Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Towards a Global Partnership in the Information Society: Follow-up of the Geneva Summit of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2004-02-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: information society, summit meeting

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 17.2.2004 
COM(2004) 111 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Towards a Global Partnership in the Information Society: 
 Follow-up of the Geneva Summit  
of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Towards a Global Partnership in the Information Society: 
 Follow-up of the Geneva Summit  
of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The  first  session  of  the  World  Summit  on  Information  Society  (WSIS)  was  held  in  Geneva 
from  10  to12  December  2003.  There  were  about  11.000  participants  from  more  than  150 
countries,  organisations,  civil  society  representatives  and  the  private  sector.  The  second 
session will take place in Tunis from 16 to 18 November 2005. In its communication on the 
WSIS  of  May  2003,  the  Commission  undertook  to  report  on  the  results  of  the  Geneva 
Summit.1 

This Communication contains an appreciation of the principal results of the Summit, indicates 
the EU priorities and makes a proposal on how to organise EU inputs for the second phase of 
the WSIS. Addressing the procedural aspects in a timely manner, including the co-ordination 
with Member States, will allow the EC and the EU to remain driving forces in the process, as 
was the case during the first phase concluded in Geneva. 

2. 

ASSESSMENT OF THE GENEVA SUMMIT 

On 12 December 2003, the Summit adopted a Declaration of Principles and a Plan of Action. 
These documents constitute the basis, for all the Member States of the United Nations, of “a 
common vision and understanding of the Information Society”.2 In substance, both documents 
reflect a number of principles close to the EU approach towards an “Information Society for 
All”. However, much remains to be done, notably as regards “the strategic plan of Action for 
concerted development towards realising this vision”.3 

As  expressed  during  the  EU  ministerial  co-ordination  meeting  on  11  December  2003  in 
Geneva,  the  overall  result  of  the  Geneva  Summit  was  good.  This  is  noteworthy,  given  the 
difficulties encountered during the preparatory process, and in particular in the last phase of 
the  negotiations,  with  uncertainties  remaining  up  to  the  eve  of  the  Geneva  Summit.  In 
addition, the Summit vindicates the multilateral approach that the EU advocates. For the EU, 
the Geneva results can summarised as follows: 

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2 
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Towards a global Partnership in the Information Society: EU Perspective in the context of the United 
Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)-COM(2003) 271final, 19.5.2003 
Resolution 56/183 on the WSIS adopted by the UN General Assembly in January 2002 
Resolution 56/183 on the WSIS adopted by the UN General Assembly in January 2002. 

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–  The  WSIS  was  the  first  global  event  on  the  Information  Society,  and  the  Declaration  of 
Principles and the Plan of Action adopted at the Summit form the basis for an approach to 
the Information Society common to all the Member States of the United Nations. 

–  This is part of the EU’s efforts towards a ‘regulated globalisation’ pursued in the WTO and 

other appropriate global forums. 

–  The texts adopted are firmly grounded in existing international human rights’ provisions, 
with a clear reaffirmation of key human rights’ principles and, in particular of the freedom 
of opinion and expression and the freedom of the media. 

–  The participation of the civil society and the private sector was effective, including in the 
Summit  itself,  and  the  creation  of  the  “Bureau  of  the  Civil  Society”  in  the  process 
illustrates  a  welcome  development  in  the  UN  system,  even  if  the  modalities  of  their 
participation still have to be improved. 

2.1. 

The Declaration of Principles 

The Declaration of Principles reflects the significant progress which was made in the Summit 
on several major questions. This is particularly the case for the paragraphs on human rights, 
access  to  information  and  media,  but  also  for  the  importance  of  the  involvement  of  all 
stakeholders in the preparatory process and the Summit. The principle of solidarity in the fight 
against  the  digital  divide  and  the  potential  of  ICTs  as  a  tool  in  development  policies,  in 
particular in contributing to the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals, were 
acknowledged. 

The EU sees positively the results on the importance of the respect of fundamental principles, 
i.e. freedom of access to information, the role of the media, the preservation and promotion of 
cultural diversity and the concept of good governance. In addition, the decisive role of legal 
and  regulatory  frameworks  in  creating  pro-competitive  environments  and  the  importance  of 
intellectual  property  protection  was  rightly  recognised  as  well  as  the  need  to  devise  e-
Strategies at all appropriate levels. 

As  regards  financing,  the  text  reflects,  in  a  balanced  way,  the  diverging  opinions  voiced 
during  the  negotiations.  An  agreement  was  reached  to  evaluate  the  existing  financing 
mechanisms and, at the same time, to carry out a study on the appropriateness of creating a 
new Digital Solidarity Fund. This work will be taken on during 2004 by a Task Force under 
the authority of the Secretary-General for the United Nations. 

The  WSIS  agreed  to  set  up  an  open-ended  reflection process under the authority of the UN 
Secretary-General  -  ensuring  a  mechanism  for  the  full  and  active  participation  of 
governments,  the  private  sector  and  civil  society  -  in  order  to  make  proposals  on  the 
governance of the Internet by 2005. This working group shall develop a definition of Internet 
Governance, identify the public policy issues relevant to Internet governance and report to the 
Tunis phase of the WSIS. 

2.2. 

The Plan of Action 

The Plan of Action reflects the principles set out in the Declaration. It constitutes a common 
reference for all stakeholders and in particular the major actors of the international economic 
co-operation  and  Development  aid.  Its  implementation  will  be  the  major  challenge  of  the 
second phase of the WSIS.  

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The association of stakeholders, civil society and the private sector, contributed to the success 
of the Geneva Summit and will prove even more important in the deployment of the Action 
Plan.  The  WSIS  will  therefore  also  need  to  look  at  ways  and  means  for  the  promotion  of 
stronger role for civil society and the private sector, while underlining the importance of the 
role of governments as political decision-makers. 

For  the  Plan  of  Action,  the  EU  has  always  advocated  for  focusing  on  a  limited  number  of 
priorities in the areas of eLearning, eHealth, eGovernment and eBusiness. These priorities are 
reflected in the Plan of Action and it will now be important to translate them into actions with 
clearly identified targets, timetables and allocated resources. 

3. 

THE WAY FORWARD FOR THE EU 

In  following  up  on  the  Geneva  Summit,  the  concerns  of  the  EC  and  the  EU  regarding  the 
situation of human rights in Tunisia, the location of the second phase of the Summit, should 
be voiced. This has been addressed by the European Parliament on several occasions and the 
EU will have to be prepared to act in order to avoid facing an unacceptable situation in the 
event that progress during the preparatory phase up to the Summit in this field in Tunis is not 
satisfactory. 

As  far  as  action  arising  from  the  Geneva  Summit  is  concerned,  this  will  have  to  be  at  two 
levels: 

–  Based on the principles of the Declaration, EU policies may be adjusted where appropriate, 

with the aim of making an effective contribution to the Plan of Action; 

–  The EU and the EC have to define their input into the preparatory process for Tunis and 
the  participation  and  contribution  in  the  Working  group  on  Internet  governance  and  the 
Task Force on Financing placed under the authority of the UN Secretary General. 

In  addition,  there  are  some  questions  which  are  still  open  and  will  need  addressing,  in 
particular the nomination of the President of the Preparatory Committee for the Tunis phase 
and 
the  International 
Telecommunication Union (ITU) and other UN agencies involved in the WSIS will have to be 
clarified. 

the  new  WSIS  Bureau.  The  role  of 

the  composition  of 

3.1. 

Implications for current policies of the Geneva undertakings 

The  implications  of  the  undertakings  in  Geneva  are  in  Information  Society  policies  and 
policies  related  to  Information  Society,  notably  External  relations,  Trade,  Economic  Co-
operation,  Social  and  Employment  policies,  Development  Aid  as  well  as  Research  and 
Development programmes. The implied actions concern existing mechanisms and some new 
initiatives. 

New  or  enhanced  dialogue  and  co-operation  could  be  commenced,  for  example,  on 
eStrategies  and  in  EU  priority  fields  of  application,  in  particular  for  eGovernment,  eHealth, 
eLearning  and  eBusiness  as  well  as  eEmployment  and  eInclusion,  taking  into  account  the 
principle  of  equal  participation  of  women  and men  to  the  Information  Society  as  horizontal 
issue  in  all  policies  and  initiatives.  In  addition,  initiatives  could  be  envisaged  in  the 
international Information Society Technologies (IST) co-operation and for the development of 
international networks for research and education. In this respect, it will also be important to 
look  at  new  ways  of  mobilising  existing  mechanisms  and  programmes,  including  the 

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possibility  of  public  private  partnerships.  The  EU  will  also  consider  the  implications  of  the 
first Summit of the Cities held in Lyon from 4 to 5 December 2003 with regard to the role of 
local authorities in the Information Society. 

Specific  attention  needs  to  be  paid  to  the  request  by  Least  Developed  Countries  to  create  a 
Digital  Solidarity  Fund.  Synergies  among  existing  donors  should  be  improved  and 
mainstreaming of ICTs in Economic Co-operation and Development Aid be ensured. The EU 
should  also  participate  actively  in  the  UN  Task  Force  on  Financing.  The  signature  of  the 
ACP-EU Joint Position on Information Society for Development, which will be followed up 
in our development programmes, in the margins of the Summit, constitutes a positive message 
towards our partner countries. 

The Information Society will become a chapter of the relations of the European Union with 
the UN system. The Commission will elaborate further proposals on how to take into account 
the results of the Geneva Declaration and Plan of Action in EU policies and programmes in a 
Communication to the Council and the European Parliament which it will present later on in 
2004. 

3.2. 

How to organise for the preparation of the Tunis session 

The  second  phase  of  the  Summit  will  be  challenging  both  from  a  political  and  a  logistical 
point  of  view;  it  will  be  more  technical  and  will  mainly  address  specific  issues  of  the 
Information  Society.  The  preparatory  process  should  reflect  this  orientation.  Coherent  EU 
contributions  could  again  have  a  positive  influence  on  the  outcome  of  the  Tunis  phase.  In 
particular, there is a need to convey in a timely manner the EU position in favour of a more 
efficient preparatory process. 

The main objective of this process should be to fill the Plan of Action with concrete content in 
terms of programmes and actions. Each of the PrepComs, the first of which will be in April 
2004, should work on the basis of an agenda focused on a limited number of specific topics. 

3.2.1.  EU co-ordination 

The first phase of the WSIS clearly showed the need for a common EU position. This proved 
to  be  one  of  the  key  factors  of  the  EU’s  central  role  in  the  negotiations  before  the  Geneva 
Summit. 

From the start of the Geneva preparatory process, EU co-ordination took place in the Telecom 
Council, which was regularly informed on the progress and adopted conclusions, based on a 
communication from the Commission4, at its Council meeting in June 20035. At the end of the 
Geneva  phase,  EU  co-ordination  took  place  in  Geneva,  to  allow  rapid  interaction  with  the 
preparatory process “on the spot” during final negotiations. 

For the Tunis preparations, most of the issues relate directly to Information Society policies. 
Advantage  could  also  be  taken  of  contributions  from  existing  formal  and  informal  working 
groups with Member States, in particular from the e-Europe Steering Committee. Some cross-
cutting  issues,  such  as  human  rights  or  financing,  will  have  to  be  looked  at  from  a 
development  or  external  relations  perspective.  EU  participation  in  the  Tunis  preparatory 

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5 

Towards a global Partnership in the Information Society : EU Perspective in the context of the United 
Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)-COM(2003) 271final, 19.5.2003 
Conclusions of the Telecom Council, Doc 9776/03, 5.6.2003 

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process  will  be  taken  care  of  in  Geneva  and  New  York,  according  to  the  decision  of  the 
United Nations on the location for the preparatory process. 

3.2.2. 

Internet governance 

The  Commission  will  in  close  co-operation  with  Member  States  examine  how  to  contribute 
most  effectively  to  the  process  on  Internet  governance  set  up  by  the  WSIS.  It  is  the 
Commission’s  intention  to  establish  an  EU  high  level  group6  as  a  key  tool  to  assist  the 
Commission in the preparation of the EU position. 

The EU reaffirms the need for an open-ended UN Working Group, with the participation of 
civil society and the private sector. Nevertheless, there is a need for an efficient mechanism to 
prepare effective debates on substance. 

3.2.3.  Financing 

To a large extent, the observations on the Internet Governance Group are also applicable to 
the Financing Group - the importance of a mechanism to guide discussions. In addition, the 
EC could consider appropriate to contribute very concretely and finance part of the envisaged 
study to review the “existing mechanisms and efficiency and feasibility of a Digital Solidarity 
Fund”.  Furthermore,  the  Member  States’  Expert  Group  on  Development  chaired  by  the 
Commission could prepare the EU position on financing issues at technical level. 

4. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The EU has played an important role as contributor to the first phase of the WSIS in Geneva 
and  should  now  try  to  capitalise  on  this  momentum,  both  in  its  contributions  to  the  second 
phase of the Summit and in its priorities for the implementation and follow-up of the Plan of 
Action endorsed in Geneva. 

The  way  forward  proposed  in  this  Communication  aims  to  allow  effective  follow-up  in 
substance of the key issues of the WSIS. Substantive EU contributions to the WSIS will be 
prepared in due course during the preparatory process for the Tunis Summit. 

6 

Similar groups have been established by the Commission in the past in areas such as radio spectrum and 
security. 

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