[CS Bureau] APC statement to CSTD Opening Session

[Tracey Naughton]

great statement Anriette.
Tracey Naughton

On 22/05/2007, at 2:10 AM, karen banks wrote:

hi folks

A copy of the statement anriette made to the CSTD opening session  
this morning..

karen

The Association for Progressive Communication's input at the opening  
of the Tenth Session of the Commission for Science and Technology for  
Development

21 May 2007
Presented by Anriette Esterhuysen, APC Executive Director

The Commission for Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) has  
an important role in system-wide follow-up to the World Summit on the  
Information Society (WSIS). We support the concept of a multi-year  
programme that is implemented with the inclusion of multiple- 
stakeholders.

Coordination of WSIS follow which includes an enormous range of  
social and economic issues is not a trivial task and we want to urge  
the CSTD to consider the following suggestions:

On stakeholder participation:

We realise we are stating the obvious, but we want to remind those  
gathered here that meaningful inclusion of voices of the people most  
impacted by the digital divide requires more than multi-stakeholder  
panels in Geneva or New York. ECOSOC's Resolution 2006/46 provides a  
basis for the development of a multi-stakeholder approach to WSIS  
follow-up. But, to build on this effectively, the CSTD needs to:

- establish mechanisms for the inclusion of the perspectives of  
business and civil society in determining its programme of work, its  
deliberations and in the drafting of the recommendations that it  
submits to ECOSOC;

- undertake efforts to ensure that multi-stakeholder participation is  
integrated in WSIS follow up and implementation at the level of  
coordination of action lines, at the level of regional UN commissions  
and implementing of regional action plans, and at national level.

How can this be done?

APC proposes that at the very least a multi-stakeholder advisory  
group is established to assist the CSTD chair and secretariat in  
designing its work programme, CSTD, and to help prepare for the  
annual and inter-sessional meetings on information society issues.  
The CSTD already benefits from inputs from thematic boards such as  
the Gender Advisory Board. The multi-stakeholder advisory group (MAG)  
that assisted the Internet Governance Forum secretariat in preparing  
for its first meeting in Athens in 2006 also serves as a useful  
precedent.

Other useful means of enhancing participation are devices such as  
online consultations (such as the one convened by the GAID in  
preparation for this week's meetings), round tables, the IGF's use of  
online tools to facilitate remote participation in face to face  
meetings, or one day thematic forums such as those being proposed by  
BASIS.

We also want to emphasise that civil society and business are  
diverse, and this diversity needs to be considered by mechanisms for  
participation.

On the CSTD's programme of work:

APC supports the 5 proposed thematic areas to frame the CSTS's  
programme of work. APC submits the following comments for consideration:

Prioritisation: The WSIS covered a very wide range of issues relevant  
to building a people-centred information society. APC is concerned  
that if a long list of activities, issues, and recommendations are  
presented to ECOSOC it is less likely that governments will pick up  
on them.

APC proposes that in addition the CSTD undertakes to work with UN  
agencies and other stakeholders involved in WSIS implementation to  
identify three to five priority areas.

Measuring progress: We propose that the CSTD agrees on a few simple  
indicators that can be used to measure progress in addressing the  
priorities areas it identifies. For APC, physical infrastructure is  
one such key priority.

On obstacles to implementation: Understanding obstacles to  
implementation of WSIS goals is essential if these obstacles are to  
be overcome. As the CSTD has an overarching role it is best placed to  
do this, and to alert ECOSOC to these obstacles. Identifying these  
obstacles, and developing ways of overcoming them, should be done  
collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders. The CSTD can also  
recommend related agenda items to bodies such as the IGF, GAID, and  
the UN implementing agencies.

On reporting submitted to the CSTD by institutions tasked with follow- 
up and implementation: It would be useful for at least one section of  
each of those reports to follow a common reporting format. This can  
be used to make it easier to monitor implementation and lessons  
learned on specific issues, e.g. application of the WSIS principles  
on stakeholder participation.

National implementation: We believe that mechanisms for measuring  
national implementation need to be strengthened. What are countries  
doing? How do national entities interact with action line  
implementation? Is there a national overview reporting frame work and  
cycle? We recommend that such a reporting framework be developed and  
that governments are asked to submit reports every year. These  
reports can become focal points for stakeholder participation.  
Business and civil society entities can participate in compilation of  
national reports, and present comment and critique on governments'  
assessment of progress.

In closing our input we quote from an APC and IteM (Third World  
Institute) publication, Global Information Society Watch report, to  
be launched here tomorrow:

"Different degrees of access to technology and connectivity mirror  
the social and economic divides within and between countries.  
Increase in access to ICTs will not, by itself, reduce poverty or  
secure freedoms on a sustainable basis. But there is a real danger  
that lack of access to ICTs, and to the spaces where decisions are  
made about information and communications infrastructure, content and  
services, can deepen existing social exclusion, and create new forms  
of exclusion."

There is no time to waste. It is a characteristic of the digital  
divide that it increases at a rate that is similar to the rapid rate  
of change in ICTs themselves.

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