13 July 2006

Presented by the Facilitator

Draft resolution of ECOSOC

on follow-up to WSIS and review of CSTD

The Economic and Social Council,

1. Welcoming the outcome of the World Summit on the Information Society¹,

2. Recalling the Declaration of Principles and the Plan of Action, adopted in Geneva in 2003, and the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, adopted in Tunis in 2005 by the World Summit on the Information Society and endorsed by the General Assembly²,

3. Recalling further the 2005 World Summit outcome³,

4. Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on modalities of the inter-agency coordination of the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society, including recommendations on the follow-up process⁴

5. Recalling General Assembly resolution 60/252⁵, which requests the Council to oversee the system-wide follow-up of the Geneva and Tunis outcomes of the Summit, and to that end, requests the Council, at its substantive session of 2006, to review the mandate, agenda and composition of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development, including considering strengthening the Commission, taking into account the multi-stakeholder approach,

6. Recalling General Assembly resolution 57/270B on integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow up to the major UN conferences and summits in the economic and social fields,

7. Recognizing that the implementation and follow-up of the WSIS should be an integral part of the integrated follow-up to major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields and should contribute to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, and should not require the creation of any new operational bodies⁶,

8. Stressing the importance of the WSIS outcomes to the building of a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented information society so as to enhance digital opportunities for all people in order to help to bridge the digital divide⁷,

9. Bearing in mind Economic and Social Council resolutions 1992/218 of 30 April 1992, and 1992/62 of 31 July 1992, by which the Council established the Commission on Science and Technology for Development and defined its terms of reference, as well as the Council’s Decision 2005/308 on methods of work of the Commission,

10. Reaffirming the need for ensuring an effective partnership and cooperation between Governments and the relevant actors of civil society, including non-governmental organizations, the academic and scientific community, and the private sector, in the implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the WSIS,

Follow-up to WSIS

1. Decides to carry out its responsibilities for overseeing the system-wide follow-up to WSIS outcomes in the context of its annual consideration of the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to major United Nations conferences and summits in the coordination segment [on the basis of a thematic approach and a multi-year programme] in accordance with General Assembly resolution 57/270B, relying upon the work of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development and drawing upon other relevant inputs;

Role of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development

Mandate

2. Decides that, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 57/270B, the Commission shall have the primary responsibility to assist ECOSOC in the system-wide follow-up, in particular the review and assessment of progress made in implementing the outcomes of WSIS, while at the same time maintaining its traditional mandate on science and technology for development which was highlighted by the provisions of paragraph 60 of the Outcome of the 2005 World Summit⁸;

3. Decides that, in the exercise of its responsibility as defined in paragraph 2 above, the Commission on Science and Technology for Development shall review and assess progress made in implementing the outcomes of WSIS and advise the Council thereon, including the elaboration of practical recommendations aimed at furthering Summit outcomes. To that end, the Commission shall:

1. review and assess progress at the international and regional levels in the implementation of Action Lines, recommendations and commitments contained in the outcome documents of WSIS;

2. identify and disseminate good practices and lessons learned, as well as identify gaps and obstacles encountered, in the implementation of WSIS outcomes and suggest initiatives and make recommendations on actions required to overcome the latter; and

3. promote dialogue and foster partnerships to contribute to the attainment of the WSIS objectives, to use ICT for development and the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, with the participation of all stakeholders, including, inter alia, governments, international organisations, private sector and civil society, including existing multi-stakeholder groups and platforms, in accordance with the established practices in the ECOSOC and in conformity with paragraph 9 below;

Composition

4. [Decides that the Commission on Science and Technology for Development shall be enlarged to 47 members to strengthen its substantive capacity and enhance participation of Member States in its work. The additional members shall be elected, bearing in mind the principle of balanced and equitable geographical distribution and in accordance with procedures and timetables to be established by the Council, from among the States Members of the United Nations;]

Working methods

5. Also decides that the Commission shall meet annually for a period of [5] [7] [10] working days in Geneva;

6. Decides that in line with the Council’s decision 2005/308, the Commission shall continue working on the basis of biennial action cycles, in the first year focusing on review session, the objective of which is to evaluate progress in implementing the Geneva Plan of Action and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, and in the second, a policy analysis session, the objective of which is to identify actions, initiatives, solutions and effective practices developed, as well as gaps and obstacles encountered in the implementation of WSIS outcome. In its next session, the Commission shall undertake a review of its agenda and develop a multi-year work programme, taking into account its role in the follow-up to WSIS and 2005 World Summit outcomes;

7. Decides that its future sessions will increasingly be conducted as interactive dialogue, and with broad-based participation of governmental delegations and of civil society, academic and scientific community, private sector, organizations of the United Nations system and other international organizations;

8. Decides that, in addition to its traditional working practices, the Commission will continue to explore innovative use of electronic media, drawing upon existing online databases on best practices, partnership projects and initiatives, as well as other collaborative electronic platforms, which would allow all stakeholders to contribute to follow-up efforts, share information, learning from the experience of others and explore opportunities for partnerships.

Multi-stakeholder approach

9. Decides that, subject to their approval by the Council, non-governmental organizations, private sector groups and civil society groups that have been accredited to WSIS can participate, in accordance with the rules of procedure of the functional commissions, in the next two sessions of the Commission, this being on an exceptional basis and without prejudice to the established rules of procedure of the United Nations. This provision is based on the understanding that in the meantime, said organizations and groups apply for consultative status to ECOSOC in accordance with existing rules and procedures, and that in accordance with paragraph 53 of Council resolution 1996/31, the Committee on NGO is invited to consider such applications as expeditiously as possible;

Alt 9.

Decides that

   a) Pursuant to ECOSOC resolution 1996/31, non-governmental organizations and civil society entities without consultative status to ECOSOC, but which have received accreditation to WSIS, may participate, an exceptional basis and without prejudice to the established rules of the United Nations, as observers in the next two meetings of the Commission. This provision is based on the understanding that in the meantime, said organizations and entities apply for consultative status to ECOSOC in accordance with existing rules and procedures.

   b) Following recent practice of ECOSOC and its functional commissions and without prejudice to existing rules of procedure, business sector entities may be invited by the Chairperson of the Commission to participate as observers in its work in accordance with the rules of procedure of ECOSOC. A list of business entities having applied for invitation shall be circulated to states members of the Commission 20 days prior its annual meeting. As a rule, business entities accredited to WSIS, including ITU sector members, are invited. The invitation of a business sector entity may be suspended or cancelled by the Chairperson of the Commission at any time on request of a member state. 

Secretariat support

10. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure effective and upgraded substantive secretariat support to the Commission to enable it to perform its expanded role while ensuring, in this regard, close collaboration with other relevant United Nations organizations;

Reporting

11. Requests the Commission to submit to the Council, within its annual report, information on the progress made in the implementation of and follow-up to WSIS outcomes at the regional and international level;

12. Decides to keep the General Assembly advised, through its annual report of progress made in the implementation of and follow-up to WSIS outcomes, taking into account the work of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development.