Among the issues that will be addressed by the Council that is presently chaired by Daniel Malbert of France, is IFAP’s contribution to the follow-up to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

A full day (22 March) will be devoted to the thematic debate on ”Giving Voice to Local Communities: From Community Radio to Blogs” which will be held jointly with the members of the Intergovernmental Council of the International Programme for the Development of Communication(IPDC) meeting during the same week.

The Information for All Programme was established in 2001 to foster debate on the political, ethical and societal challenges of the emerging knowledge societies and to carry out projects promoting equitable access to information. It reflects the growing awareness that information is playing an increasing role in generating wealth and development, and that participation in knowledge societies is essential for social and individual development.

The Council presently includes Angola, Austria , Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, China, Congo, Czech Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Madagascar, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Poland, Sudan, Tunisia, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay and Venezuela.