UNUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Press Release

[Index]      

Geneva, 7 November 2002

 

UNECE hails the launching in Bucharest of the fundamental principles of the Information Society

Pan-European Regional Preparatory Meeting
for the 2003 World Summit on the Information Society

Bucharest, Romania, 7- 9 November 2002

 

In his opening speech, Paolo Garonna, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), said that the UNECE is strongly committed to contributing to utilizing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for development and to assisting Governments in developing their national strategies and goals for the Information Society. Governments, he said, need to promote comprehensive, forward-looking national strategies in developing the "Information Society". If these strategies are to work, they must involve business, civil society and non-governmental organizations in an "inclusive consultation process".

The UNECE can provide a regional forum for countries to exchange experience on national e-strategies and identify best practices, where they can learn from each other's experience.

The "Fundamental Principles of the Information Society" that are going to be discussed, and hopefully agreed upon in Bucharest represent the outcome of much experience and thinking in ECE member countries, some of which are the most technologically advanced in the world. At the same time, they represent the precondition for strengthening and focusing concrete action plans at the national and regional level on the priority issues. They will help promoting partnerships and cooperation initiatives involving civil society and all other interested stakeholders.

For this Conference, Mr. Garonna said, the UNECE has organized three main events: a Round Table on "Building a Gender Sensitive Information Society", a discussion panel on "Open Standards Development" and a meeting on "E-policy and E-regulation" with the UNECE Team of Specialists on Internet Enterprise Development.

"Agreeing on a set of common principles and priority themes for the Information Society is an historic opportunity for Europe and North America - concluded Mr. Garonna. "The countries in this region have developed a leadership role in technological development and, after the fall of the Berlin wall, have now a common understanding of the importance of the rights and freedoms of "open societies" and functioning market economies. Therefore they have a tremendous responsibility in championing together the principles of the Information Society in the global context as we prepare for the World Summit."

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Ref: ECE/GEN/02/26