Message from the WSIS Team

Dear WSIS Stakeholders,

As we are nearing 2015, it is time to take stock, review, collaborate and work together towards 2015. Keeping this in mind, the  process for the Overall Review of the Implementation of the  WSIS Outcomes (WSIS+10) has been initiated. The UNGIS Open Consultation on the Overall review received several concise and extremely well thought out submissions that set the tone for the draft Plan of Action. This successful open consultation was held in six phases starting at WSIS Forum 2011 and lasting until 5 October. The open consultation process is an excellent example of the desire of WSIS Stakeholders to achieve the WSIS Goals and designs the way forward.

Reflecting the voice of the stakeholders the  proposed draft Plan of Action builds upon the existing mechanisms, i.e. WSIS Forum and proposes two meetings, a meeting in Paris in 2013 and a High Level Event in 2014. The proposed list of expected outcomes focus on evaluation and setting the way forward beyond 2015. You can read the complete results of the Open Consultation Process here: www.ungis.org

We look forward to your participation and support in the Overall Review of the Implementation of the  WSIS Outcomes (WSIS+10) and beyond.

Best regards,
WSIS Team

WSIS Forum 2012

www.wsis.org/forum

WSIS Forum 2012 is scheduled to be held from 14^th-18^th May 2012 at ILO, Geneva, Switzerland.

Open Consultations for WSIS Forum 2012 are planned as follows:

• 11 October 2011 – Launch of the Open Consultations
   • Official Submissions (submission form)
   • Online Dialogues on the WSIS Knowledge Communities (www.wsis-community.org)

• November 2011 – First Physical Meeting

• 15 January 2012 – Closing of the Online Discussion

• 20 January 2012 - Deadline for Official Submissions

• 15 February 2012 - Final Review Meeting

• 15 April 2012 – Final Briefing on the WSIS Forum 2012

WSIS Stocktaking

www.wsis.org/stocktaking  

WSIS Stocktaking: Call for Update and New Entries, 2011– 2012

The principal role of the WSIS Stocktaking exercise is to leverage the activities of stakeholders working on the implementation of WSIS outcomes and share knowledge and experiences of projects by replicating successful models. All WSIS stakeholders are invited to update their entries and to add new information to the public database (www.wsis.org/stocktaking). Information submitted to the public database will be reflected in the WSIS Stocktaking Report 2012 which will be officially launched during the WSIS Forum 2012 and submitted to the 15th Session of CSTD. We look forward to receiving your responses and any other associated documentation by 15 January 2012.

To download the WSIS Stocktaking questionnaire, please click here

We encourage you to submit the entries through the online questionnaire.

We have received more than 150 entries to the WSIS Stocktaking Database. Please find below some of the projects submitted in October 2011:

The WSIS Stocktaking online platform provides all stakeholders with an opportunity to showcase their success stories, search for partners and funding opportunities, exchange experiences and network amongst each other. In addition, all stakeholders can benefit from the Global Events Calendar, Global Repository, WSIS Lab, Online Forums and Blogs by using the Web 2.0 WSIS Stocktaking online platform www.wsis.org/stocktaking

Be part of WSIS Project Prizes 2012!

Phase 1: Submission of project descriptions

Deadline: 20 January 2012

Online Submission Form

Nominate your project now at

www.wsis.org/stocktaking/prizes

Detailed information about the contest of WSIS project Prizes 2012 is presented here.  

United Nations Group on the Information Society

www.ungis.org

Joint Initiative: Mobile for Development

Mobile Phone Technology has been a prime mover in socio- economic development at a national, regional and international level. A UN Group on the Information Society (UNGIS) session on Mobile for Development was held during ITU TELECOM World 2011 on the 26th of October 2011. This session was organized as part of the UNGIS joint initiative on Mobile for Development, led by ITU.

The session was well attended by stakeholders from all walks of life, including the Private Sector, Governments, UN Agencies and Civil Society who discussed and debated substantive international and National policy issues in area of Mobile for Development. Context Setters from different UN Agencies shared experiences of their respective UN Agency in the area of Mobile for Development. This spurred a good debate on issues ranging from e-waste, m-health, infrastructure, alternate energy sources, to the use of mobiles for women and children.

Moderator: Dr. Yury Grin (Deputy Director, BDT, ITU)

• Mr Doyle Gallegos, Global Practice Leader Connectivity Infrastructure and Lead ICT Policy Specialist, The World Bank

• Mr Matthias Kern, Senior Programme Officer, UNEP-Secretariat of the Basel Convention

• Dr Misha George Kay, World Health Organization, Manager, Global Observatory for eHealth

• Mr Christian Larsson, Chief, IT Programs & Quality Assurance, Division of IT Solutions & Services (ITSS), UNICEF, New York

UNGIS Joint Contribution to the preparatory process of the UN conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)

Following the outcomes of its 7th meeting (May 2011), UNGIS agreed to coordinate a Joint Contribution to the preparatory process of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (RIO+20). As the chair of UNGIS (2011-2012), ITU, has submitted an UNGIS joint Contribution to the preparatory process of the UN conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). 

For more information please visit www.ungis.org

Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development

www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/partnership/  

On October 25th - on the occasion of ITU Telecom - ITU published The World in 2011: ICT Facts and Figures, which features end 2011 estimates for ITU’s key telecommunication/ICT indicators. The brochure highlights the latest global ICT facts and trends and includes figures on Internet use, fixed and mobile broadband subscriptions, international Internet bandwidth, home ICT access, and more. For more information please consult the brochure here.

The next World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators meeting will take place from 7-9 December, 2011, in Port Louis, Mauritius. The Meeting is organized by the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and hosted by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) of Mauritius. For more information on the meeting, see: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/wtim11/index.html

In October 2011, during the Broadband Leadership Summit, the Broadband Commission, issued 4 broadband targets to world leaders, top policy-makers, industry leaders, users and consumers. For more information on the 4 targets for making broadband policy universal and for boosting affordability and broadband uptake, see: http://www.broadbandcommission.org/Documents/Broadband_Targets.pdf

ITU TELECOM World 2011

A successful and memorable ITU Telecom World 2011 event!

The ITU Telecom World 2012 closed its doors on Thursday 24 October. The new format 4-day event followed an action-packed programme which saw debate and interaction on a broad-reaching global agenda covering areas from broadband to connecting cities, harnessing innovation and technological advancement and featured live participation from across the world.

Among the 6500 participants, were 330 world leaders, including Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers, national ambassadors, heads of regulatory agencies, and CEOs from around the world.  The event also welcomed major partners including  Alcatel-Lucent, China Mobile, China Potevio, Cisco, Datang, Du, Ericsson, Etisalat, Fiberhome, Fujitsu, Huawei, Intel, NTT Group, NTT DoCoMo, Qtel, RIM, Satorys, Swisscom, Telkom SA, Turk Telecom, TDIA, and ZTE, along with our National Pavilions representing over 25 nations from across the world.

For those of you who may have missed out on any of the cutting-edge debate during the event, ITU Telecom is pleased to offer a number of ways to catch up on or revisit some of the key agenda items:

• Live webcasts: watch and catch up with on demand access to all key forum sessions. Click here to find out how

• Event video highlights: watch excerpts of some of the best moments at World 2011 here

• Event Daily highlights: Read extensive news and views on the core debate streams, activities, announcements and more from the event. Click here to view the event highlights

• Interviews with top names: Hear in-depth interviews from top-level participants during World 2011. Watch all interviews with CEOs and leaders here

• Photo highlights: Catch a snapshot of different views from the event here

ITU Telecom World 2012 will take place in Dubai in Q4 2012. If you are interested in attending the event, register your interest here. ITU Telecom looks forward to welcoming you to World 2012 in Dubai.

World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Certificate Ceremony at ITU Telecom 2011

Working together towards 2015, governments, private sector, civil society and international organizations are striving to ensure that ICTs play a significant role in achieving not only the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) goals but also other internationally agreed goals and processes like the MDGs, UN Conference on Sustainable Development (RIO+20) amongst others.

There has been considerable progress in the implementation of the WSIS goals worldwide. ITU has played a key role in the WSIS Process since its inception, and has led the implementation of several WSIS activities, particularly in the area of ICT Infrastructure, cybersecurity and enabling environment. During ITU Telecom World 2011, the ITU recognized the commitment of WSIS Stakeholders towards strengthening the Implementation of the WSIS Related Activities. Certificates of Recognition were awarded to United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sultanate of Oman, Republic of Paraguay, Republic of Zimbabwe, Belgium- Liege, United Mexican States and United Republic of Tanzania. Contribution of the Private Sector partners to the WSIS process in particular, Intel, was also recognized during this ceremony. Mr Houlin Zhao, Deputy Secretary –General, ITU, graced the occasion and presented the certificates to the recipients.

UNGIS Joint Initiative: Mobile for Development

A UNGIS session on Mobile for Development was held during ITU TELECOM World 2011 on the 26th of October 2011.

The intersection of mobile health technology and tobacco control

The global tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced. According to the World Health Organization's 2011 Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, tobacco kills more than 6 million people per year and is expected to increase to 8 million by 2030. It is one of the major risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and is a global burden not only in developed countries, but also increasingly in developing countries. According to the World Economic Forum's "The Global Burden of Non-communicable Diseases", NCDs are expected to cost the world more than $30 trillion (48% global GDP in 2010) over the next 20 years, posing a significant risk to economies worldwide.

The potential projects that the World Health Organization(WHO) Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI) has developed and hopes to implement.

• mSmoke-free

• mCessation

• mAwareness

• mTraining

• mLivelihood

• mIllicit

Submitted by Sameer Pujari, Virginia Arnold, Vinayak Prasad, and Rahoul Ahuja

For more information on each of the topics listed above, please visit this link.

International conference adopts a package of strategic decisions on waste avoidance and management in the 21st century.

Geneva (25 October 2011) – Representatives of 118 members of the Basel Convention, the global treaty on waste management, have reached a historic agreement unblocking an amendment that will ban the export of hazardous wastes from OECD to non-OECD countries, known as the Ban Amendment. The groundbreaking decision, containing a set of measures aimed at strengthening international control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes including electrical and electronic wastes containing hazardous components, was adopted on 21 October, the closing day of the 10th meeting of the Parties to the Convention (COP10), in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

Submitted by UNEP

For more information, please visit this link.

Global Repository

www.wsis.org/repository

Recently submitted publications:

Broadband Commission Report: A platform To Progress, executive summary

Broadband Commission Report: A platform to progress 

WSIS Stocktaking Success Stories 2011 

Mobile Africa Report 2011 

Measuring the Information Society 2011 

View More

Global Events Calendar

www.wsis.org/calendar

Upcoming Events

The 4th Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research 14-15 November, 2011,Cape Town, South Africa

9th World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Meeting, Mauritius, 7-9 December 2011

Kaleidoscope 2011,12-14 December 2011, Cape Town, South Africa

Third annual International Conference on Crisis Mapping (ICCM).14-November 15, 2011,Geneva,Switzerland.You can register here.

View More

From Our Partners

CoNGO is one of the official focal points of the Civil Society for the WSIS Process.

"Freedom of opinion and freedom of expression are cardinal both to Civil Society and
to the Information Society. CoNGO and its members promote and defend these
fundamental principles throughout the WSIS Process."
 

Cyril Ritchie, President of CoNGO 2011-2014

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ITU News – Latest Issue

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Video Volunteers Announces 'IndiaUnheard' - The World's First Community News Service: Making Change By Bringing Untold Stories from the Farthest Villages of India to Impact a Global Audience.

A network of people from slums and villages in India who have been trained to make video news reports on corruption, human rights, health, sanitation and other issues, IndiaUnheard is making an impact in these villages and across the globe. “Community Correspondents report on human rights violations they live through, and this gives their videos new perspective and power". The work has inspired thousands of poor people to organize and take actions.

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