(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana)Three Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States have confirmed their participation in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Phase Two which takes place in Tunis, Tunisia from 16-18 November.
Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago will join their global counterparts for this Summit which is being held under the patronage of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, His Excellency Kofi Annan. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is the agency taking the lead role in the preparations for the WSIS. The First Phase of the WSIS took place in Geneva, Switzerland in December 2003.
Key matters listed for discussion during the Summit include Internet Governance and a Plan of Action to advance the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).
Prime Minister of Grenada, Dr the Hon Keith Mitchell, the CARICOM Head of Government with responsibility for Science and Technology in the quasi-cabinet said that the Region will be following avidly the progress of these discussions.
“It is quite clear that the judicious application of Information and Communication Technologies is vital to the development of our small and vulnerable island and coastal States. This is a key element towards the much-needed attainment of the UN Millennium Development Goals,” the Prime Minister added.
“The people of the Region can only benefit from any decisions coming out of this Summit which ensure the fair and just use of the new technologies for all,” he said.
CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite, who heads the CARICOM Secretariat delegation to the WSIS, said the Region had taken an active part in the preparation for the Summit and had a stake in the outcome of the final documents and follow-up action agreed upon.
“When one considers that the Plan of Action looks at matters such as the role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for human and social Development as well as the critical issue of Access to Information and Knowledge and the building of capacity for all to benefit fully from an Information Society, the Region must make every attempt to have its voice heard in these discussions,” Ambassador Applewhaite added.
The Deputy Secretary-General said regional governments had also participated in the discussion on Internet Governance and would continue to do so at the Summit with a clear understanding of the need for a fully participatory model of governance of the Internet. In addition, a number of issues such as intellectual property rights, cyber crime, domain name registration and the development of local content are of critical importance to the Region.
“This discussion formed part of the Geneva Phase of the Summit, and based on the understanding emerging from that December 2003 meeting, we in the Region are committed to a governance model based on the full participation of all stakeholders. There is also a strong commitment by all to the freedom to seek, receive, impart and use information as well as to protect and respect privacy and freedom of expression,” Ambassador Applewhaite said.
