Report to CPSR on PrepCom-1 of the World Summit on the Information Society,
July 1 - 5, 2002, Geneva.

 

William J. McIver, Jr.

School of Information Science and Policy

University at Albany

Albany, New York 12222

USA

e-mail: mciver@albany.edu

URL: http://www.albany.edu/~mciver

Robert Guerra 

Director, Computer Professionals for
Social Reponsibility

Toronto, Ontario

Canada M2N 6G9

 

October 13, 2002

 1.   Introduction

This note provides our perspective on the proceedings of PrepCom-1 of the
World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Its intent is to provide a
high level overview of the proceedings and to identify opportunities for CPSR
to contribute in the ongoing process of preparing for the WSIS.

Official WSIS documents refer to both non-governmental and civil society
organizations, which are referred to collectively in most places including
this report as �civil society.� This category is, of course,
not monolithic in its viewpoints and there is not a formal and binding
mechanism within the Civil Society Division of the WSIS Secretariat for
representatives of NGOs and civil society to declare consensus or majority
positions. Thus, viewpoints ascribed to representatives from or
constituencies within civil society in this note cannot be taken to mean
consensus positions for the entire NGO community involved in the WSIS. This
note will refer only to �representatives from civil society� in
discussing significant constituencies involved in responses to the
Inter-governmental Division.

 1.   CPSR Involvement in PrepCom-1

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR) was represented at
the PrepCom-1 of the World Summit of the Information Society by an accredited
delegation of three: Robert Guerra (Canada), Rufo, Guerreschi (Italy) and
William McIver (USA). Several other CPSR members were also present, including
Lisa Koonts.

CPSR members participated in committee work, the preparation of statements
and deliberations in plenary sessions of the Civil Society Division. Our work
and alliances involved a fairly broad cross section of organizations
accredited to the Civil Society Division. These organizations were generally
concerned with communication rights; community or citizen participation in
ICTs; and regional, social or cultural issues pertaining to ICTs. A list of
organizations with whom CPSR participated in terms of committee work and
endorsements of statements is given in an appendix below.

CPSR members also participated in formal and informal meetings with
government. delegations. Robert Guerra, in particular, participated in
several meetings with members of the Canada delegation. These meetings have
opened opportunities to participate in country level discussions and
consultations.

CPSR members, including Robert Guerra and Lisa Koonts, were also involved in
provide press functions for representatives of civil society and in the
creation of a Web site, www.wsis.info, for communicating information about
civil society activities; and the creation of a listserv list,
wsis-prep1@lists.cpsr.org for ongoing communication amongst representatives
from civil society.

 1.   Background on the WSIS

A brief overview of the chronology of the WSIS is as follows:

�      The WSIS is an initiative of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU). The ITU passed a resolution at its 1998
Plenipotentiary Conference that asked for the United Nation�s
endorsement in holding a summit to examine questions and develop solutions to
problems that have resulted from the deployment of Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs).

�      In response, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly passed
resolution 56/183 in 2001 endorsing the WSIS under the �high
patronage� of the UN Secretary-General and to be organized by the
ITU.

�      The purpose of the World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS) as articulated in UN Resolution 56/183 is to develop �a common
vision and understanding of the information society and the adoption of a
declaration and plan of action for implementation by Governments,
international institutions and all sectors of civil society� (see
http://www.itu.int/wsis).

�      The ITU in 2001 decided to hold WSIS in two
�phases�: the first in Geneva in 2003 and second in Tunis in
2005 (see background documents at http://www.itu.int/wsis).

�      Preparations for the summit, as with other UN summits, are to
be carried out through a series of preparatory conferences (PrepComs), during
which rules of procedure, the agenda, plan of action, and language for a
final declaration are to be worked out.

�      The first of these, PrepCom-1, was held July 1 -5, 2002 in
Geneva. Various regional, inter- governmental and other types of
consultations were held prior to the PrepCom-1 and are planned in the interim
between PrepComs. Two other PrepComs are planned prior to the first phase of
the summit.

A high level overview of the structure of the WSIS and its bureaucratic
relationships are as follows:

�      The WSIS is formally under the auspices of the UN with
organization being performed under the direction of the ITU.

�      The UN Resolution gives a mandate to the ITU to involve
governments, the private sector, civil society, and other United Nations
organizations in preparations for the WSIS.

�      The structure established to guide the preparation for the WSIS
is composed of heads of UN Agencies within a High-level Summit Organizing
Committee (HLSOC) and an Executive Secretariat that includes staff from
member states and UN Agencies, as well as staff designated to work on behalf
of the private sector and civil society.

�      An elected bureau has been designated to oversee the work of
the preparatory committee of the WSIS. Mr Adama Samassekou of Mali was
elected the president of the bureau. Adama Sanassekou is former Minister of
Basic Education of the Government of Mali. He has a Masters degree in Russian
philology and linguistics and a Doctorat de 3e in training and counseling. He
was recently appointed to establish the African Academy_ of Languages. He has
founded PDHRE Mali and PDHRE Africa and is now in the process of forming the
African Learning Institution for Human Rights Education (ALIHRE) and a human
rights City in Kati, Mali.

�      The staff of the Civil Society division is mostly drawn from
swiss based foundation: Fondation du devenir. They were responsible for the
initial organization of the PrepCom and provided liaison functions between
NGOs and the secretariat for obtaining opportunities to speak in the
inter-governmental plenary and to make other types of input to the
secretariat and member states. The Civil Society Secretariat includes Alain
Clerc, Louise Lassonde and Marie Thorndahl who are on the foundation's board.
Alain Clerc was nominated policy advisor to the president of the preparatory
process.

�      The major inter-governmental committees that were operative for
PrepCom-1 were the Sub- committee on Rules of Procedure and the Sub-committee
on Content and Themes.

Criticism of the overall organizational structure has been voice by various
participants in the Civil Society segment. Some believe that the ITU is not
well suited to organizing events involving Civil Society since it has never
had structures and processes for involving NGOs in its other work. Others
Civil Society participants claimed that there was a lack of outreach from the
ITU to certain UN organizations, such as UNIFEM, to become involved in the
WSIS. These claims were not substantiated.

A number of Civil Society participants were also of the opinion that UNESCO
should have the lead role in the summit, thinking that its charter is more
appropriate to the goals of the WSIS and that it has extensive experience in
involving NGOs in these types of events. Nevertheless, UNESCO seems to be
engaged in the summit and provided a document as input into PrepCom-1.

 2.   PrepCom-1 Agenda

The overall agenda for PrepCom-1 was divided into agendas for member states
-- the inter- governmental sessions -- and civil society. The former was in
effect the main agenda since its decisions about the WSIS are binding.

There were two major items on the agenda for member states:

�      the adoption of rules of procedure for the summit, and

�      the adoption of a document articulating proposed themes and
possible outcomes for the summit.

In addition, a fund raising conference was held among member states, UN
agencies and one private corporation[1]. Informal regional meetings were also
held between member states and NGOs, mainly to discuss the regional
preparatory conferences for the WSIS.

The civil society agenda was initially organized into a series of caucuses
and workshops based mainly on proposals submitted to the secretariat prior to
the PrepCom. It appeared that the secretariat expected these to be
informational sessions as opposed to ones where decisions would be taken
regarding input into the inter-governmental session.

A cross section of civil society participants reacted strongly to this issue
and forced the plenary parts of the civil society agenda to be quickly
reorganized to provide a forum for discussing and organizing responses to the
activities of the inter-governmental Sub-committees on Rules of Procedure and
Content and Themes.

The major outcome of the inter-governmental agenda was a highly contentious
debate in the area of civil society participation. This was dealt with in the
context of the Sub-committee of Rule of Procedure. Major progress was not
made in finalizing themes and expected outcomes for the WSIS, but processes
were set in motion to continue work in the interim before the next PrepCom.

 1.1 Civil society participation in the PrepComs and the WSIS

The most contentious issue of PrepCom-1 was the question of how civil society
will be allowed to participate in the preparatory processes of the WSIS and
the WSIS itself -- often referred to as modalities for participation. These
modalities concern several different processes, including the following:

1.     the ability to gain accreditation,

2.     the right observe proceedings of the Inter-governmental sessions of
the PrepComs and WSIS (not just plenaries), and

3.     the right to make input into these processes in the form of
consultations, documents, and statements in sessions.

The fact that modalities of participation was a contentious issue at
PrepCom-1 contradicted official messages about the WSIS, precedent extending
from other UN summits, and official resolutions within the UN system. Support
for civil society significant participation in the WSIS was articulated in UN
Resolution 56/183 and in various other documents and official statements
issued subsequently. Precedent for modalities of participation exists in a
number of UN summits over the past decade in which civil society has been
allowed significant rights of participation. ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31
effectively codifies these precedents. Statements made during the opening
plenary of conference by member states and ITU and UN officials contained
many phrases associating ICTs with democracy and improvement of civil
societies globally. Ironically, major obstacles to meaningful modalities of
participation for civil society participation in the PrepCom-1 and the WSIS
were present from the start.

The draft Rules of Procedure that were under consideration by member states
during PrepCom-1 contained two competing rules articulating modalities for
NGO participation in the PrepCom and the WSIS, one which was generally
acceptable to many representatives from civil society and another that would
effectively eliminate meaningful participation.

A number of member states were reportedly attempting to block or remove
language in the rules that would permit NGO participation. At the same time,
a number of other member states, including Canada, Switzerland, and the EU,
appeared to be advocates for ensuring meaningful civil society participation.
This support was seen in statements they issued, consultations with
representatives from civil society in which they participated, and brokering
of these positions back and forth between the inter-governmental and civil
society sessions.

The final agreement reached on Rule of Procedure out of PrepCom-1 is a
compromise that addresses participation for the PrepComs, but not in the WSIS
itself. The general consensus from representatives of civil society
organizations with which the CPSR delegation is involved is that the language
is weak and ambiguous, apparently allowing observation of public meetings and
not deliberations of the inter-governmental sessions. Under these rules that
were adopted, input by NGOs may be greatly limited through the prerogative of
the �presiding officer� and member states to adjudge the
competence of representatives of NGOs to speak on the issue at hand and to
force them to make input through groupings of NGOs (or constituencies) based
on time limitations.

The other critical issues within the debate over the Rules of Procedure had
to do with the accreditation of NGOs and �Business Sector
Entities.� The protections accorded NGOs previously in the
accreditation process, such as the right of reply to rejections and the right
to explanations of such rejections have not been included in the Rules of
Procedure adopted by PrepCom-1. The most ominous development is the creation
of rules that allow for-profit entities, �Business Sector
Entities,� to obtain individual accreditation. Previously businesses
were restricted to seeking representation through non-profit associations --
within the private sector division -- that, presumably, represented their
business sector. It is now theoretically possible for Bill Gates and others
to be accredited directly, giving them multiple representation, through ITU
sector memberships, private sector representation and individually.

  Civil Society Response

Representatives from civil society formed the Civil Society Sub-committee on
Rules of Procedure to respond to developments out of the Inter-governmental
agenda. Many civil society participants had in fact been working on this
issue prior to the PrepCom. This work included statements prepared by CRIS
and IRIS (Imaginons un r�seau Internet solidaire). This committee was
relatively successful in that its work. It contributed to the pressure
against those member states that would do away with civil society
participation and it presented a credible threat to the WSIS Secretariat in
terms of the organization of a shadow summit if meaningful modalities of
participation are not made available. This sub-committee issued a number of
statements in response to each phase in the deliberations. These are
available at www.wsis.info. More in-depth analyses of the Rules of Procedure
from PrepCom-1 are also provided by other representatives from civil society,
including Se�n � Siochr� from CRIS and NEXUS in Ireland
(see www.wsis.info).

Representatives from civil society, lead by Steve Buckley, secured a meeting
the Secretary- General of the ITU, Yoshio Utsumi, to discuss the ITU�s
role in improving modalities for participation. The delegation from civil
society was:

1.     Steve Buckley, Deputy President, World Association of Community Radio
Broadcasters, Canada;

2.     George Christensen, Board Member - Technology, Regional Office for
Africa, World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, South
Africa/Gambia;

3.     Susanna George, Executive Director, ISIS International, Philippines;

4.     William J. McIver, Jr., CPSR, USA; and,

5.     Se�n � Siochr�, Research Director, Nexus Research
Co-operative, Ireland.

A general agreement was reached in the meeting for the ITU and members of
civil society to explore a number of ideas for improving modalities for
participation. Se�n � Siochr� reiterated a novel
proposal he has made to the ITU previously, which is to reduce or waive the
onerous fees for NGOs to obtain membership in the ITU -- which,
interestingly, has no accreditation procedure for NGOs, unlike other UN
sphere organizations.

 1.1 Content and Themes

The WSIS Secretariat issued a document on �Proposed Themes for the
Summit and Possible Outcomes� prior to PrepCom-1, which articulated
the following areas of focus for the summit:

�      Building the infrastructure

�      Opening the gates

�      Services and applications

�      The needs of users

�      Developing a framework

�      ICTs and Education

�      The role of ICTs in good governance

Many representatives from civil society with whom the CPSR delegation worked
during PrepCom-1 were concerned that human rights did not have �first
class� status within this proposal. In particular, the examination of
role of human rights in the information society, including the right to
communicate. The document contains only one reference to �human
rights,� which is itself a reference to the UN Millennium Declaration
in the context of the proposed theme �The role of ICTs in good
governance.� The Millenium Declaration commits member states to
�the rule of law, while respecting internationally recognised human
rights and fundamental freedoms.�

Non-Paper 1 focused on principles for guiding the preparations for the WSIS.
This document called for a �development-oriented� approach to
preparing for the summit with the goal of �bridging the digital
divide.� It also called for working in the context of: ethical
considerations, preserving diversity (cultural and linguistic), previous work
on relevant issues, supporting partnerships between stakeholders, supporting
a �spirit� of international cooperation, and viewing ICTs as a
means -- not an end -- to achieving such social and economic goals as
�poverty eradication.� Non-Paper 1�s reference to
previous work was ambiguous in not including specific reference to relevant
work of NGOs.

Non-Paper 2 addressed the proposed themes for the WSIS. It called, in part,
for focus on: developing �shared understanding� of the digital
divide and the information society, ICT applications, information security,
governance, access to ICTs, policy and regulatory frameworks, and education.

  Civil Society Response

Representatives from civil society, including members of CRIS, formed a Civil
Society Sub- Committee on Content and Themes during PrepCom-1 to respond to
this proposal. Two statements were issued:

1.    A response to the at the commencement of the Content and Themes part of
the Inter- governmental agenda, and

2.    a reaction the two �non-papers� that were issued by the
Inter-governmental Sub-committee on Content and Themes near the end of
PrepCom-1.

The first civil society statement called for a human-centered approach to
developing the �common vision� called for by the WSIS. In
addition, it argued against a view of the information society that is
concerned with only �tools and channels� and that
�relegates citizens to the status of mere users of technology will be
unable to achieve the goals of the summit.� See www.wsis.info for the
detailed statement.

The civil society statement responding to these two documents recognized some
progress that was made in the inter-governmental position. In particular,
linguistic and cultural diversity was beginning to be addressed and the view
of ICTs and ends unto themselves was beginning to be de- emphasized. The
civil society response to Non-Paper 1 called for the inclusion of other
principles, including:

�      the use of the human right to communicate as a guiding
principle;

�      explicit mention of civil society, governments, and the private
sector with respect to the use of previous relevant work on themes;

�      recognition of the need for active participation of citizens in
the information society, its formation and governance; and

�      the need to address diverse needs of different groups of
people.

The civil society response to Non-Paper 2 called for the inclusion of other
themes and re- articulations of themes it proposed, including:

�      recognition that �the digital divide� is not just
a North/South phenomenon, but that inequities exist within developed
nations;

�      not just technical education, but education necessary to
appreciate and use content;

�      access must consider both new and traditional ICTs; and

�      a focus on barriers to accessing ICTs must include social and
political factors in addition to technical and economic ones.

Both civil society statements were prepared in English, French, and Spanish.
All versions will be available shortly on www.wsis.info.

A listserv list, WSIS-SCT@listserv.albany.edu, has been established to
support communication amongst representatives from civil society with respect
to Content and Themes. In particular, the committee must prepared input in
the inter-sessional meetings that are scheduled to continue deliberations
around Proposed Themes and Possible Outcomes in preparation for PrepCom-2.

 1.1 Finance

The WSIS Secretariat and member states held a funding conference during
PrepCom-1 and were able to secure significant funding and in-kind support for
the WSIS from various UN Aagencies, member states, and one corporation.
Approximately 2 million CHF were raised (~ $1.2 million), along with ~17 FTE
in experts from various UN Agencies and member states.

Finance is a critical issue for the civil society �segment� of
the WSIS. The WSIS Secretariat has failed thus far to directly address the
financial and resource needs of civil society participants so that they can
participate. Of particular concern are NGOs from developing nations, who have
more acute needs in terms of the costs of preparation and participation in
WSIS activities.

  Civil Society Response

Representatives from civil society formed a Sub-committee on Funding and
Supporting NGO Participation in WSIS and held a meeting to explore fund
raising possibilities. The meeting was attended by governments, development
agencies and a few foundations. A statement was prepared, which called for,
among other things:

�      the raising of funds not only for preparation and participation
in the WSIS, but also for implementation of initiatives arising out of it;

�      the identification of priorities for support;

�      the use of highly-informed decision making based for issuing
support, in terms of the particular needs of regions, gender concerns, and
marginalized communities; and

�      the use of the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) or
other similar agencies to administer any funds that are brought in for civil
society.

A final report of this committee�s PrepCom-1 work is to be posted on
http://www.cpsr.org/wsis

 2.   Recommendations for CPSR

CPSR should continue its participation in the WSIS in the following ways:

�      Establish an internationalized presence. CPSR must improve its
interface with respect to the international community of organizations with
which we are interfacing in our work on WSIS. This includes: translation of
key CPSR documents into other languages, at minimum the primary languages of
North America: Spanish and French. Ideally, our documents should exist in all
of the official languages of the WSIS. See http//www.itu.int/wsis. Small
things like the common failure of Americans� to display country codes
on with phone numbers and �USA� on addresses are also
important.

 

�      Apply for permanent NGO status in the UN Sphere, in particular
ECOSOC accreditation. This is a matter of principle for an organization that
is expanding international and it is critical to our continued participation
in WSIS and related events. The final accreditation rules are not yet fixed
and support for wide civil society participation is still highly uncertain,
as was reported above. Having permanent accreditation in this context would
increase the probability that we can continue to participate. Along with
this, CPSR might consider adding an officer to the board whose focus is in
this area.

 

�      Expand on-line support for civil society committee work. This
would include the hosting of Web portal instances analogous to that used by
Privaterra to support the efficient posting of news and documents. In
addition, listserv support should continue and, perhaps, be expanded to
include Sub-committees where necessary.

 

�      Contribute CPSR�s traditional areas of expertise to
civil society activities. As technical experts, CPSR members should continue
to provide the public and policy makers with realistic assessments of the
power, promise and limitations of computer technology. This would include
participation in the development of civil society input into the WSIS
relating to issues in which CPSR has traditionally been involved, including
(but not limited to):

 

�      advocacy of moral and ethical development and use of ICTs,

�      security and privacy issues,

�      participatory design,

�      community involvement with ICTs,

�      the organization of community knowledge.

In the context of the implementation of the declarations from the WSIS, CPSR
should continue acting as both a public interest advocacy group and as an
outlet for computer professionals to create projects benefiting specific
non-profit sectors (e.g. sectors identified through the WSIS process). This
would include its traditional roles in supporting organizations and
individuals working in the cause of social responsibility in technology use,
including those working for human rights, openness of communications, public
responsibility and related causes.

Both CPSR�s continued empowerment of computer professionals and
computer users to advocate for the responsible use of information technology
and its encouragement of all those who use computer technology to participate
in the public debate would also be very important contributions to this
process.

As an organization of concerned citizens, CPSR should also continue to direct
public attention to critical choices concerning the applications of computing
and how those choices affect society. These activities can be enriched by
knowledge developed by civil society efforts in the WSIS process.

�      Organize round table discussions on potential WSIS themes:
CPSR�s sponsorship of meetings to discuss potential WSIS themes within
CPSR�s areas of expertise would make an important contribution to the
preparation process. Such meetings would draw CPSR members and other
representatives of civil society, as well as private sector and government
representatives.

�      Include a focus on the WSIS in CPSR events. CPSR should
continue to include a focus on the WSIS in its events, as was done at DIAC
2002. For example, the annual conference in Boston this year should include a
session on the WSIS.

�      Secure funding for continued participation: Funding will be key
for CPSR to continue its participation in the WSIS process. This includes
networking with key stakeholders; developing policy papers; participating in
civil society committee work in the PrepComs, intersession periods and the
two phases of the summit; and in participating in the implementation of the
final WSIS declaration.

 2.   Appendix

 1.1 PrepCom 1 Statements Endorsed by CPSR (available at http://www.wsis.info
)

�      PRESS RELEASE. CRIS Campaign, World Summit on the Information
Society Preparatory Committee (Geneva, 1-5 July 2002), 1.7.2002. Civil
Society demands full participation in World Summit on the Information
Society.

�t:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>      COMMUNIQU� To the President
of the Preparatory Committee World Summit on the Information Society From the
Campaign on Communication Rights in the Information Society (CRIS). Geneva, 1
July 2002.

�      CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION IN WSIS

�      CIVIL SOCIETY RESPONSE TO NEGOTIATIONS ON RULES OF PROCEDURE
AND MODALITIES FOR PARTICIPATION, 3rd JULY 2002

�      Civil Society Segment Sub-Committee on Content and Themes,
STATEMENT ON WSIS CONTENT AND THEMES, Putting People First in the Information
Society, World Summit on the Information Society, PrepCom-1, Geneva, July 1
� 5, 2002. Document WSIS/CSS/SCT-4 (Final) 4 July 2002, Original:
English.

�      Civil Society Response on the PrepCom Sub-Committee Agreement
of Rules of Procedure. July 4th Endorsed Version.

�      Civil Society Plenary Statement on Rules of Procedure,
Accreditation and Modalities for NGO participation. 5 July 2002 Final
Statement, Geneva.

�      Statement by Bruce Girard, co-chair of the civil society
plenary at PrepCom1 and member of the Coordinating Committee of the Campaign
for Communication Rights in the Information Society (CRIS) to the WSIS Civil
Society Press Conference - July 5, 2002.

�      Civil Society Segment Submission, Indigenous Peoples Inclusion
in the World Summit for the Information Society, Submitted July 5, 2002 to:
The President of the PrepComm Session, The President of SubCommittee 1, The
President of SubCommittee 2. Submitted by: The Global Community Networking
Partnership (GCNP) at the request and invitation of GCNP member Robyn Kamira,
Te Rarawa, Te Aupouri.

�      Final Civil Society Plenary Statement on Funding and Supporting
NGO Participation in WSIS. 5 July 2000.

2 .0         Other organizations that endorsed the various documents CPSR
endorsed  (may not be complete):

�      Agencia Latinoamericana de Informacion (ALAI)

�      Association for Progressive Communications (APC)

�      Association for Progressive Communications (APC) Women�s
Program

�      Asociaci�n Latinoamericana de Educacion Radiofunica
(ALER)

�      Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR)

�      Conference of NGOs (CONGO)

�      Centre de coordination pour la recherche et 
l�enseignement en informatique et societe (CREIS)

�      DigIT Africa / ITVision www.digitafrica.org

�      Federation of American Women�s Clubs Overseas (FAWCO)

�      GLOCOM

�      GreenNet

�      Institut PANOS Afrique de l�ouest / PANOS Institute

�      International Women�s Tribune Centre (IWTC)

�      Internet Society

�      Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

�      Taking IT Global

�      Transparency International

�      World Alliance of YMCAs

�      World Federalist Movement

�      VECAM-GCNP

�      Youth Caucus

 3.0         Other Documents of Interest

�      Cees J. Hamelink: Keynote at the Opening Session of the Civil
Society Sector Meeting at the Prepcom 1 for the World Summit on the
Information Society, July 1, 2002, Geneva.

�      Minutes provided by the ITU Secretary General's office
following his meeting with the civil society delegation on Friday morning
(hard copy was circulated at the CS plenary 5 July 2002). Meeting between the
ITU Secretary -General and the NGO delegation Friday 5 July 2002 from 10h30
to 11h15, CICG office.

Present:

�      Yoshio Utsumi, ITU Secretary -General

�      Sean O Siochru, Research Director, Nexus Research Co-operative,
Ireland

�      William J. McIver, Jr, (CPSR), Assistant Professor School of
Information Science - and Policy, Albany State University of New York, USA

�      Steve Buckley, Deputy President, World Association of Community
Radio Broadcasters, Canada

�      George Christensen, Board Member Technology, Regional Office
for Africa, World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, South
Africa/Gambia

�      Susanna George, Executive Director, ISIS International,
Philippines

 

3.1.  WSIS Civil Society Secretariat

Alain Clerc, Louise Lassonde & Marie Thorndahl

C/o UIT � Place des Nations

CH 1211 Gen�ve 20

Switzerland

http://www.itu.int/wsis

Telephone

Work: +41 (22) 730-6304

Work fax: +41 (22) 730-6363

E-mail: info@geneva2003.org

3.2.  WSIS � References - Official

WSIS/ ITU

http://www.itu.int/wsis/

 

WSIS - Civil Society Secretariat

http://www.geneva2003.org

(civil society platform)
 

3.3.  WSIS � References � CPSR Hosted Lists & Sites

 

WSIS - Civil Society PrepCom Mailing List (english)

http://lists.cpsr.org/wsis-prep1/

 

WSIS � Civil Society Mailing List (spanish)

(Sociedad de la informacion)

http://lists.cpsr.org/socinfo/

 

WSIS � Civil Society � Financial Subcommittee Mailing List
(english)

http://lists.cpsr.org/fincom/

 

Civil Society Sub-committee on Content and Themes (SCT) List

mailto:WSIS-SCT@listserv.albany.edu

 

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility �

2002 Annual Meeting � Shrinking World, Expanding Net

http://www.cpsr.org/conferences/annmtg02/index.html

 

3.4.  WSIS � References � NGOs/Others

 

Association for Progressive Communications (APC)

http://www.apc.org

Communication Rights in the Information Society (CRIS)

http://www.crisinfo.org

 

Communication Rights in the Information Society (CRIS)

http://www.crisinfo.org

 

Takingitglobal.org

http://www.takingitglobal.org

 

VECAM: R�flexion et Action pour L�Internet Citoyen

(English, French & Spanish)

http://montreal.vecam.org/

 

World Forum on Community Networking

http://www.globalcn.org

 

4.0.  WSIS � References � Governments

 

4.1.  United Nations

 

United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force - UN ICT
TF

http://www.unicttaskforce.org/

 

UNESCO and the World Summit on the Information Society

http://www.unesco.org/wsis

 

4.2.  Brazil

 

Programa Sociedade da Informa��o no Brasil

http://www.socinfo.org.br/

 

 

4.3.  Canada

 

Canadian Commission for UNESCO

http://www.unesco.ca/

 

WSIS Canadian Consultation

http://www.dgroups.org/groups/xsWSIS/index.cfm

 

 

                       

 

[1]       KDDI Corporation of Japan.