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STATEMENT FROM H.E. SAMUEL SCHMID, PRESIDENT OF THE SWISS CONFEDERATION
Switzerland was proud to be chosen as the host country of the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society,
which was held in Geneva from 10-12 December 2003. The objective of the Summit was to create a framework for an
inclusive Information Society. The Summit explored the links between technology, communication, information, knowledge,
culture and human welfare in a worldwide Information Society.
The outcome of the first phase of WSIS in Geneva reflected the quality of the process, the diversity of the participants,
and the growing awareness of the importance of information and communication in the context of the Millennium
Declaration and Millennium Development Goals. The Geneva Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action, adopted in
December 2003, charts the way forward, showing how information and communication technology (ICT) can be used to
improve societies for all.
The hallmark of an Information Society is that it be inclusive: access to knowledge and communication means is essential;
our challenge is now to transform the digital divide into a digital opportunity.
At the start of the 21st century, we all face not only the social and economic challenge of a divide between rich and poor
countries and regions, but also the security challenge of a world in which many regions are the prey of violent conflict.
Natural disasters like the tsunami of December 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 teach us that we are all
interdependent: our security depends on the security of others. Human security and state sovereignty are also linked:
individuals can only be secure when they are protected by the state, but a state can only be legitimate and sovereign if it
cares for all its residents, upholds their human rights, and responds to their demands. Clearly, traditional military strategies
are insufficient.
Information and communication are crucial to understanding and transforming conflicts. ICT can help human security
and peace by allowing peaceful solutions to conflicts through communication and negotiation.
The Swiss government has supported several programmes which involve ICT use for peace. In 2004, for example,
Switzerland started the ICT4Peace project to thoroughly investigate the potential of ICT use for peace.
ICT4Peace has inventoried many areas in which ICT is used: identifying potential outbreaks of armed conflicts through
early warning, facilitating the adoption of preventative measures, promoting peaceful resolutions, mitigating the
consequences of conflicts and supporting humanitarian action and peacekeeping missions, and assisting post-conflict peace-
building and reconstruction.
It is my hope that WSIS will be remembered not only for making ICT central to sustainable development, but also for
emphasizing that communication and understanding are central to a peaceful future for all.
Samuel Schmid
President of the Swiss Confederation