We are resolute in our quest to ensure that everyone can
benefit from the opportunities that ICTs can offer. We agree that to meet these
challenges, all stakeholders should work together to: improve access to
information and communication infrastructure and technologies as well as to
information and knowledge; build capacity; increase confidence and security in
the use of ICTs; create an enabling environment at all levels; develop and widen
ICT applications; foster and respect cultural diversity; recognize the role of
the media; address the ethical dimensions of the Information Society; and
encourage international and regional cooperation. We agree that these are the
key principles for building an inclusive Information Society.
1) The role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development
20. Governments, as well as private sector, civil society and
the United Nations and other international organizations have an important role
and responsibility in the development of the Information Society and, as
appropriate, in decision-making processes. Building a people-centred Information
Society is a joint effort which requires cooperation and partnership among all
2) Information and communication infrastructure: An essential
foundation for an inclusive Information Society
21. Connectivity is a central enabling agent in building the
Information Society. Universal, ubiquitous, equitable and affordable access to ICT infrastructure and services, constitutes one of the challenges of the
Information Society and should be an objective of all stakeholders involved in
building it. Connectivity also involves access to energy and postal services,
which should be assured in conformity with the domestic legislation of each
22. A well-developed information and communication network
infrastructure and applications, adapted to regional, national and local
conditions, easily-accessible and affordable, and making greater use of
broadband and other innovative technologies where possible, can accelerate the
social and economic progress of countries, and the well-being of all
individuals, communities and peoples.
23. Policies that create a favourable climate for stability,
predictability and fair competition at all levels should be developed and
implemented in a manner that not only attracts more private investment for ICT
infrastructure development but also enables universal service obligations to be
met in areas where traditional market conditions fail to work. In disadvantaged
areas, the establishment of ICT public access points in places such as post
offices, schools, libraries and archives, can provide effective means for
ensuring universal access to the infrastructure and services of the Information
3) Access to information and knowledge
24. The ability for all to access and contribute information,
ideas and knowledge is essential in an inclusive Information Society.
25. The sharing and strengthening of global knowledge for
development can be enhanced by removing barriers to equitable access to
information for economic, social, political, health, cultural, educational, and
scientific activities and by facilitating access to public domain information,
including by universal design and the use of assistive technologies.
26. A rich public domain is an essential element for the growth
of the Information Society, creating multiple benefits such as an educated
public, new jobs, innovation, business opportunities, and the advancement of
sciences. Information in the public domain should be easily accessible to
support the Information Society, and protected from misappropriation. Public
institutions such as libraries and archives, museums, cultural collections and
other community-based access points should be strengthened so as to promote the
preservation of documentary records and free and equitable access to
27. Access to information and knowledge can be promoted by
increasing awareness among all stakeholders of the possibilities offered by
different software models, including proprietary, open-source and free software,
in order to increase competition, access by users, diversity of choice, and to
enable all users to develop solutions which best meet their requirements.
Affordable access to software should be considered as an important component of
a truly inclusive Information Society.
28. We strive to promote universal access with equal
opportunities for all to scientific knowledge and the creation and dissemination
of scientific and technical information, including open access initiatives for
4) Capacity building
29. Each person should have the opportunity to acquire the
necessary skills and knowledge in order to understand, participate actively in,
and benefit fully from, the Information Society and the knowledge economy.
Literacy and universal primary education are key factors for building a fully
inclusive Information Society, paying particular attention to the special needs
of girls and women. Given the wide range of ICT and information specialists
required at all levels, building institutional capacity deserves special
30. The use of ICTs in all stages of education, training and
human resource development should be promoted, taking into account the special
needs of persons with disabilities and disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.
31. Continuous and adult education, re-training, life-long
learning, distance-learning and other special services, such as telemedicine,
can make an essential contribution to employability and help people benefit from
the new opportunities offered by ICTs for traditional jobs, self-employment and new professions. Awareness and literacy
in ICTs are an essential foundation in this regard.
32. Content creators, publishers, and producers, as well as
teachers, trainers, archivists, librarians and learners, should play an active
role in promoting the Information Society, particularly in the Least Developed
33. To achieve a sustainable development of the Information
Society, national capability in ICT research and development should be enhanced.
Furthermore, partnerships, in particular between and among developed and
developing countries, including countries with economies in transition, in
research and development, technology transfer, manufacturing and utilization of
ICT products and services are crucial for promoting capacity building and global
participation in the Information Society. The manufacture of ICTs presents a
significant opportunity for creation of wealth.
34. The attainment of our shared aspirations, in particular
for developing countries and countries with economies in transition, to become
fully-fledged members of the Information Society, and their positive integration
into the knowledge economy, depend largely on increased capacity building in the
areas of education, technology know-how and access to information, which are
major factors in determining development and competitiveness.
5) Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs
35. Strengthening the trust framework, including information
security and network security, authentication, privacy and consumer protection,
is a prerequisite for the development of the Information Society and for
building confidence among users of ICTs. A global culture of cybersecurity needs
to be promoted, developed and implemented in cooperation with all stakeholders
and international expert bodies. These efforts should be supported by increased
international cooperation. Within this global culture of cybersecurity, it is
important to enhance security and to ensure the protection of data and privacy,
while enhancing access and trade. In addition, it must take into account the
level of social and economic development of each country and respect the
development-oriented aspects of the Information Society.
36. While recognizing the principles of universal and
non-discriminatory access to ICTs for all nations, we support the activities of
the United Nations to prevent the potential use of ICTs for purposes that are
inconsistent with the objectives of maintaining international stability and
security, and may adversely affect the integrity of the infrastructure within
States, to the detriment of their security. It is necessary to prevent the use
of information resources and technologies for criminal and terrorist purposes,
while respecting human rights.
37. Spam is a significant and growing problem for users,
networks and the Internet as a whole. Spam and cybersecurity should be dealt
with at appropriate national and international levels.
6) Enabling environment
38. An enabling environment at national and international
levels is essential for the Information Society. ICTs should be used as an
important tool for good governance.
39. The rule of law, accompanied by a supportive, transparent,
pro-competitive, technologically neutral and predictable policy and regulatory
framework reflecting national realities, is essential for building a
people-centred Information Society. Governments should intervene, as
appropriate, to correct market failures, to maintain fair competition, to
attract investment, to enhance the development of the ICT infrastructure and
applications, to maximize economic and social benefits, and to serve national
40. A dynamic and enabling international environment,
supportive of foreign direct investment, transfer of technology, and
international cooperation, particularly in the areas of finance, debt and trade,
as well as full and effective participation of developing countries in global
decision-making, are vital complements to national development efforts related
to ICTs. Improving global affordable connectivity would contribute significantly
to the effectiveness of these development efforts.
41. ICTs are an important enabler of growth through efficiency
gains and increased productivity, in particular by Small and Medium-sized
Enterprises (SMEs). In this regard, the development of the Information Society
is important for broadly-based economic growth in both developed and developing
economies. ICT-supported productivity gains and applied innovations across
economic sectors should be fostered. Equitable distribution of the benefits
contributes to poverty eradication and social development. Policies that foster
productive investment and enable firms, notably SMEs, to make the changes needed
to seize the benefits from ICTs, are likely to be the most beneficial.
42. Intellectual Property protection is important to encourage
innovation and creativity in the Information Society; similarly, the wide
dissemination, diffusion, and sharing of knowledge is important to encourage
innovation and creativity. Facilitating meaningful participation by all in
intellectual property issues and knowledge sharing through full awareness and
capacity building is a fundamental part of an inclusive Information Society.
43. Sustainable development can best be advanced in the
Information Society when ICT-related efforts and programmes are fully integrated
in national and regional development strategies. We welcome the New
Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and encourage the international
community to support the ICT-related measures of this initiative as well as
those belonging to similar efforts in other regions. Distribution of the
benefits of ICT-driven growth contributes to poverty eradication and sustainable development.
44. Standardization is one of the essential building blocks of
the Information Society. There should be particular emphasis on the development
and adoption of international standards. The development and use of open,
interoperable, non-discriminatory and demand-driven standards that take into
account needs of users and consumers is a basic element for the development and
greater diffusion of ICTs and more affordable access to them, particularly in
developing countries. International standards aim to create an environment where
consumers can access services worldwide regardless of underlying technology.
45. The radio-frequency spectrum should be managed in the
public interest and in accordance with principle of legality, with full
observance of national laws and regulation as well as relevant international
46. In building the Information Society, States are strongly
urged to take steps with a view to the avoidance of, and refrain from, any
unilateral measure not in accordance with international law and the Charter
of the United Nations that impedes the full achievement of economic and
social development by the population of the affected countries, and that hinders
the well-being of their population.
47. Recognizing that ICTs are progressively changing our
working practices, the creation of a secure, safe and healthy working
environment, appropriate to the utilization of ICTs, respecting all relevant
international norms, is fundamental.
48. The Internet has evolved into a global facility available
to the public and its governance should constitute a core issue of the
Information Society agenda. The international management of the Internet should
be multilateral, transparent and democratic, with the full involvement of
governments, the private sector, civil society and international organizations.
It should ensure an equitable distribution of resources, facilitate access for
all and ensure a stable and secure functioning of the Internet, taking into
49. The management of the Internet encompasses both technical
and public policy issues and should involve all stakeholders and relevant
intergovernmental and international organizations. In this respect, it is
a) Policy authority for Internet-related public policy issues
is the sovereign right of States. They have rights and responsibilities for
international Internet-related public policy issues.
b) The private sector has had, and should continue to have, an
important role in the development of the Internet, both in the technical and
c) Civil society has also played an important role on Internet
matters, especially at the community level, and should continue to play such a
d) Intergovernmental organizations have had, and should
continue to have, a facilitating role in the coordination of
Internet-related public policy issues.
e) International organizations have also had, and
should continue to have, an important role in the development of
Internet-related technical standards and relevant policies.
50. International Internet governance issues should be
addressed in a coordinated manner. We ask the Secretary-General of the United
Nations to set up a working group on Internet governance, in an open and
inclusive process that ensures a mechanism for the full and active participation
of governments, the private sector and civil society from both developing and
developed countries, involving relevant intergovernmental and international
organizations and forums, to investigate and make proposals for action, as
appropriate, on the governance of Internet by 2005.
7) ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life
51. The usage and deployment of ICTs should seek to create
benefits in all aspects of our daily life. ICT applications are potentially
important in government operations and services, health care and health
information, education and training, employment, job creation, business,
agriculture, transport, protection of environment and management of natural
resources, disaster prevention, and culture, and to promote eradication of
poverty and other agreed development goals. ICTs should also contribute to
sustainable production and consumption patterns and reduce traditional barriers,
providing an opportunity for all to access local and global markets in a more
equitable manner. Applications should be user-friendly, accessible to all,
affordable, adapted to local needs in languages and cultures, and support
sustainable development. To this effect, local authorities should play a major
role in the provision of ICT services for the benefit of their populations.
8) Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local
52. Cultural diversity is the common heritage of humankind.
The Information Society should be founded on and stimulate respect for cultural
identity, cultural and linguistic diversity, traditions and religions, and
foster dialogue among cultures and civilizations. The promotion, affirmation and
preservation of diverse cultural identities and languages as reflected in
relevant agreed United Nations documents including UNESCO’s Universal
Declaration on Cultural Diversity, will further enrich the Information
53. The creation, dissemination and preservation of content in
diverse languages and formats must be accorded high priority in building an
inclusive Information Society, paying particular attention to the diversity of
supply of creative work and due recognition of the rights of authors and
artists. It is essential to promote the production of and accessibility to all
content — educational, scientific, cultural or recreational — in diverse
languages and formats. The development of local content suited to domestic or
regional needs will encourage social and economic development and will stimulate
participation of all stakeholders, including people living in rural, remote and
54. The preservation of cultural heritage is a crucial
component of identity and self-understanding of individuals that links a
community to its past. The Information Society should harness and preserve cultural heritage for the future by all
appropriate methods, including digitization.
55. We reaffirm our commitment to the principles of freedom of
the press and freedom of information, as well as those of the independence,
pluralism and diversity of media, which are essential to the Information
Society. Freedom to seek, receive, impart and use information for the creation,
accumulation and dissemination of knowledge is important to the Information
Society. We call for the responsible use and treatment of information by the
media in accordance with the highest ethical and professional standards.
Traditional media in all their forms have an important role in the Information
Society and ICTs should play a supportive role in this regard. Diversity of
media ownership should be encouraged, in conformity with national law, and
taking into account relevant international conventions. We reaffirm the
necessity of reducing international imbalances affecting the media, particularly
as regards infrastructure, technical resources and the development of human
10) Ethical dimensions of the Information Society
56. The Information Society should respect peace and uphold
the fundamental values of freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, shared
responsibility, and respect for nature.
57. We acknowledge the importance of ethics for the
Information Society, which should foster justice, and the dignity and worth of
the human person. The widest possible protection should be accorded to the
family to enable it to play its crucial role in society.
58. The use of ICTs and content creation should respect human
rights and fundamental freedoms of others, including personal privacy, and the
right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion in conformity with
relevant international instruments.
59. All actors in the Information Society should take
appropriate actions and preventive measures, as determined by law, against
abusive uses of ICTs, such as illegal and other acts motivated by racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance, hatred, violence, all forms
of child abuse, including paedophilia and child pornography, and trafficking in,
and exploitation of, human beings.
11) International and regional cooperation
60. We aim at making full use of the opportunities offered by ICTs in our efforts to reach the internationally agreed development goals,
including those contained in the Millennium Declaration, and to uphold
the key principles set forth in this Declaration. The Information Society is
intrinsically global in nature and national efforts need to be supported by effective international and regional cooperation among governments, the
private sector, civil society and other stakeholders, including the
international financial institutions.
61. In order to build an inclusive global Information Society,
we will seek and effectively implement concrete international approaches and
mechanisms, including financial and technical assistance. Therefore, while
appreciating ongoing ICT cooperation through various mechanisms, we invite all
stakeholders to commit to the Digital Solidarity Agenda set forth in the
Plan of Action. We are convinced that the worldwide agreed objective is
to contribute to bridge the digital divide, promote access to ICTs, create
digital opportunities, and benefit from the potential offered by ICTs for
development. We recognize the will expressed by some to create an international
voluntary Digital Solidarity Fund, and by others to undertake studies concerning
existing mechanisms and the efficiency and feasibility of such a Fund.
62. Regional integration contributes to the development of the
global Information Society and makes strong cooperation within and among regions
indispensable. Regional dialogue should contribute to national capacity building
and to the alignment of national strategies with the goals of this
Declaration of Principles in a compatible way, while respecting national
and regional particularities. In this context, we welcome and encourage
international community to support the ICT-related measures of such initiatives.
63. We resolve to assist developing countries, LDCs and
countries with economies in transition through the mobilization from all sources
of financing, the provision of financial and technical assistance and by
creating an environment conducive to technology transfer, consistent with the
purposes of this Declaration and the Plan of Action.
64. The core competences of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) in the fields of ICTs — assistance in bridging the
digital divide, international and regional cooperation, radio spectrum
management, standards development and the dissemination of information — are of
crucial importance for building the Information Society.