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T
HE TARGETS OF
the World Summit on the Information
Society (WSIS) Plan of Action to be achieved by 2015 have
been approved at the highest political level. However, it is
apparent that they may be difficult for some countries to achieve.
It is therefore important to identify the problems encountered in
target implementation as early as possible and to suggest reme-
dial measures in order to be on track with the deadlines set in
the WSIS Plan of Action.
As follow up to the first phase and preparation for the second
phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS),
The United Nations Economic and Socila Commission for Asia
and the Pacific (UNESCAP), in cooperation with the International
Telecommunication Union and United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) Asia-Pacific Development Information
Programme (APDIP) organized a number of sub-regional
Conferences in 2004 and 2005. These events were aimed at reflect-
ing sub-regional perspectives and specific needs of sub-regional
countries in the Regional Action Plan. During the sub-regional
events organized for the Pacific in Suva, for South-east and East
Asia in Bali and for South and South-west Asia in Kathmandu, the
ESCAP secretariat conducted sub-region-specific surveys on the
Information Society with the objectives of exploring participants’
views on the possibility of achieving the WSIS Plan of Action targets
in their countries by 2015 to be included in the Regional Action
Plan towards the Information Society in Asia and the Pacific.
In conducting the sub-regional surveys, questionnaires were
distributed which compared all 11 targets mentioned in para-
graph six of the WSIS Plan of Action against four options for level
of achievement: already achieved; easy to achieve; may be
achieved with extensive efforts; and impossible to achieve the
target. The participants were requested to complete the ques-
tionnaire and make comments accordingly, if required.
The Sub-regional Symposium on ICT for Development in
Pacific Island Developing Countries held in Suva, Fiji from 6-9
December 2004 was attended by 60 participants that included
representatives of the following countries: Australia, Cook
Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru,
New Zealand, Niue, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa,
Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu; international and
regional organizations; the private sector and NGOs. The ESCAP
secretariat received responses to the questionnaires from 11
country representatives, four participants of the international
organizations and two NGO participants.
The South-East and East Asia Conference to follow up the first
phase and prepare for the second phase of WSIS, held in Bali,
Indonesia from 1-3 February 2005 was attended by 53 partici-
pants including representatives from Cambodia, China,
Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam; inter-
national organizations; private sector and NGOs. The ESCAP
secretariat received 11 responses from government participants
representing different countries.
The South and South-west Asia Conference to follow-up the
first phase and prepare for the second phase of WSIS, held in
Kathmandu, Nepal from 1-3 March 2005 was attended by 38
participants, including representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan,
the Islamic Republic of Iran, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and
Nepal; international organizations; private sector and NGOs. The
ESCAP secretariat received responses from 11 country partici-
pants and four private sector participants.
Results
Pacific
Many respondents considered that it was relatively easy to achieve
connectivity to villages, educational institutions, scientific and
research centres, cultural centres, post offices, health centres and
government departments and to adapt the school curriculum to
meet the challenges of the Information Society. However, among
the Pacific island countries, the possibility of achieving those goals
differed from country to country. Some countries had already
achieved many of the goals and felt it would be able to attain all
by 2015. For others, because of financial and other constraints,
considerable difficulties were anticipated.
It was unlikely that all people would have access to radio and
television services as the remoteness of some island countries
hindered this. Developing content in local languages and ensuring
technical conditions for the use of the languages was also consid-
ered difficult. One respondent thought that this issue was relevant
to low literacy levels and that it was necessary first to raise the liter-
acy rate under a national medium-term development strategy
placing primary education as a priority. There was a view that in
some Pacific island countries, English was the official language and
so the use of local languages was not a priority. Respondents had
less than optimistic views about the feasibility of more than half
the world’s inhabitants having access to ICT.
South-East and East Asia
As in the case of the Pacific, many respondents considered that it was
relatively easy to achieve connectivity to villages, educational institu-
tions, scientific and research centres, cultural centres, post offices,
Meeting the targets of the World Summit
on the Information Society in Asia
and the Pacific by 2015
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific