[WSIS CS-Plenary] Third annual report of ICT Taskforce

[Atanu Garai]

Dear All,
Points 73/74/76/77 are relevant for Global Alliance discussion. UN News
provides a related annoucement here:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=14928&Cr=information&Cr1=techno
logy

Regards
Atanu

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Third annual report of the Information and Communication Technologies Task
Force
Assessment and Way Forward
http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N05/374/66/PDF/N0537466.pdf?OpenEleme
nt

Quote
72. At their meetings, Task Force members have identified and discussed
achievements and challenges, with a view to improving the working methods
and impact of the Task Force. It was agreed that many elements have
contributed to the prominence and influence that the Task Force has achieved
since its launch in November 2001. The Task Force provides a truly global
policy platform for multistakeholder interaction and consensus-building on
ways and means to harness the potential of ICT for servicing and advancing
development, especially poverty reduction. The Task Force helps promote
cross-sectoral dialogues on key policy concerns and issues, linking the ICT
and development agendas in WSIS and other forums. The patronage of the
Secretary-General for the ICT, its direct link to the Economic and Social
Council and the participation of key United Nations agencies provide global
visibility and attract active high-level and expert participation. The
decentralized structure of thematic working groups and regional networks has
achieved global reach by gaining access to, and providing an outlet for,
regional and subregional needs and concerns and provides a platform for the
presentation of views and perspectives of underrepresented constituencies.
The Task Force has also been successful in facilitating partnership and
synergy between the  different groups. It has been able to function in a
cost-effective, flexible and relatively nonbureaucratic manner with light
secretariat support by joining with interested partners in undertaking its
activities.

73. The Task Force will face several challenges in the final year of its
mandate, including in relation to the follow-up to the Geneva phase of WSIS
and the preparations for Tunis. The effectiveness of the Task Force in
reaching its goals is contingent on the continued involvement of partners,
especially Governments, key institutions and other actors engaged in
ICT-for-development activities.

74. Funding, which is based on voluntary contributions, remains a challenge.
The implementation of agreed plans of the Task Force is sometimes impeded by
the unpredictability of incoming resource flows.

75. In 2005, the Millennium Summit five-year review and the second phase of
WSIS will provide a unique opportunity for mainstreaming ICT into the
broader development agenda. In the last year of its mandate, the Task Force
has the opportunity to provide advice to the Secretary-General on ICT
matters, including effective integration of ICT into United Nations
processes to help achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness.

76. In July 2004, the Secretary-General communicated his very positive
reaction to a proposal of the Chairman of the ICT Task Force concerning a
broad-based global alliance for ICT and development. The Secretary-General
stated that the Task Force has played a very useful role in linking the WSIS
ICT agenda with the development goals of the United Nations and that there
would be, therefore, merit in the idea of an alliance that would pursue
innovative approaches also in the future.
The Secretary-General requested a more detailed proposal.

77. In implementation of this request, the Task Force has been undertaking
extensive consultations. Consultations launched after the Berlin meeting of
the Task Force in November 2004 have resulted in a broad recognition of the
need for the continuation of dialogue among all relevant stakeholders
focused on the role of ICT in development that would build on the work of
and cooperate with existing institutions and networks on cross-cutting and
cross-sectoral issues related to ICT
for development and Information Society. Consultations and exchanges of
views on the objective and modalities of the proposed alliance are
continuing with a view to presenting appropriate recommendations to the
Secretary-General.

Unquote

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Atanu Garai
Knowledge Coordinator - ICT
Knowledge for Development Programme
OneWorld South Asia
C 5, Qutab Institutional Area
New Delhi 110 016
P (91 11) 51689000
F (91 11) 51689001