World Summit on the Information Society
Asian Regional Conference

The Tokyo Declaration
Draft version 1.0 (22 December 2002)



Representatives from (?) countries and territories, (?) international
organisations, (?) private companies and (?) non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) in the Asian region gathered in Tokyo on 13-15
January 2003 to develop a shared vision of the $B!H(BInformation
Society$B!I(B
in the region$B!G(Bs future development. The objectives of the meeting
were to discuss how the potential of information and communication
technology (ICT) can be used to effect fundamental changes to benefit
all aspects of people$B!G(Bs lives by bridging the digital divide, as well
as to consider how the Asian region can contribute to the World Summit
on the Information Society (WSIS), to be held in December 2003.

With these objectives in mind, the participants in this meeting called
for united efforts from all concerned to tackle ICT-related issues, so
that a vibrant information society can be created that respects and
builds on the strengths of Asia$B!G(Bs diversity.

The regional meeting paid regard to the outcome of the preceding
African and European regional meetings for WSIS, as well as the Asian
Summit on the Information Society organised in October-November 2000,
the G8 Digital Opportunity Task Force Meeting of July 2000, and the
output of many other relevant bodies. It also endorsed the role of ICT
in the context of the United Nations$B!G(B Millennium Declaration, which
describes a fundamental set of principles and guidelines for combating
poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and
sexual discrimination.



1.What is the Information Society?

The concept of an $B!H(BInformation Society$B!I(B is one in which highly
developed ICT networks can help every person to achieve their
potential through better access to information and the ability to
share opinions with others.   An information society fosters the
development of both individuals and communities, while strengthening
the links between them.  This leads to an improved quality of life for
all.

It is essential for this region to establish an information society
that can promise such personal and social development, and which helps
to preserve the cultural diversity of Asia in an age of
globalisation. In order to build an information society, it is
necessary not only to establish the necessary ICT networks, but also
to ensure that everyone can have access to them.


2.The Present Situation

Participants in the regional meeting noted that:

1)This region has unique features: it comprises the Earth$B!G(Bs largest
  land mass, and has several very large countries as well as many
  small island states. The region has over 65% of the world$B!G(Bs
  population, including over 75% of the world$B!G(Bs poor. With regard to
  ICT, nearly 600 million people worldwide have access to the
  Internet, of whom 150 million are in the Asian Region.

2)This region enjoys a richness of ancient and modern cultures, which
  include diverse social traditions and customs of communication.

3)Two-thirds of the world$B!G(Bs illiterate people are women. (+$B&A(B)

4)Within the region, some countries have been pioneering the new era
  of broadband  and mobile telecommunication services, which are
  having a significant impact on the ways people communicate.  The
  experience gained by countries in this field can be shared with
  others to promote good practice.

5)In this region as a whole, there are very wide gaps in access to and
  use of the latest ICT between countries, urban and rural areas,
  women and men, and minority and majority ethnic groups.

6)ICT must be used more intensively as a driving force for promoting
  sustainable economic and technical development by enlarging national
  products with innovations, as well as poverty reduction through
  higher levels of productivity.


3.Bridging the Digital Divide to Make Progress Together

In order to promote the creation and advance of an information
society, it is necessary to tackle many issues related to specific
fields, as well as cross-sectoral matters, while ensuring that the
essential platform of development is established.

(1)  Platform of development

A fundamental aim of the information society is to provide a better
quality of life by bridging the social and economic gaps that exist
due to gender, age or other factors.  The development of such a
society must be based on a platform of compatible technical standards,
as well as systems to promote the exchange of knowledge at global,
regional and sub-regional levels. As a sharp increase  in
international traffic is anticipated, it is critical for
international broadband network  infrastructure to be created,
including international IXs and communication hubs that match Asia$B!G(Bs
needs. New technology such as IP networks and IPv6 should be  used in
developing this essential infrastructure.

(2) Priority should be placed on the following issues:
a)Securing accessibility of telecommunication networks
The principal concept of the information society is
$B!H(Bubiquitous$B!I(B
access to information networks: everyone should be able to have access
to information networks at any time and in any place.  To this end, it
is valuable to encourage existing technologies to be used to provide
connectivity to outlying areas that do not already have it, such as
through schools, libraries, post offices and community centres in the
countryside. At the same time, it is important to upgrade existing
telephone systems and extend them into poor urban areas, as part of
ensuring that telecommunication and data networks are sufficiently
robust for national needs and offer reliable gateways to international
communications. In this regard, new technology such as wireless and
satellite networks could help remote areas gain access to
telecommunications. Broadband too has great potential to help meet
basic human needs through such means as e-education and e-medicine.

Alongside measures to improve the ICT infrastructure, priority must be
placed on providing access to reliable and low-cost communications,
especially for the poor in remote rural areas. In addition, special
attention should be paid to the needs of disadvantaged, disabled and
illiterate people, through innovative partnerships that can
disseminate knowledge of ICT.

b)Preserving linguistic and cultural diversity
Linguistic and cultural diversity enriches human life by offering a
range of viewpoints and ideas. In forming national ICT strategies, a
conscious effort must be made to promote respect for the traditions of
indigenous communities, to preserve the national heritage and to
encourage the appreciation and understanding of other cultures while
taking a pride in ones own.  In this respect, promoting broadband
networks in Asia could not only support business and personal
activities, but also help to preserve cultural diversity through such
means as digital archives.

c)Developing human resources
For people to make the most of the information society, they must have
the appropriate levels of literacy and ICT skills.  To achieve this,
relevant education should be promoted at every level from primary to
adult, to open opportunities for as many people as possible.  With
this foundation, knowledge and ideas will be able to spread more
widely and quickly at local, national and international levels. As
part of this effort, it is appropriate to establish special programmes
for the youth, as well as to promote gender awareness.

It is also important to provide basic education in science and
technology as a basis for higher achievements in these fields.  This
will help to create a pool of highly qualified and skilled ICT
professionals that will continue to serve as a foundation for the
region$B!G(Bs ICT sector.

d)Establishing legal, regulatory and policy frameworks
In order to establish the information society on a firm and successful
footing, national governments should create appropriate and
transparent legal, regulatory and policy frameworks. This will
encourage the necessary investment to promote technological innovation
and develop network infrastructure and new services.

In addition, because the information society is, by nature, a global
phenomenon, issues such as the protection of privacy, consumer
confidence, management of domain names, facilitation of e-commerce,
protection of intellectual property rights, and open source solutions
need to addressed at an international level in consultation with all
relevant parties.

e)Building confidence in the security of ICT
Care must be taken to create and maintain users$B!G(B confidence in using
information networks.  Effective security of these networks is not
only a matter of technology, but also of education and training. To
this end, a $B!I(Bculture of security$B!I(B needs to be established based
on
multilateral agreements through international organisations.

(3) Cross-sector Programmes and Activities
a)e-government
ICT networks can offer better public services to citizens by allowing
them to be provided more efficiently, and by improving the
accountability and transparency of public administration.   In this
regard, so-called $B!H(Bone stop$B!I(B administrative service centres
can
play
a useful role, by allowing people to easily gain access to government
information, official procedures and so on, at one location.
E-government also gives the opportunity for a greater sense of
community participation to be created, by establishing online sites
where citizens can input their views and exchange ideas.

b)e-business
Through using ICT, businesses can achieve increased productivity,
lower transaction costs and the avoidance of excess stocks.  To ensure
that businesses can enjoy these benefits, an enabling environment must
be established, including regulatory frameworks to promote business
investment and mutual certification among business parties.

On the side of the consumer, ICT can bring greater satisfaction
through the ability to interact with many potential suppliers beyond
the constraints of location.  However, it is essential for consumer
confidence in using networks to be maintained.

c)e-community
As a fundamentally social animal, humans need to build communities for
mutual support.  In the modern age, these can also be
$B!H(Bvirtual$B!I(B
communities online, where people can $B!H(Bmeet$B!I(B to exchange ideas
and
information.  At the same time, these online contacts can also help
people to learn about and share the resources of their local community
in the real world.

(4) National and Regional e-Strategies
Comprehensive ICT strategies that include clear goals need to be
formulated at both national and regional levels in order to create an
information society for the benefit of all.  These strategies should
be designed and implemented through collaboration among governments,
the public sector, businesses and NGOs, with each exercising its
responsibilities and playing its unique role.

4. Follow-up
This declaration, together with the annexes contributed by
participants, is to be submitted as the Asian Region$B!G(Bs input to the
WSIS process and its follow up.   It is hoped that this document will
help guide governments in forming policies and taking action to
advance the creation of an information society worldwide.


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