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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