Document WSIS/PC-3/DT/1-E

19 September 2003

Original: English

[Draft
Declaration of Principles

[NOTE: the whole
text of this Draft Declaration is in square brackets]

A[B].
Our Common Vision of the Information Society
1.
[We, the representatives of the peoples of the world, assembled in
Geneva from 10-12 December 2003 for the first phase of the World
Summit on the Information Society, declare our common desire and
commitment to build an inclusive Information Society where everyone
can create, access, utilize and share information and knowledge,
enabling individuals and communities to achieve their full potential
and improve their quality of life in a sustainable manner.]

B[A]. Building
the Information Society: a new global challenge in the new Millennium
2.
[1. This Information Society is premised on the principles
enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, and is characterized by [universal]
access to and use of information for the creation, accumulation and
dissemination of knowledge.

3.
We reaffirm that [all human rights are universal, indivisible
and interdependent and interrelated] the universality,
indivisibility, interdependence and interrelation of all human rights
and fundamental freedoms, [including the right to development] and
their ties to the principles of a democratic society, [upholding
the sovereign equality of all States], good governance,
[and] the rule of law [at national and international level] and
sustainable development. Our challenge is to harness the potential of
the information technology to promote the goals of the Millennium
Declaration for the attainment of [development for all in] a more
peaceful, just and prosperous world.]

4.
[1A. Communication is a fundamental social process, a basic human
need and the foundation of all social organization. It is central to
the information society. Everyone, everywhere should have the
opportunity to participate and no one should be excluded from the
benefits the information society offers. Freedom of expression and
freedom of opinion, the right to seek, receive and impart information
and ideas regardless of frontiers [as enshrined in Article 19 [and
29] of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights] are the necessary
premise of the information society.]

5.
[1bis. Nothing in the present declaration
shall be construed as impairing or contradicting the purposes and
principles of the Charter of the United Nations or as restricting or
derogating from the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.]
6.
[4.] We recognize that knowledge, information and
communication are at the core of human progress, endeavour and
well-being. Further, Information and Communication Technologies
(ICTs) have an immense impact on virtually all aspects of our lives.
The capacity of ICTs to reduce the impact of many traditional
obstacles, especially those of time and distance, make it possible
for the first time in history for the vast potential of these
technologies to be used by and for the benefit of millions of people
in all corners of the world. Optimizing their potential to develop
and promote dialogue [within and among nations], to increase
productivity, to generate economic growth, and to improve the quality
of life—particularly for the majority of the peoples of the
world who risk being left behind and further marginalized—is a
serious challenge for all of us. We reiterate our
commitment to the attainment of sustainable development and of
internationally agreed development goals, as contained in the
Millennium Declaration and the Monterrey consensus.
7.
[6.] We recognize that building an information society
requires new forms of solidarity, partnership and cooperation of all
of us—governments, the private sector and civil society-
individually and collectively. Volunteers, too, provide a vast and
important resource, functioning on every level from international to
local, from collective to face-to-face, to bring the information
society to life. We are committed to realising our common vision of
the information society for ourselves and for future generations.
8.
We recognize also that the breadth of this challenge
extends beyond the usual players. Young people are the future
workforce and leading creators and earliest adopters of ICTs. They
must therefore be empowered as learners, developers, contributors,
entrepreneurs, decision-makers. We must focus especially on young
people who have not yet been able to benefit fully from the
opportunities provided by ICTs. We are committed to creating
conditions that provide for the development of ICT applications and
services that take into account the well-being, protection, and
harmonious development of children.
9.
We affirm that development of ICTs provides enormous promise
for women, who must be an integral part of the information society.
We are committed to ensuring that our information society fosters the
emancipation and empowerment of women, promotes gender equality and
portrays women fairly and respectfully.
10.
[12]We shall continue to pay special attention to the
particular needs of developing countries and emerging economies,
Least Developed Countries, Small Islands Developing States, and
landlocked developing countries. In addition, particular attention
must be given to the special situation of indigenous people[s], and
to the promotion and protection of their human rights and fundamental
freedoms.

11.
[53]Realizing that the ambitious vision of this Declaration –
bridging the Digital Divide – will require a strong commitment
by all stakeholders, we, call for digital solidarity, both at the
national and international levels. Sustained efforts for universal
access and capacity building for the use of ICTs are essential in
building the Information Society.

C.
An information Society for all: key principles
12.
We are encouraged by the rapid pace of development of
ICTs–unprecedented in history-which allow for the development
of applications that can make it possible that no one is left behind
and that those who were left marginalised in previous development
cycles can have a real opportunity to attain higher levels of
development without having to follow the traditional path nor its
time requirements.

13.
We are resolute in our quest to ensure that everyone can
benefit from the opportunities that ICTs can offer. We agree that to
meet these challenges, all stakeholders have to work together to
increase access to information and communication infrastructure, as
well as to information and knowledge, build capacity and confidence,
increase trust and security in the use of ICTs, create an enabling
environment, develop and widen ICT applications, foster cultural
diversity, address the ethical dimension of the information society,
and encourage international and regional cooperation. We agree that
these are the key principles for building an inclusive information
society.

1)[3)]
The role of all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for
development
14.
[27] All stakeholders – governments, private sector and civil
society organizations as well as UN and other international
organizations – have an important role and responsibility in
the development of the Information Society and, as appropriate, in
decision-making processes. [The Internet has evolved into a global
public [good]/[infrastructure]/[resource] and its governance should
constitute a core issue of the Information Society agenda.] Building
a people-centred Information Society is a joint effort of all
stakeholders and requires cooperation and partnership between all
parties.

2)[1)]
Information and communication infrastructure [:an essential
foundation for the information society]
15.
[17] Connectivity is a central enabling agent in building the
Information Society. [Universal,] [ubiquitous] [, equitable] and
affordable access to ICT infrastructure and services, including
access to power, and postal services, constitutes one of the primary
challenges of the Information Society and must be an objective of all
stakeholders involved in building it, in conformity with the domestic
legislation of each country.

16.
[18] A well-developed information and communication network
infrastructure and applications, adapted to local conditions,
easily-accessible and affordable, and making greater use of broadband
as much as possible, is essential for the social and economic
progress of countries, and the well-being of all citizens and
communities. It is a central element in all national strategies to
develop the Information Society and takes into account the
development, deployment, maintenance, and modernization of the
world's communications and information networks and facilities.
17.
[Policies that create a favourable climate for stability,
predictability and fair competition can be developed and implemented
in a manner than not only attracts more private investment for ICT
infrastructure development but also enables public service
obligations to be met in areas where traditional market conditions
fail to work.]
18.
[20] Monitoring and evaluating, with appropriate indicators, will be
essential to measuring our progress in addressing the digital divide,
and to assessing the effectiveness of investment and international
cooperation efforts.

3)[2)]
Access to information and knowledge
19.
[21-22] In building the information society in
which everyone has and can exercise the right to freedom of
opinion and expression including the freedom to seek, receive and
impart information and ideas, [through any media and regardless of
frontiers]/[subject to limitations determined by law], the ability
for all to access and contribute their information, ideas and
knowledge is essential.
20.
The sharing and strengthening of global knowledge for development can
be enhanced by removing barriers to equitable access to [available]
information for economic, social, political, cultural, educational,
and scientific activities and by easing access to public domain
information.

21.
[23] A vibrant and rich public domain is an essential element for the
growth of the Information Society. Information in the public domain
should be easily accessible and transparent to support the
Information Society, [and must be protected from misappropriation].
The strengthening of public institutions such as libraries and
archives can promote free and equitable access.

22.
[24A. Choice among software applications contributes to
increased access and enhanced diversity for software users. Multiple
software development models exist which help promote this principle,
[including open source which is a valuable model that supports more
affordable access to ICTs]. ]

23.
[11C+47C] Scientists, universities, academic, research and
other institutions have a central role in the development of the
information society. Many of the building blocks of the
Information Society are the result of scientific and technical
advances made possible by the sharing of research results. Equal
opportunities to access scientific knowledge and the creation and
dissemination of scientific and technical information are crucial.
4)
Capacity building
24.
[30] Everyone should have the
opportunity to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge in order to
understand, participate actively in, and benefit fully from, the
Information Society and the knowledge economy. Given the wide range
of ICT specialists required at all levels, building the institutional
capacities to collect, organize, store and share information and
knowledge deserves special attention.

25.
[31] The use of ICTs for education,
training and human resource development should be promoted taking
into account the special needs of the disadvantaged and vulnerable
groups. Content creators, publishers, and producers, as well as
teachers and trainers, can play a crucial role in promoting the
Information Society.
26.
[33] Continuous and adult education,
re-training, and other special measures are fundamental to benefit
from the new possibilities offered by ICTs for traditional jobs,
self-employment and new professions.
5)