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

WSIS Orientation Session, Winnipeg, May 13, 2005

Canada and the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS)
Tunis, November 16-18, 2005

Canadian Commission for Unesco Conference
WSIS Orientation Session
Winnipeg, May 13, 2005

Table of Contents for Presentation

  • What is WSIS
  • Developing Canada's Approach to WSIS
  • Canada's Objectives for WSIS
  • Geneva Summit
  • Canada at Geneva Summit
  • Linkage to Canadian Priorities
  • Canadian Objectives for Tunis
  • Current Status of Negotiations
  • Canadian Planning for Tunis
  • Internet Governance: WSIS International Context
  • Further Information

What is WSIS?

  • First-ever UN World Summit on the Information Society
  • Focus global political awareness on information revolution, knowledge economy and its impact on international community
  • Foster mainstream vision on development potential of ICTs
  • Origin:
    • International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference (1998)
    • UN General Assembly Res 56/183(Dec 2001), Res 57/28 (Dec 2002)
  • Two phases:
    • Geneva, Dec 10-12, 2003
    • Tunis, Nov 16-18, 2005

Development of Canada's Approach to WSIS

Canada's Objectives for WSIS

  • Focus on mainstreaming "ICT for development" initiatives
  • Promote partnerships and inclusiveness as pillars for success in era of Information Societies — Canada's multi-stakeholder model
  • Reflect Canadian values, policies and program frameworks in WSIS outcomes
  • Promote Canadian experience, expertise and products at Summit
  • Encourage continuity, consistency with other international initiatives and Canadian goals

The Road to WSIS Phase I

  • Complex, wide net, global reach, slow-moving
  • Phase 1: Three major UN Preparatory Conferences (1-2 weeks);
    plus two "intersessional" meetings
  • Five UN Regional Conferences
    Asia, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Latin America.
  • Thematic Conferences (hosted by UN agencies or national bodies)
  • UN WSIS Bureau or Executive Committee (regional basis)
  • UN Procedures, Accreditation, Languages
  • UN Agreement with host country

Geneva Summit, December 10-12, 2003

  • Endorsed broad political Declaration, Plan of Action
  • ICT4D Platform. Exhibition, ~300 side events
  • 11,000 delegates, 176 Member States, ~50 Heads of State
  • 3,300 civil society; 514 business reps; 87 international organizations
  • Over 1,000 media reps
  • Visible Canadian presence: pavilion, contributions at all stages
  • Opened by Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General and Pascal Couchepin, President, Switzerland
  • WSIS Precedent: increased participation of civil society, including private sector

Geneva Summit Assessment

  • Exceeded expectations
  • Political consensus on many issues, approaches.
  • Declaration, Plan of Action reflect Canadian goals, values, inputs
  • ICT4D Platform highly successful
  • UN politics go beyond original ITU ICT4D agenda, introduced social, economic, political issues
  • Retained focus on development, main-streaming ICTs, partnerships
  • Two unresolved political issues — to UN Secretary General for resolution:
    1. Africa/Senegal: Digital Solidarity Fund
      Response: Task Force on Financial Mechanisms
      Voluntary Fund Established in Geneva (March 14, 2005)
    2. Developing countries: raised concerns with Internet governance
      Response: Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG)
      Canada: focus debate on real problems

Canadian International Activities reflect Domestic Achievements: Canadian models

  • Canada's legislative/policy frameworks: key foundation stones for international roles
  • Government promotes continuity within numerous international activities
    • G-8 Summits: Kananaskis (2002) — Canada Fund for Africa ($500 m)
    • G-8 Dot Force initiatives and UN ICT Task Force
    • Summit of Americas (Connectivity Agenda)
    • UN, APEC, OECD, Commonwealth, Francophonie Summits
    • ITU's major assemblies — ITU is lead agency organizing Summit
    • Other International Organizations with information society activities, mandates
      UNESCO, WIPO, ILO, UNCTAD, WTO, World Bank, etc
  • CIDA, IDRC programs
  • Canadian connectivity initiatives: Computers for Schools, Aboriginal Canada Portal, First Nations SchoolNet,
  • Bridging the Digital Divide: universal access; Broadband for Rural and Northern Development; satellite initiative
  • E-commerce, e-health, e-education, government-on-line; innovation strategy
  • Canadian contributions to building policy, regulatory and technical capacity in developing countries (TEMIC, IIT)

Canada at Geneva Summit

  • Helped reach consensus on Declaration and Plan of Action
  • Canada's WTO Ambassador Sergio Marchi, Head of Delegation
  • Visible Canadian presence: frequent public, private references
  • Popular Canadian pavilion: 8 kiosks, 5-6,000 visitors
  • Communications Research Centre (CRC) live, interactive demos
    • Leading edge broadband, satellite applications.
  • Global Forum on Indigenous Peoples and Info Society
  • Substantive Quebec delegation
  • Canadian delegation included civil society (3, including youth)
  • World Summit Awards: e-content. Four Canadian entries — world's best ranking
    • E-culture, e-science, e-business, e-learning
    • Art2Life, Science Matrix, Abebooks, Mia software collection
  • Launched Global ePolicy Resource Network (ePol-Net) and Open Knowledge Network
  • Summit Roundtables; IDRC Seminar
  • Launched innovative IIT training pilot in partnership with ITU Centres of Excellence in Africa
  • Other meetings: World Electronic Media Forum, Global Knowledge Partnership, etc.

Moving Ahead: Canada's Objectives for WSIS Phase II in Tunis

  • Preparatory process similar to Phase 1.
  • Ensure UN political outcome reflects Canadian values and policy frameworks
    (UN Declaration on Human Rights, freedom of expression, liberal democracy, ...)
  • Encourage partnerships, inclusiveness as pillars for the Information Society
  • Showcase, foster Canadian initiatives to create a global information society, focusing on the ODA and partnership components (IDRC, CIDA, StatsCan, other partners)
  • Build on momentum of international initiatives: G-8; Monterrey Consensus, Summit of Americas, APEC Summit, CHOGM, Canada's Africa goals, etc.
  • Support UN Millennium Development Declaration and Goals (UN MDGs)
  • Further engage Heads of State in understanding the transforming role of ICTs, developing vision of Information Society

Current Status of WSIS Negotiations in Geneva

  • Negotiations continue on new political "Declaration" or "chapeau" for Tunis
  • Reaffirm Geneva documents; consensus reached on financing mechanisms, Internet governance debate in September
  • May elaborate on Geneva Plan of Action; seek commitments
  • Negotiations at PrepCom 1, 2.
    • PrepCom 2 agreed on Tunis Summit format
    • Welcomed Digital Solidarity Fund — established March 14, 2005, Geneva
  • July 18 release of the report of the Working Group on Internet Governance
  • Continue negotiations at PrepCom 3, Geneva, Sept. 19-30, 2005, focusing on Internet governance and other issues raised by stakeholders.

Other WSIS Activities

  • WSIS Stocktaking Exercise (database). www.itu.int/wsis
  • Thematic and Regional Meetings
    • Role and Place of Media, UNESCO/Orbicom, Nov. 2004, Morocco
    • African Union on Finance, Feb. 2005, Accra, Ghana
    • Measuring the Information Society, Feb. 2005, Geneva (UNCTAD, ILO, ...
    • Indigenous People and the Information Society, March 2005, Ottawa
    • Ubiquitous Networks, May 16-17, 2005, Tokyo
    • World Summit Awards, ICT and Creativity, June 2-3, 2005, Vienna (with UNESCO)
    • Americas Region, June 8-10, 2005, Rio de Janeiro, ECLAC/GRULAC
    • World Summit of Cities and Local Authorities on the Information Society, Nov 9-11, 2005, Bilbao, Spain
    • Many other thematic meetings in regions.

Additional Events at Tunis Summit, Nov 14-19, 2005

  • ICT4all exhibition: Canadian pavilion focusing on contributions to development, partnerships, networking
  • Parallel Summit events:
    • Seminars, workshops, kiosk (IDRC, CIDA, academia, private sector)
    • Indigenous Peoples Forum (TBC)
    • World Summit Awards (e-content)
    • Business event/conference (half day)
    • Possible Quebec event, reception
  • Encourage Canadian presence in Tunis:
    • civil society, private sector, provinces

Canadian Government Planning for Tunis

  • Canadian Coordinating Committee (FAC, IC)
    • To develop consensus on Canadian positions (includes provinces, territories)
    • Identify deliverables, announcements
    • Concur on post-WSIS mechanisms
    • Confirm Canadian presence in Tunis (pavilion, kiosks, events)
    • Establish official Delegation; Ministerial participation.
    • Encourage civil society participation including private sector

Internet Governance: WSIS International Context

  • Influential developing countries seek political levers on ‘Internet' and more
  • WSIS provides unique international forum to advance political case

Political Setting:

  • No single acceptable forum to address global, Internet-related issues.
  • Various national, international forums deal with different aspects, e.g., content, spam, security, privacy, commerce, consumer, legal issues
  • National sovereignty issues at play:
    • Sovereignty: wrest control from US over ICANN, particularly Domain Name System (DNS)
    • Attempts to legitimize potential state controls over access; content;
    • Governments see Internet linkages to economic system, industrial strategies, national security.
  • Broader UN political environment : challenges to USA dominance
  • Agreement that stability of network is critical, but disagreement on what that means

Context and Role for UN Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG)

  • WSIS Declaration includes a negotiated mandate for a UN working group
  • Requested UN Secretary General to establish WGIG
  • Plan of Action further elaborates mandate
  • WGIG is not a negotiating group
  • Defines issues, outline roles, make recommendations

Initial Assessment of WGIG

  • Encourages demandeurs to articulate issues; identify goals
  • Stimulates review of Internet issues by many governments and stakeholders.
  • Useful educational role — share expert knowledge
  • Involves civil society (NGOs, private sector, academia) in UN process

Internet Governance: General Canadian View

  • Internet Governance is important issue for Canada
  • Canada has a well developed domestic policy and management regime that works well
  • WSIS is primarily a development forum, not a technology one
  • WSIS has provided platform for international views:
  • may put in place more appropriate mechanisms or launch process
  • Perspective of UN players primarily political, not operational/technical.
  • Developing a Canadian position on Internet Governance
  • Discuss further at Session IV on Internet Governance, Saturday

Overall Canadian Approach to WSIS and Tunis Summit

  • WSIS should focus on development, digital divide
  • Key messages
    • Mainstream ICTs; don't separate ICT from core development agendas
    • Partnerships among nations and stakeholders are vital
    • Support community-based development; complements traditional development and top-down planning approaches
    • Build human and institutional capacity: accommodate ever-changing technologies
    • Civil society, including private sector, are key resources for governments and international community on ICT and Information Society issues
  • Seek to ensure that Canadian values are reflected in Summit outcomes
    • (UN Declaration on Human Rights; freedom of expression; freedom of the press, democracy; linguistic and cultural diversity; gender; accessibility for all — including disabled, etc.)

Further Information on World Summit on the Information Society