[Ecommerce] WSIS :EU Press release

Tue Nov 15 13:10:03 2005

Issued today by DG Info soc- interesting positioning of ICANN  debate as
part of digital divide issues
Michelle

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EU pleads for freedom of speech as instrument to bridge the digital divide
at this week=92s World Summit in Tunis

IP/05/1424

Brussels, 15 November 2005

EU pleads for freedom of speech as instrument to bridge the digital divide
at this week=92s World Summit in Tunis
The question of how the worldwide web is run, and how it can best
safeguard basic freedoms and drive economic growth around the globe, will
dominate the second World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) that
starts tomorrow in Tunis and will end on 18 November. The discussions of
more than 50 Heads of State or Government, or their representatives, and
of many non-governmental organisations and representatives of civil
society, will also focus on financial mechanisms to bridge the digital
divide.

=93I hope that Tunis will mark an important step forward in the internet=92=
s
long evolution away from government control and towards truly
international governance=94, said Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for
Information Society and Media, who is leading the Commission delegation in
Tunis. =93We are almost there. We already have consensus on more than two
thirds of the package and I call on all participants to make sure that
this agreement is not called into question. A policy agreement in Tunis is
within our grasp and it would be an important signal that democratic
nations are genuinely committed to bridging the worrying divide between
the world=92s digital =91haves=92 and =91have nots=92, and to building a ge=
nuinely
open and inclusive global information society.=94

Background:

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) that officially starts
tomorrow is a formal UN Summit at the level of Heads of State and
Government. The EU is represented at the WSIS by the EU Presidency and the
European Commission, with Members of the European Parliament included in
the EU delegation. The process is divided into two phases (Geneva, 10-12
Dec. 2003; Tunis, 16-18 Nov. 2005). The talks in Tunis this week will
focus on internet governance and financial mechanisms to bridge the
digital divide. For the EU, discussions with civil society and private
industry will parallel the official summit.
Further information:
See MEMO 05/428

http://europa.eu.int/information_society/activities/internationalrel/global=
_issues/wsis/index_en.htm

--
Michelle Childs -Head of European Affairs
Consumer Project on Technology in London
24, Highbury Crescent, London, N5 1RX,UK.
Tel:+44(0)207 226 6663 ex 252.
Mob:+44(0)790 386 4642. Fax: +44(0)207 354 0607
http://www.cptech.org

Consumer Project on Technology in Washington, DC
1621 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20009 USA .Tel.:
+1.202.332.2670,Fax: +1.202.332.2673

Consumer Project on Technology in Geneva
1 Route des  Morillons, CP 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 791 6727