WSIS Forum 2011: UNESCO’s Janis Karklins reiterates importance of ICT for knowledge societies
23-05-2011 (Geneva)
Janis Karklins
© ITU
At the opening of the WSIS Forum 2011, Janis Karklins, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, underlined that UNESCO attaches great importance to the WSIS follow-up process and is determined to continue playing an active role in pursuit of a successful implementation of WSIS outcomes towards 2015, and beyond.
After having expressed his acknowledgement to the co-organizers of the Forum, ITU, UNCTAD and UNDP, and welcomed all participants, Mr Karklins stressed UNESCO’s longstanding involvement in, and its strong commitment to the WSIS process. He also emphasized the importance of multistakeholder approach by reiterating that there is no single ownership of inclusive knowledge societies.
Finally, Mr Karklins urged that access to information and the capacity to enjoy the right to communication are essential to the realization of greater equity in knowledge societies. On 18 May UNESCO organized a successful High Level Dialogue focusing on the Right to Communicate, where representatives from Tunisia and Egypt shared their experiences.
- It is clear that none of our achievements would have been possible without collaborative efforts carried out by all WSIS stakeholders. There is no single ownership of inclusive knowledge societies, neither within the UN system, nor within the other groups. We should remember that the WSIS follow-up and implementation process should remain genuinely multi-stakeholder, transparent and collaborative, overcoming traditional institutional boundaries.
Finally, Mr Karklins urged that access to information and the capacity to enjoy the right to communication are essential to the realization of greater equity in knowledge societies. On 18 May UNESCO organized a successful High Level Dialogue focusing on the Right to Communicate, where representatives from Tunisia and Egypt shared their experiences.
- Much time has now passed since we prepared the 2003 Geneva Plan of Action, with new developments in the mobile telephony, in online social networking and an increasing importance of the Internet in all spheres of life. Those technological developments have led to empowerment of people, and enhancement of citizen participation and democracy. We have all witnessed in the past few month that new technologies facilitated social movement in some Arab States. In fact, the consciousness about the potential uses of technologies and their possible social and political impact was felt far beyond this region. UNESCO views access to information and the capacity to enjoy the right to communication as essential to the realization of greater equity in knowledge societies. Nonetheless, communication and information are not “givens” - the right to communication and the free access to information can be impacted by various actors through a diverse array of objectives.
The WSIS Forum 2011 was held from 16 to 20 May 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Forum provided structured opportunities to network, learn and participate in multi-stakeholder discussions and consultations on WSIS implementation. The Forum was hosted by ITU and jointly organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNCTAD and UNDP. The event built upon the tradition of annual WSIS May meetings, and its new format is the result of open consultations with all WSIS stakeholders.
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