[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