A consultation meeting on “Challenges and Opportunity of the Information Society” for Central America
18-12-2002 ()
A consultation meeting on “Challenges and Opportunity of the Information Society” with representatives from Central American countries was held from 29 to 31 October 2002 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on invitation of UNESCO and ITU, with the cooperation of Hondutel (Honduras Telecommunications Company) and the Government of Honduras to discuss the political, social and educational challenges of the Information Society and to contribute to the preparation of the region for the World Summit on the Information Society.
The main objectives of the meeting, to which participated high-level representatives from Cuba, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Mexico were to analyse present challenges of the Information Society in countries in the region and to generate initiatives fostering their active participation in WSIS.
The “Consensus of Tegucigalpa”, which is the meeting’s final resolution, requires involvement of all levels of the government, political stakeholders, the private sector, the civil society, NGOs and the international community. Digital inclusion was underlined as a key issue, the use of ICTs as a tool for sustainable human development, fight against poverty, consolidation of democracy, recognition of the multiculturalism of the region and therefore adapted ICTs applications, the right of citizens to participate and get involved in the process towards democratic governance, and the defence of Human Rights in the Information Society.
The technological revolution forces the region to take political and harmonized legal decision, taking into account ethical and legal aspects and being aware of its strength and weaknesses.
The Tegucigalpa meeting mobilized national governments, non-governmental institutions, telecommunications regulating entities, regional integration and cooperation institutions, civil society organizations, the media and its associations such as IPS, AIR, AMARC-AL, ALER, FELPA, among others, as well as universities and relevant private entities.
The “Consensus of Tegucigalpa”, which is the meeting’s final resolution, requires involvement of all levels of the government, political stakeholders, the private sector, the civil society, NGOs and the international community. Digital inclusion was underlined as a key issue, the use of ICTs as a tool for sustainable human development, fight against poverty, consolidation of democracy, recognition of the multiculturalism of the region and therefore adapted ICTs applications, the right of citizens to participate and get involved in the process towards democratic governance, and the defence of Human Rights in the Information Society.
The technological revolution forces the region to take political and harmonized legal decision, taking into account ethical and legal aspects and being aware of its strength and weaknesses.
The Tegucigalpa meeting mobilized national governments, non-governmental institutions, telecommunications regulating entities, regional integration and cooperation institutions, civil society organizations, the media and its associations such as IPS, AIR, AMARC-AL, ALER, FELPA, among others, as well as universities and relevant private entities.
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· News Archives 2002
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