[egov] [Fwd: FW: The Regional Pan-European Ministerial ConferenceNewsletter]

[Karl Best <karl.best@oasis-open.org>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: FW: The Regional Pan-European Ministerial Conference Newsletter
Date: Sun, 10 Nov 2002 13:00:05 -0500
From: "Patrick Gannon" <patrick.gannon@oasis-open.org>
To: "Dee Schur" <dee.schur@oasis-open.org>
CC: "OASIS TAB" <tab@lists.oasis-open.org>, "Oasis Board \(E-mail\)"
<board@lists.oasis-open.org>, "OASIS Staff" <staff@oasis-open.org>


Karl,
Please forward to e-Gov TC and the PKI MS Steering Committee.

OASIS representation at this conference was successful in getting
appropriate wording into Principle #7 regarding the need for governments
to participate in identification and adoption of international standards
efforts. The participants are also quite eager for information on best
practices that they can begin using.  I have some 40 leads to follow-up
on with Scott & Pim.

We also need to begin planning for participation in other regional
preparatory meetings over the next few months and then the full WSIS
Dec. 10-12, 2003 in Geneva.

Patrick


-----Original Message-----
From: WSIS Romania Secretariate [mailto:wsis@mcti.ro]
Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2002 12:35 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: The Regional Pan-European Ministerial Conference Newsletter

<http://www.wsis-romania.ro>

The Regional Pan-European Ministerial Conference
in preparation of the World Summit on the Information Society
Bucharest, Romania
November 7-9, 2002

BUCHAREST IS ON-LINE. LET'S WORK ON THE FUTURE

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Pan European Regional Ministerial Conference in preparation of the
World Summit on the Information Society took place between November 7
and 9 at the Parliament Palace in Bucharest. The delegates of the 55
coutries represented at the Conference adopted a set of principles and
priorities for action towards an Information Society that can be
consulted below.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE BUCHAREST DECLARATION


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 women's 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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CONTACT

For more details about the Regional Ministerial Conference, contact:
Tel.: +40 – (0)21- 335.7999
         +40 – (0)21– 400.3259
         +40 – (0)21– 400.1701
         +40 – (0)21– 400.1702
         +40 – (0)21– 400.1736

Fax: +40 – (0)21 – 335.7919
E-mail: wsis@mcti.ro

or visit:
www.wsis-romania.ro <http://www.wsis-romania.ro>

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BUCHAREST IS ON-LINE. LET'S WORK ON THE FUTURE

-- 
=================================================================
Karl F. Best
Vice President, OASIS
+1 978.667.5115 x206
karl.best@oasis-open.org  http://www.oasis-open.org