WSIS Forum 2015
This year’s WSIS Forum took place from 25 to 29 May in Geneva (Switzerland) under the theme “Innovating Together: Enabling ICTs for Sustainable Development”. It was organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP and UNCTAD. As 2015 is a turning point year when Members States will adopt a new Sustainable Development Agenda, all the sessions of the Forum contributed to establishing a link between ICT and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
- Articles on the Forum (UNESCO)
- WSIS Forum 2015 (ITU)
- WSIS Forum 2015 Photos (ITU)
Key inputs to the WSIS+10 Review process at the UNGA
- Final Statement - Information and Knowledge for All: An Expanded Vision and a Renewed Commitment
This statement was developed and adopted at the first WSIS+10 Review Event in a multistakeholder setting, and later endorsed by UNESCO’s Member States at the 37th session of its General Conference.
- Outcomes - First WSIS+10 Review Event, Towards Knowledge Societies for Peace and Sustainable Development providing more information on the outcomes of this conference, attended by 1500 participants.
- Outcome document of the CONNECTing the Dots Conference – Member States Requested UNESCO’s Director-General at the 196th session of the Executive Board (decision 196 EX/SR.6) “to forward the outcome document of the “CONNECTing The Dots: Options for Future Action” Conference as a non-binding input to the post-2015 development agenda, the United Nations General Assembly World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) overall review process, and the high-level meeting of the General Assembly established by its resolution 68/302.”
- UNGIS’ Joint Statement: A collective contribution by 30 UN Agencies (UNGIS Members) to the dialogue on ICTs and the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
- Building inclusive knowledge societies: a review of UNESCO's action in implementing the WSIS outcomes
- UNESCO’s Internet Study on access, freedom of expression, privacy and ethics, requested by Member States.
The second WSIS+10 Review event, hosted by ITU in 2014, and its Outcome Documents - WSIS+10, Geneva 2014 is also a key input, to which UNESCO contributed.
Post-2015 Development Agenda
2015 is a turning point year. Members States are about to adopt a new Sustainable Development Agenda that will guide development work over the next 15 years. The implementation of WSIS Action Lines can contribute substantially to achieving the future Sustainable Development Goals. Ideas on how UNESCO’s Action Line could contribute are outlined in the attached document.
The United Nations Group on the Information Society (UNGIS’) Joint Statement is a collective contribution of 30 Intergovernmental Organizations to the dialogue on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
Joint Statement: English ǀ French ǀ Arabic
2015 Events
- Commission on Science and Technology for Development
Eighteenth session
4-8 May 2015
Geneva, Switzerland - WSIS Forum 2015
25-29 May 2015
Geneva, Switzerland - Internet Governance Forum 2015
10-13 November 2015
João Pessoa, Brazil - UNGA High-level Meeting on Overall WSIS+10 Review
15 December 2015
New York, United States
UNESCO and WSIS Action Lines
The Geneva Plan of Action, which was agreed at the first WSIS Summit in 2003, identified eighteen areas of activity in which governments, civil society entities, businesses and international organizations could work together to achieve the potential of ICTs for development.
UNESCO is responsible for six of Action Lines as listed below:
Publications
-
Outcomes - First WSIS+10 Review Event
Towards Knowledge Societies for Peace and Sustainable Development -
The State of Broadband 2014: broadband for all
A report by the Broadband Commission.