ITU video above published Mar 2, 2018: The WSIS Forum is constantly evolving and strengthening the alignment between the WSIS Action Lines and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 2018 Forum will serve as a key platform for discussing the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a means of implementation of the SDGs and targets, with due regard to the global mechanism for follow-up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Highlights Video #1: WSIS FORUM 2018
ITU video above published Mar 19, 2018: First highlights video from the WSIS FORUM 2018, ITU, Geneva, Switzerland.
More than 2,500 information and communication technology (ICT) experts from around the globe are in Geneva for the World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2018 (WSIS Forum 2018), which runs March 19-23, and is co-organized by ITU (itu.int), UNESCO (unesco.org), UNCTAD (unctad.org) and UNDP (undp.org), in close collaboration with all UN agencies.
WSIS Forum 2018 is focusing on sustainable development trends and inclusive ICT initiatives in key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) priority areas such as health, hunger, education, youth inclusion, employment, gender empowerment, the environment, infrastructure and innovation. Participants include at least 500 high-level policy-makers from 150+ countries, including government ministers and experts, civil society leaders, academics, business leaders and international organizations.
Session 197 | WSIS Forum 2018: ICANN, Data Protection and the GDPR: 16:30–18:15 [starts 11:30 am EDT (US)] Proposed Agenda: 1) Introductions and Objectives of Workshop – Moderator Tarek Kamel, ICANN 5m; 2) ICANN and GDPR - A way forward for WHOIS - Theresa Swinehart, ICANN 30m; 3) Global Data Protection Developments; 4) Roundtable discussion on Data Protection and GDPR 40m; 5) Wrap up 5m.
The chart above shows how many people use the internet in all the different world regions.
25 years ago, on August 23, 1991, a British computer scientist, Tim Berners-Lee, who was then working at CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research), made the World Wide Web available to the public. However, even 25 years after what some call its inception, the World Wide Web is not nearly as universally available as its name suggests. According to the latest estimates by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN agency specializing in information and communication technologies, only 47 in 100 people in the world use the internet today. While internet access in regions such as North America and Europe has become a utility like electricity and running water, people in less developed regions often still lack affordable access to what has arguably become the world's most important source of information.
More Than Half The World’s Population Still Not Using The Internet (source: itu.int)
Note: The map above is based on 2016 estimates. The base map for this infographic is based on the UN map database of the United Nation Cartographic Section. (Source: ITU.int) ITU, the UN specialized agency for information and communication technology (ICT), says3.9 billion people remain cut-off from the vast resources available on the internet, despite falling prices for ICT services.
Digital divide means more than half the world is still offline: By the end of 2016, more than half of the world’s population – 3.9 billion people – will not yet be using the internet. While almost one billion households in the world now have Internet access (of which 230 million are in China, 60 million in India and 20 million in the world’s 48 Least Developed Countries), figures for household access reveal the extent of the digital divide, with 84% of households connected in Europe, compared with 15.4% in the African region.
ICT Facts & Figures 2016 shows that developing countries now account for the vast majority of internet users, with 2.5 billion users compared with one billion in developed countries. But Internet penetration rates tell a different story, with 81% in developed countries, compared with 40% in developing countries and 15% in the Least Developed Countries.
“Access to information and communication technologies, particularly broadband, has the potential to serve as a major accelerator of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Global interconnectedness is rapidly expanding, however more needs to be done to bridge the digital divide and bring the more than half of the global population not using the Internet into the digital economy.”--ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao
ITU’s ICT Facts & Figures also reveals that mobile phone coverage is now near-ubiquitous, with an estimated 95% of the global population – or some seven billion people – living in an area covered by a basic 2G mobile-cellular network. Advanced mobile-broadband networks (LTE) have spread quickly over the last three years and reach almost four billion people today – corresponding to 53% of the global population. But while the number of mobile-broadband subscriptions continues to grow at double digit rates in developing countries to reach a penetration rate of close to 41%, mobile-broadband penetration growth has slowed overall. Globally, the total number of mobile-broadband subscriptions is expected to reach 3.6 billion by end 2016, compared with 3.2 billion at end 2015.
Fixed broadband growth strongest in developed countries. Growth in China is driving fixed-broadband in Asia and the Pacific, where penetration is expected to surpass 10% by end of 2016. Mobile-broadband services have now become more affordable than fixed-broadband services, with the average price for a basic fixed-broadband plan more than twice as high as the average price of a comparable mobile-broadband plan. By the end of 2015, 83 developing countries had achieved the Broadband Commission’s affordability target.
Internet bandwidth: By early 2016, international Internet bandwidth had reached 185,000 gigabits per second, up from a low of 30,000 gigabits in 2008. However, bandwidth is unequally distributed globally, and lack of bandwidth remains a major bottleneck to improved Internet connectivity in many developing and Least Developed Countries.
The mobile connectivity explosion | FT Business - From connected cows to intelligent cars, talk at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona has turned from phone calls and text messages to the internet of things, IoT. The FT’s Daniel Garrahan weighs up the benefits and risks of everything being connected. Originally published Feb 23, 2016 by FT.com. Tweets about Internet of Things or IoT Tweets about Internet of Things OR IoT
Special meeting of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee and technical sessions of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate on preventing and combating abuse of ICT [information and communication technologies] for terrorist purposes, New York, 16-17 December 2015.
Excerpt from Concept Note (pdf): Terrorist groups have proved in recent years that they are particularly adept at utilizing the Internet and social media to facilitate their activities, including incitement to commit a terrorist act, radicalization to violence, recruitment, training, planning, collection of information, communication, preparation, financing and execution of attacks. In addition to Al-Qaida, one terrorist entity that has benefited significantly from ICT is the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as Daesh. ISIL and its supporters exploit the Internet as a means to broadcast its ideology and has made effective use of the vast reach and rapidly evolving communications environment provided by social media applications, which also serve as a highly effective tool for ISIL recruiters, who have succeeded in attracting a global pool of around 25,000 foreign fighters from over 100 States.
Excerpt from CTC event website: "Terrorist groups continue to utilize the Internet and social media to facilitate their activities, including incitement to commit terrorist acts, radicalization to violence, recruitment, training, planning, collection of information, communication, preparation, financing, and execution of attacks. Surpassing Al-Qaida, the terrorist organization that calls itself the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has successfully used the Internet to broadcast its ideology and to recruit foreign terrorist fighters on an unprecedented scale – with currently some 30,000 foreign fighters coming from over 100 countries. On 17 December 2015, the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) will hold a special meeting on Preventing terrorists from exploiting the Internet and social media to recruit terrorists and incite terrorist acts, while respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. This meeting will be complemented by CTED-organized thematic sessions (16-17 December), which will all take place in Conference room 1. The meeting will feature panellists from inter alia Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, and Weibo, as well as the Chief Prosecutor of Paris, and civil society activists engaging with terrorist recruiters on the digital frontlines." (emphasis added)
The briefing is open to Member and Observer States, United Nations entities, intergovernmental organizations, and specialized agencies. The event is also open to members of the media, including photographers, with a valid accreditation to the United Nations in New York.
United Nations CTED | @UN_CTED - The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) supports the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), established in 2001, United Nations, New York. More info:un.org/en/sc/ctc/
Second, WSIS+10 or #WSIS10 references the overall review of the implementation of the WSIS outcomes in 2015:
2015 | WSIS Review: "Paragraph 111 of the Tunis Agenda [2005], endorsed by the General Assembly in resolution 60/252, requested the General Assembly to undertake the overall review of the implementation of the WSIS outcomes in 2015. In response, the General Assembly in resolution 68/302, decided that the overall review will be concluded by a two-day high-level meeting of the General Assembly, to be preceded by an intergovernmental process that also takes into account inputs from all relevant stakeholders of the World Summit on the Information Society."
Internet governance: "Overall a discussion on the benefits and challenges of the multistakeholder approach in implementing the WSIS Action Lines is expected. In this context, the renewal of the mandate of the IGF [Internet Governance Forum] will be discussed ... The notion of “enhanced cooperation” (paragraph 69, Tunis Agenda) will also be addressed. At the heart of the issue are very different views on whether “enhanced cooperation” is specifically about enhancing the role of governments in Internet governance, or whether it is about enhancing cooperation between all stakeholders, including governments."
The role of ICTs(Information and Communication Technologies) in development;
Privacy, Security and Human Rights. (emphasis added)
3. Live coverage of the WSIS+10 High-level Meeting and Side Events is available on UN Live Web TV for the following:
United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting, 15-16 December 10AM – 6PM EST
Side event: Strengthening the Impact of WSIS Action Lines for Sustainable Development: Showcasing Best Practices, Transferring Know-How, Fostering Partnerships. 14 December, 1:15PM EST, Conference Room11
Side event: Women’s Empowerment in the Digital Age: Implementing WSIS Outcome and Agenda 2030. 15 December, 1PM EST, Conference Room 6
Side Event: Enabling a Trusted Connected World. 16 December, 1:15PM EST, Conference Room 7
The stakeholders who are attending are varied, but of course governments will have a dominating presence. One surprise though, ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a California non-profit corporation) listed its domicile/residence as "Switzerland"--
About | WSIS Forum 2015: The WSIS Forum 2015 represents the world’s largest annual gathering of the [Information and Communications Technology] ‘ICT for development’ community. The WSIS Forum, co-organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP and UNCTAD, in close collaboration with all WSIS Action Line Facilitators/Co-Facilitators (UNDESA, FAO, UNEP, WHO, UN Women, WIPO, WFP, ILO, WMO, UN, ITC, UPU, UNODC, UNICEF and UN Regional Commissions) has proven to be an efficient mechanism for coordination of multistakeholder implementation activities, information exchange, creation of knowledge, sharing of best practices and continues to provide assistance in developing multistakeholder and public/private partnerships to advance development goals. This forum to provide structured opportunities to network, learn and participate in multi-stakeholder discussions and consultations on WSIS implementation.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT): ICT (information and communications technology - or technologies) is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications.
WSIS Forum 2015 builds upon the tradition of annual WSIS May meetings, and its format is the result of open consultations with all WSIS Stakeholders. Emerging trends in 11 WSIS Action Lines both in terms of Policy and Technology are produced as an Outcome of WSIS Forum in a multistakeholder environment on an annual basis. The WSIS Forum 2015 Open Consultation Process on the Thematic Aspects and Innovations on the Format aims at ensuring the participatory and inclusive spirit of the WSIS Forum 2015 by actively engaging governments, civil society, the private sector and intergovernmental organizations in the preparatory process. The Agenda and Programme of the WSIS Forum will be built on the basis of the official submissions received during the Open Consultation Process.
Remote Participation | WSIS Forum 2015: The WSIS Process has a multi-stakeholder character. WSIS Stakeholders include governments, civil society, private sector, academia and international organizations from all parts of the world. Today, information and communication technologies (ICTs) provide the opportunity for representation and inclusion of all stakeholders in the WSIS events by way of remote participation. In order to facilitate the participation and ensure the inclusion of all WSIS Stakeholders, remote participation has been designed as an integral feature of the WSIS Forum 2015.
WSIS Stakeholders who wish to participate remotely in any of the sessions, can do so via either the Webcast Service or the Adobe Connect platform. The Webcast Service uses Real Networks software to distribute audio and video to remote participants. The media is streamed so the user does not have to wait for files to download and can access video or audio at any point. The Adobe Connect platform will allow remote participants to follow the meeting by seeing video feed from the conference room, hear what is being discussed in English, see presentations/documents under discussion, and chat with the meeting host and other remote participants. Each session will have 10–15 for questions from remote participants.
How to access: To access remote participation, simple find and click on the desired session on the Agenda and select the type of Remote Participation (Webcast or Adobe Connect). A real-time registration form will pop up and remote participants will be asked to complete it before accessing the session. Webcasts are also archived.
The What, Why and When of WSIS (English Captioned)- published on May 25, 2015 - What is WSIS, when and why was it started, and what is the annual conference all about? A quick and comprehensible snapshot of the world’s foremost ICT4Development event.
Selection from the Monday, May 25th, Agenda: Internet of Things (IoT): The Way to Smart Sustainable Cities | WSIS Forum 2015: "Internet of Things (IoT): The Way to Smart Sustainable Cities -- sponsors: ITU and Partners -- Currently cities account for 50-60% of GHG emissions as well as 75% of the global energy consumption. While cities generously contribute to around 75% of the global GDP, they also generate 50% of the world’s waste. By 2050, 70% of the world’s population is estimated to reside in cities. A sustainable life for the future generations would thus depend on making cities smarter and more sustainable. Internet of Things (IoT) leads a sweeping cultural change as a huge number of machines, devices, sensors, actuators, and other objects become interconnected to each other and to higher-level systems. Due to the enormous amount of variety of connectable devices and automatically collected data entirely new services and features may arise, which are to form the basis of, among others concepts, “Smart Sustainable Cities”. This thematic workshop will discuss the role that Internet of Things (IoT) and emerging technologies such as crowd sourcing and crowd sensing play in building smart sustainable cities worldwide as well as provide several examples of application domains, including deployment of IoT and monitoring. This event will include a set of demonstrations and will present success stories from around the world to expand on the benefits of using IoT in cities while furthering the sustainable development goals."
Speakers / panellists:
11:00 - 11:10 Opening Ceremony Chaesub Lee, Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, ITU Sébastien Ziegler, Director, Mandat International and Vice President, IOT Forum
11:10 - 11:30 Keynote speeches H.E. Kok Jwee Foo, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Singapore United Nations Cristina Bueti, Adviser, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
11:30 - 12:45 Panel Discussion Moderator: Sébastien Ziegler, Director, Mandat International and Vice President, IOT Forum; Luis Muñoz, Head of the Network Planning and Mobile Communications, University of Cantabria, Spain; Srdjan Krco, CEO, DunavNET; Amine Mcharek, Management Science School, Korea Advance Institute for Science and Technology
12:45 - 13:00 Closing Session -- Bilel Jamoussi, Chief of Study Groups, International Telecommunication Union (ITU); Sébastien Ziegler, Director, Mandat International and Vice President, IOT Forum"
Additional note: on Tuesday, May 26th: Opening Policy Statements (11:30-12:30): Mr Fadi Chehade, CEO and President, ICANN
WCIT is an international high level congress that brings together more than 50 exhibitors and up to 3,000 delegates from around 80 countries, such as Corporate leaders, Policymakers, Government officials and Academia Members to discuss emerging issues on ICTs (information and communications technologies), debate hot topics, and address how legal, political, and economic trends affect business models.
World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) is held every two years. Senior global business, government and academic leaders discuss emerging markets, legal and policy issues, political and economic trends, emerging technologies, ICT user perspectives and business opportunities in the global marketplace. WCIT 2014 is being held at Guadalajara, Mexico (September 29 through October 1, 2014). See the official web site at http://wcit2014.org. The 2016 WCIT will be held in Brasilia, Brazil from May 15-18, 2016.
WCIT 2014 Program Schedule--ICANN event, Wednesday, October 1, 2014
ICANN speakers at WCIT 2014 include Fadi Chehadé, ICANN President and Chief Executive Officer: Presentation at the WCIT 2014--Our Internet: A Shared Global Resource for Human Solidarity and Economic Progress--Date: September 30th, 2014, 11:15 – 11:45
and Rodrigo de la Parra, ICANN Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean: WCIT2014 presentation--Internet Governance: Rights, Responsibilities, Roles, Trust and Integrity--Date: October 1st, 2014, 11:00 – 12:15
