28 World Summit on Information Society
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8841/06
COM(06) 181
| Commission Communication: Towards a global partnership in the information society: follow-up to the Tunis phase of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS)
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| Legal base | — |
| Document originated | 27 April 2006
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| Deposited in Parliament | 5 May 2006
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| Department | Trade and Industry
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 24 May 2006
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| Previous Committee Report | None; but see HC 34-ii (2005-06), para 16 (13 July 2006)
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| To be discussed in Council | 8 June Telecommunications Council
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Cleared, but further information requested
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Background
28.1 The December 2003 Geneva World Summit on Information Society
(WSIS) was the first global event concerning the "Information
Society", involving over 150 countries and some 11,000 participants
from public entities, civil society and the private sector. It
adopted a Declaration of Principles, embodied in a Plan of Action,
as the basis of a common approach to the Information Society by
all UN Member States. This includes key human rights, such as
freedom of opinion and expression; access to information and the
media; combating the "Digital Divide"; and the potential
of the information and communication technologies (ICT) for achieving
the UN Millennium Development Goals.[95]
28.2 Three earlier Commission documents on the World
Summit on Information Society outlined general objectives for
the first phase;[96]
assessed the outcome of the Geneva Summit;[97]
and summarised the results of the first phase and described how
they could be transformed into specific outputs during the run-up
to the second WSIS.[98]
28.3 We considered a fourth related Commission Communication
on 13 July 2005,[99]
which sought to prepare the EU's position ahead of that second
WSIS, to be held in Tunis in November 2005 during the UK EU Presidency,
focussing on the outstanding issues — Internet governance
and financing — and implementation of the Plan of Action.
The Commission Communication
28.4 The Summit endorsed two documents that set out
further steps for what the Commission describes as "the policy
debate on the global Information Society":
— The
Tunis Commitment (TC) which "recalls the Geneva Declaration
of Principles (GDoP) and Geneva Plan of Action (GPoA), and upholds
the fundamental principles underlying the common vision of the
Information Society". World leaders reaffirmed their "desire
and commitment to build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented
Information Society" that will be based on the respect
of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom
of expression and the freedom to receive and impart information;
and
— The Tunis Agenda for the Information
Society (TAIS), which "goes even further by identifying
the main challenges and showing ways to address them. In particular,
it acknowledges the scale of the digital divide and the need to
address it through different and complementary ways. As regards
Internet governance, the TAIS sets out a way to carry forward
the discussions. Finally, it shows how governments, regional and
international organisations, as well as other stakeholders can
implement the commitments they have undertaken".[100]
28.5 Against this background, the Communication contains
an assessment of the principal Summit results, indicates the EU
priorities and makes proposals as to how the EU can help follow
up the WSIS process, in which "the Commission and the EU
as a whole wish to remain driving forces in the process and to
build on the success achieved during the second phase".
28.6 In her helpful summary, contained in her 24
May 2006 Explanatory Memorandum, the Minister of State for Industry
and the Regions (Margaret Hodge) says that the consensus for a
global approach to the Information Society enshrined in the final
documents, including the reaffirmation of the respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms, are an essential concept for
the internet environment. She notes that "a balanced agreement
was also reached on the way to bridge the digital divide and to
support vulnerable groups, together with a voluntary 'digital
solidarity fund' launched in the margins of the Summit".
A compromise was found on the subject of internet governance,
and a process of enhanced co-operation launched by the UN Secretary
General "to better deal with international public policy
issues pertaining to the Internet, whilst an internet governance
forum was created as a new forum for multi-stakeholder policy
dialogue".
28.7 Whilst the Commission suggest that the EU needs
to take into account WSIS in developing its Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) policies, it also highlights that the Union has
already met many WSIS goals thanks in particular to the i2010
initiative,[101] especially
the work on digital inclusion (citing the Commission Communications
on "Bridging the Broadband Gap and e-Accessibility"):
"the WSIS process has shown that the priorities identified
in the i2010 initiative are a useful tool for addressing similar
policy issues outside the EU".
28.8 The Commission highlights various EU external
ICT initiatives, such as its Information Society dialogues with
Latin America (@LIS), with neighbourhood countries including the
Mediterranean region (EUMEDIS) and emerging economies (Brazil,
China, India, South Africa), as well as the role of the EU Africa
Strategy's Partnership on Infrastructures, where the 10th
European Development Fund will aim to cover electronic communications
on a pan-African scale in rural areas, post-conflict situations,
trans-border communications and "any other case where the
market does not deliver".[102]
28.9 Concerning internet governance, the Commission
highlights that EU members have suggested that Spam and relevant
security-related aspects of the Internet, as well as multilingualism,
would be appropriate and substantive topics for the first meeting
of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). It further mentions the
role of ENISA (the European Network and Information Security Agency)
in preserving the security and stability of the Internet. "Enhanced
cooperation around international internet public policy should
be light and efficient."
28.10 As for the wider follow-up, the Minister says
that the EU successfully argued that it should be done as part
of the integrated follow-up to UN Summits, within existing mechanisms
and within existing approved resources; and that the Commission
"reaffirms the EU's desire for an open follow-up involving
all stakeholders and, importantly, the private sector".
The Government's view
28.11 The Minister says that the UK supports the
EU's overall understanding of the conclusions and success of the
second phase of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS).
They coincide with UK interests. UK officials who negotiated the
final outcome for the EU during the UK Presidency last November
"will continue to ensure that the follow-up process for the
Summit remains focussed and efficient, and in line with UK priorities".
28.12 She says that the UK is also "keen to
underline the need for changes in governance and regulation in
developing countries, rather than external funding, as the most
fruitful vehicle for bridging the Digital Divide".
28.13 The UK is "also anxious that further work
and in particular 'enhanced cooperation' around public policy
issues related to present Internet Governance arrangements, involve
all relevant stakeholders and produces recommendations, which
provide viable regulatory and self-regulatory options, which do
not stifle development of the Internet".
28.14 Finally, she says that officials will continue
to work with the Commission and other Member States through EU
working groups and in UN fora to ensure that UK views are fully
reflected in further discussions of Community positions and of
follow-up to WSIS, such as the first Internet Governance Forum
which is due to take place late October 2006 in Athens:
"We will also continue to work with partners
around the world to foster a cooperative atmosphere in the follow-up
to WSIS, and build bridges between different groups, such as the
US and EU."
28.15 In the immediate future, the Minister says
that there was expected to be an exchange of views on this Communication
during the forthcoming 8 June 2006 EU Council of Telecommunications
Ministers.
Conclusion
28.16 We should be grateful if the Minister would
keep us informed in the run-up to and, particularly, about the
outcome of the first Internet Governance Forum. Though she does
not elaborate on the differences between the EU and US, we assume
this relates to the pre-Summit debate on the question of continuing
US control of the master directory of internet addresses worldwide,
operated by the not-for-profit Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers (Icann). Given the recent developments on controlling
internet access in the People's Republic of China, it would seem
more important than ever that the EU and US, who have pioneered
the loosely controlled, market-driven approach to the Internet
that has made it what it is, should stay united, particularly
if the fine sentiments of the Tunis Commitment are to be made
a reality.
28.17 We now clear the document.
95 The eight goals, in 2000, that the UN set itself
to achieve, most by 2015: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger;
achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality;
reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/Aids,
malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability;
develop a partnership for development. Back
96
COM(03) 702. Back
97
COM(04) 111. Back
98
COM(04) 480. Back
99
See headnote. Back
100
COM(06) 181, page 2. Back
101
The Commission's i20 10 strategy -"A European Information
Society for Growth and Employment" - aims to exploit the
important contribution of ICT to European competitiveness, growth
and jobs, and therefore more widely to the revised Lisbon Strategy. Back
102
COM(06) 181, page 5. Back
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