The World summit on the Information Society
(WSIS) is going to be held in two phases –
first in Geneva (10 to 12 December 2003), and
two years later, in Tunis (16 to 18 November
2005). It is based on a tri-partite format involving
government, civil society and the private sector.
The Government of Pakistan is also part of the
process and actively participating in this global
event.
In this context, UNDP has come up with a proposal
to conduct consultations in selected countries
in Africa and Asia to develop new models of
multi-stakeholder collaboration to catalyse
and strengthen implementation from Geneva to
Tunis. It is being carried out by a team of
international experts in collaboration with
the ICTD (Information and communication Technology
for Development) Group in UNDP Headquarters.
For a number of reasons, including GoP’s
major focus on IT in the recent years and the
extensive ICTD work undertaken by one of its
own global initiatives in the country –
The Sustainable Development Networking Programme
(SDNP) – UNDP has chosen Pakistan as one
of the two countries from Asia (the other is
Philippines).
SDNP Pakistan, right from its inception in
1992, has been managed by IUCN – The World
Conservation Union, and is currently part of
its Education, Communication and Knowledge Management
Programme. It has been entrusted with the responsibility
to assist in facilitating this national consultation
involving all the important stakeholders of
WSIS in the country. Ministry of Information
Technology and Telecommunication (MoIT&T),
Government of Pakistan is providing all out
support and guidance to achieve the goals of
this national consultation to be held during
17-19 November, 2003 in Islamabad.
It is hoped that this consultation will result
in a national initiative – based on the
objectives of WSIS – that could be implemented
during the period between the two summits. The
synthesis of the consultation, alongwith the
proposed project would be presented at the summit
itself in December 2003.
Prime Minister of Pakistan would lead the Pakistani
delegation to this summit.
