yoshio Utsumi, secretary general of the International Communication Union (ITU), noted the meeting constitutes the first preparatory committee session of the WSIS held outside Geneva and reflects an effort to build bridges between nations.
“As Hannibal crossed the Alps from Tunisia to make a landmark in history, we have today crossed the Alps to Tunisia representing the migration of WSIS from North to South,” he said.
The first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society was hosted by Switzerland, from 10 to 12 December 2003.
The second phase will be hosted by Tunisia in November 16-18, 2005. ( www.wsistunis2005.org)
Officials, members of civil society and business representatives from 125 countries are attending this three-day meeting which is to lay the ground for the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) scheduled for next November in Tunisia.
Speaking at the opening session, Utsumi said the session will “be crucial in shaping the focus and output of the second phase of the WSIS.
“It is not by chance that we are assembled today in Tunisia”, Utsumi said, since it is Tunisia that “first proposed a Summit on the Information society at the ITU plenipotentiary conference in Minneapolis, back in 1998”.
He said the summit aims at raising awareness among political leaders, addressing the digital divide and “developing new legal and policy frameworks appropriate to the demands of cyberspace.”
The secretary general of the ITU also thanked the Tunisian government for “the first rate working conditions” and the “excellent working conditions” of PrepCom1.
The excellent “working conditions” noted by the ITU chief have been noted by the overwhelming majority of participants.
Some, especially from non government organizations taking part in the various caucuses, said they were delighted to see the Tunisian authorities have offered participants excellent working commodities, including the ability to communicate via wireless technologies from within meeting venues.
Others said were “surprised” that contrary to previous apprehensions, they found access to websites unhindered and that all human rights organizations properly credentialed.
“The Summit is still more than a year away. The performance of Tunisia makes us already proud,” said an African participant.
Speaking at the opening session, Sadok Rabah, Tunisian minister of information technologies and transportation, reaffirmed Tunisia’s “determination to provide all conditions of success” of the second phase of the WSIS, and “to open the way for a wide contribution from all the concerned parties : governments, international organizations, civil society, and the business sector.”
The Tunisian minister said “the digital divide” which faces the international community constitutes a “challenge” which “threatens to further deepen the development disparities existing between the developed and developing countries”.
Rabah reiterated the call by Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to representatives of international civil society to intensify their participation at all the stages of the preparation for the Summit second phase in Tunis.
In this regard, he highlighted “the crucial importance” of ensuring “a wide participation for all international organizations in the various phases and events related the World Summit on the Information Society.”
He added that to ensure a wider participation for civil society, “Tunisia calls for the establishment of a permanent United Nations Fund which, in a first phase, will be concerned with financing the various activities of the international civil society related to the organization of the World Summit on the Information Society, and, thereafter, will pursue the provision of support and assistance to the efforts of the international civil society in all relevant priority fields.”
He said Tunisia will offer a contribution of 400,000 dinars, which “will be essentially devoted to helping associations in the least developed countries, especially those concerned with the disabled, women and the youth, in order to facilitate their participation in the proceedings of the second phase of the Summit in Tunis.”
Rabah said Tunisia accords also special attention to ensuring “greater participation of business sector representatives” during the Summit second phase.
He announced that as part of the events to be organized parallel to the Summit, an international fair for creation and innovation in the ICT field will be organized, and free spaces will be offered for small enterprises from developing countries.
Rabah also announced Tunisia’s intention of organizing an international competition for information and communication technology start ups from developing nations.
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