Draft Proposals for the CSTD
8 November 2006
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) adopted a vision of a people-centred, development-oriented, and inclusive information society, with the view to creating digital opportunities for all people. The Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, adopted in 2005 by the WSIS and endorsed by General Assembly resolution 60/252, requests the Economic and Social 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,
In this regard, the ECOSOC resolution 2006/46 requests the Commission to review and assess the progress made in implementing the outcomes of the summit and advise the council thereon, including through the elaboration of recommendations to the Council aimed at furthering the implementation of the summit outcomes, and that to that end, the Commission shall:
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;
share best and effective practices and lessons learned, and identify obstacles and constraints encountered, actions and initiatives to overcome them and important measures for further implementation of WSIS outcomes;
promote dialogue and foster partnerships in coordination with other appropriate UN funds, programmes and specialized agencies to contribute to the attainment of the WSIS objectives and implementation of its outcomes, to use ICT for development and the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, with the participation of governments, private sector, civil society and the UN and other international organizations according to their different roles and responsibilities;
Bearing in mind that the comprehensive review by the GA of WSIS will take place in 2015, and that ECOSOC requested that in its next session the Commission shall develop a multiyear work programme, the Panel takes note of the issues paper presented by the secretariat, and after considering this matter request the secretariat to make consultations with relevant stakeholders and to present to the Commission a draft programme of work that should be flexible and inclusive.
In order for the ECOSOC, through CSTD, to carry out its mandate of overseeing system-wide follow up of the WSIS effectively, it will require that the Commission has an effective interface with all agencies and mechanisms that are tasked with implementation of WSIS outcomes and other post WSIS activities.
In this regard, the Panel proposes the following:
Multi-year work programme and methods of work
The Panel requests the UNCTAD Secretariat to prepare a Note for consideration at the Tenth session, which contains proposals for a multi-year work programme of the Commission and new methods of work. This Note should take into account the time frame for the comprehensive review, as well as the clustering and sequencing of thematic issues from WSIS outcome documents. The work programme should adequately address the thematic concerns of WSIS, but also be flexible enough to accommodate any future need for adjustment, in view of the fast pace of technological development. To gather inputs on the work programme, the Secretariat will carry out informal, open ended consultations, before February 2007, with a wide range of stakeholders. These consultations could be scheduled back to back with meetings of action line facilitators and moderators.
The Note should also elaborate on new methods of work of the Commission, including through interactive dialogues during its annual session, with the active participation of action line facilitators, and other agencies and mechanisms involved with implementation of WSIS outcomes. Additionally, the Note should propose concrete ways to explore development-friendly and 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.
Since WSIS implementation is constituted of ongoing activities over a wide area, which will be fast evolving, the Commission may have a wide range of topics to examine every year. The panel suggests that the Commission could invite the facilitators of action lines, and other agencies and mechanisms involved in implementation of WSIS, as well as members of other stakeholder groups, to participate in its annual session.
The Panel also proposes that the Commission at its tenth session in May 2007 invites the United Nations system entities, including the regional commissions, engaged in the implementation of the Geneva and Tunis outcomes of the World Summit for the Information Society to collaborate closely with the Commission on Science and Technology for Development by providing it with periodic reports on the progress made in the implementation of the main themes and Action Lines of the World Summit for the Information Society, with a view to enabling the Commission to monitor, review and appraise progress achieved and problems encountered in the implementation, and to advise the Council thereon.