太平洋の島々を最初にインターネットに繋げたDr. David Lassner

  Dr David Lassner from UH website

PEACESAT GOSE-3 station in the Pacific Islands 1992

B. H. Frankin, G. F. Chapados, D. R. Connor, W. Cooperman, and L. Martin, PEACESAT Communication Satellite Services for the Pacific Islands: Satellite Feasibility Study. Washington, DC, USA: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 1992.

太平洋島嶼国に関わって40年近くになる。懐かしい名前の近況が太平洋インターネット協会(PICSOC) のメーリングリストから届いた。

太平洋を、いや世界を代表するIT Geekにしてハワイ大学学長を11年も務めたDr David Lassnerだ。2024年にハワイ大学学長のポジションを退職され、再びIT Geekに戻られたようだ。

断っておくが私がIT Geekと呼ぶのは深遠な尊敬の意味を持つ。トンガ王国前国王のTupou VもIT Geekと呼ばれていた。閣下は太平洋島嶼国からC&W（大英帝国通信会社）を初めて追い出し、携帯電話会社をこれも太平洋で初めて開始した太平洋のICT史上に記憶されるべき人物である。私が90年代初頭PEACESATとUSPNet支援に奔走する中で、日本贔屓でよく来日されていたTupou Vからのアドバイスがなければ継続は不可能であった。信じられないであろうが、90年代は太平洋の島々に先進技術は必要なく、伝統的生活と技術に回帰すべきとの主張が強かったのだ。衛星通信なんてとんでもない、と。その90年代諸島にDr Lassnerは太平洋の島々をインターネットに繋いでいたのである。

Dr Lassnerがハワイ大学を11年間も仕切ってきたことも驚愕だが、私にとって、また太平洋島嶼国のIT関係者にとって重要なのは、彼が太平洋の島々を最初にInternetに繋げた人物であると言う点である。私はその事を一つ目の博士論文でも取り上げている。私の論文はPEACESATとUSPNetをケーススタディにユニバーサルサービスを議論した。米国の中古衛星を利用したハワイ大学の実験PEACESATが成功した背景には島々の協力関係を促進する地域組織である南太平洋大学とForum Fisheries Agency(FFA)の存在が必須であった事を指摘した。

PEACESATは開始時期の1970年代から南太平洋大学をuserとした一期目と新たな中古衛星を得てFFAをuserとした90年代の二期目がある。Dr Lassnerは二期目のFFAメンバー国で展開したPEACESATの衛星ネットワークをインターネットに繋げたのである。Dr Lassnerが書く短い報告文を下記にコピーしておくがPEACESATの9600 bps modemsとNASAのT1 (1.544 Mbps)が繋がったのである。FFA関係者はInternetの威力を堪能した事であろう。

90年代後半から通信の自由化と技術は飛躍しFFAはPEACESATを必要としなくなる。しかしInternetを含む通信技術利用の経験はFFAだけでなく太平洋島嶼国の大きな財産となったはずだ。

Dr LassnerがIT Geek だからこそ目の前に開かる通信規制や既得権体制の壁がはっきりと見えるのかもしれない。いつのPICSOCだったか忘れたが、Dr LassnerとPEACESATの問題を話した事を思い出す。PEACESAT第2期を牽引した３代目のディレクターで、今は亡きMs Lori Mukaidaを私はよく知っている。彼女がDr LassnerにInternet接続を依頼したのだそうだ。私はMs Mukaidaの提案を受け1992年、日本の仙台での“PEACESAT Policy Conference”開催に数千万円の助成金と日本政府の支援を取付け、その後のPEACESATとUSPNetを支援してきた。Ms Mukaidaから「PEACESATは単なる衛星による技術的ネットワークではなく、衛星が落ちているときも存在する人々のネットワークである」と何度も聞かされた。Dr Lassnerの近況報告にある新たな出発はまさにICTが単なる技術的繋がりではなく人の繋がりであることを思い出させてくれた。

---

Lassner, D. n.d. PEACESAT-Internet Connections for the Pac Rim, N-2-3-015.70.

http://193.166.3.2/pub/org/net/ISOC/pub/isoc_news/2-3/Lassner,%20David%20-%20PEACESAT-Internet%20Connections%20for%20the%20Pac%20Rim

N-2-3-015.70

PEACESAT-Internet Connections for the Pac Rim

by David Lassner

<david@hula.oit.hawaii.edu>

The newest service available to PEACESAT users in the Pacific Basin is access to the Internet, the worldwide network of networks.  Remote terminal connections from PEACESAT GOES-3 earth stations are made over a full-duplex satellite voice channel using 9600 bps modems.  At the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, the satellite modem connection terminates in a Sun SPARC Station which is attached to the University's highspeed fiber optic network.  Internet connectivity is provided through a T1 (1.544 Mbps) connection to the FIX-West hub at the NASA Ames Research Center shared with the University and its PACCOM (Pacific Communication Network) Project.

PEACESAT, the Pan-Pacific Education And Communication Experiments by Satellite program, is a project of the Social Science Research Institute of the University of Hawaii.  It provided telecommunications services throughout the Pacific Basin beginning in 1971 using the NASA ATS-1 satellite, then ATS-3, and now the NOAA GOES-3 meteorological satellite.  The U.S. government has supported PEACESAT and its technology since the inception of the project, the University of Hawaii supports the program headquarters with federal assistance, and PEACESAT sites in the Pacific support their own local operations.  Federal funds are now administered through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

NOAA provides PEACESAT with bandwidth for up to nine half-duplex "push-to-talk" voice channels and three full-duplex voice channels on GOES-3.  The half-duplex channels are used for teleconferences among any or all sites, while the full-duplex channels can be used on a point-to-point basis for data, facsimile and slow-scan video transmission.  PEACESAT airtime is available to all participants on an equal-access basis under participatory management policies overseen by the International PEACESAT Users Group.

PEACESAT's mission includes:

*            Supporting environmental and medical emergencies

*            Supporting distance education

*            Providing access to information

*            Transferring appropriate technology and applications

New sites may purchase PEACESAT earth stations for approximately $27,000 upon PEACESAT approval of their request and local approval of frequency use.

For more information about PEACESAT, contact:

PEACESAT Headquarters

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu HI 96822,   USA

tel: +1 808/956-7794

fax: +1 808/956-2512

<peacesat@elele.peacesat.hawaii.edu>

-------------------------------

PEACESAT GOES-3 TERMINAL SITES

Western Samoa

FSM

Solomon Islands

Fiji

Tuvalu

Guam

Kiribati,

Marshall Islands

Nauru

Palau

Papua New Guinea

Vanuatu

Australia

Cook Islands

Northern Marianas

New Caledonia

Tonga

---

Okamura, N., A. Blake, R. Lam, and L. Mukaida. 1995. Internet Services via PEACESAT: Proceedings of INET ’95. (9pp.). Accessed 10 September, 2015.

http://obake.peacesat.hawaii.edu/text/40RESOURCES/Library/Papers/INET95.PDF.

“In August of 1994, PEACESAT and the Forum Fisheries Agency in the　Solomon Islands conducted experiments using a Unix-based system to provide local E-mail, file transfer, and batch mail through the use of UUCP to transfer mail to the Internet. Once the tests were conducted, the service was made operational and FFA became an ‘electronic post office’ for its users. The creative use of the PEACESAT circuit has been an innovation that merits attention, especially since it provides an effective means for communication among Pacific Island Countries that do not have access to cost-effective electronic mail and file transfer services (Okamura, Blake, Lam and Mukaida 1995). “

Dr David Lassner, who first connected the Pacific Islands to the internet

  Dr David Lassner from UH website

PEACESAT GOSE-3 station in the Pacific Islands 1992

B. H. Frankin, G. F. Chapados, D. R. Connor, W. Cooperman, and L. Martin, PEACESAT Communication Satellite Services for the Pacific Islands: Satellite Feasibility Study. Washington, DC, USA: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 1992.

I have been involved with Pacific Island nations for nearly 40 years. News of a familiar name recently arrived via the Pacific Internet Society (PICSOC) mailing list. It was Dr David Lassner, that IT Geek representing not just the Pacific but the world, who served as President of the University of Hawaii for 11 years. He retired from the University of Hawaii presidency in 2024 and seems to have returned to being an IT Geek.

Let me state clearly that when I refer to someone as an IT Geek, it carries profound respect. King Tupou V of the Kingdom of Tonga was also called an IT Geek. His Majesty is a figure who should be remembered in the history of ICT in the Pacific: he was the first to expel C&W (the British Empire's telecommunications company) from a Pacific island nation and also the first in the Pacific to launch a mobile phone company. During my efforts to support PEACESAT and USPNet in the early 1990s, continuing would have been impossible without the advice of Tupou V, who favoured Japan and frequently visited it. Hard to believe, but in the 1990s, there was a strongly held view that Pacific islands had no need for advanced technology and should return to traditional lifestyles and techniques. Satellite communications? Out of the question. Yet, in those very islands of the 1990s, Dr Lassner was connecting the Pacific islands to the Internet.

It is remarkable that Dr Lassner managed the University of Hawaii for eleven years, but what is significant for me, and for IT professionals in Pacific island nations, is that he was the first person to connect the Pacific islands to the Internet. I addressed this very point in my first doctoral thesis. My thesis discussed universal service through the case studies of PEACESAT and USPNet. I pointed out that the success of the University of Hawaii's experimental PEACESAT, utilising a US second-hand satellite, was fundamentally dependent on the existence of regional organisations promoting inter-island cooperation: the University of the South Pacific and the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA).

PEACESAT had two phases: the first phase in the 1970s, with the University of the South Pacific as its user, and the second phase in the 1990s, using a new second-hand satellite with the FFA as its user. Dr Lassner connected to the Internet the PEACESAT satellite network deployed across FFA member states during this second phase. A brief report by Dr Lassner is copied below, detailing that PEACESAT's 9600 bps modems connected to NASA's T1 line (1.544 Mbps). FFA stakeholders must have been impressed by the power of the Internet.

From the late 1990s, communications deregulation and technology advanced dramatically, rendering PEACESAT unnecessary for the FFA. However, the experience gained in utilising communications technology, including the Internet, surely became a significant asset not only for the FFA but for Pacific Island nations as a whole.

I cannot recall which PICSOC it was, but I remember discussing the PEACESAT issue with Dr Lassner. I knew the late Ms Lori Mukaida well; she was the third director who spearheaded the second phase of PEACESAT. It seems she requested the Internet connection to Dr Lassner. I too, responding to Ms Mukaida's proposal, secured several tens of millions of yen in grants and Japanese government support for the 1992 “PEACESAT Policy Conference” in Sendai, Japan, subsequently supporting both PEACESAT and USPNet. Ms Mukaida repeatedly told me, ‘PEACESAT is not merely a technical network via satellite; it is a network of people that exists even when the satellite is down.’ Dr Lassner's recent update on his endeavours reminded me precisely that ICT is not just about technical connections, but about human connections.

---

Lassner, D. n.d. PEACESAT-Internet Connections for the Pac Rim, N-2-3-015.70.

http://193.166.3.2/pub/org/net/ISOC/pub/isoc_news/2-3/Lassner,%20David%20-%20PEACESAT-Internet%20Connections%20for%20the%20Pac%20Rim

N-2-3-015.70

PEACESAT-Internet Connections for the Pac Rim

by David Lassner

<david@hula.oit.hawaii.edu>

The newest service available to PEACESAT users in the Pacific Basin is access to the Internet, the worldwide network of networks.  Remote terminal connections from PEACESAT GOES-3 earth stations are made over a full-duplex satellite voice channel using 9600 bps modems.  At the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, the satellite modem connection terminates in a Sun SPARC Station which is attached to the University's highspeed fiber optic network.  Internet connectivity is provided through a T1 (1.544 Mbps) connection to the FIX-West hub at the NASA Ames Research Center shared with the University and its PACCOM (Pacific Communication Network) Project.

PEACESAT, the Pan-Pacific Education And Communication Experiments by Satellite program, is a project of the Social Science Research Institute of the University of Hawaii.  It provided telecommunications services throughout the Pacific Basin beginning in 1971 using the NASA ATS-1 satellite, then ATS-3, and now the NOAA GOES-3 meteorological satellite.  The U.S. government has supported PEACESAT and its technology since the inception of the project, the University of Hawaii supports the program headquarters with federal assistance, and PEACESAT sites in the Pacific support their own local operations.  Federal funds are now administered through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

NOAA provides PEACESAT with bandwidth for up to nine half-duplex "push-to-talk" voice channels and three full-duplex voice channels on GOES-3.  The half-duplex channels are used for teleconferences among any or all sites, while the full-duplex channels can be used on a point-to-point basis for data, facsimile and slow-scan video transmission.  PEACESAT airtime is available to all participants on an equal-access basis under participatory management policies overseen by the International PEACESAT Users Group.

PEACESAT's mission includes:

*            Supporting environmental and medical emergencies

*            Supporting distance education

*            Providing access to information

*            Transferring appropriate technology and applications

New sites may purchase PEACESAT earth stations for approximately $27,000 upon PEACESAT approval of their request and local approval of frequency use.

For more information about PEACESAT, contact:

PEACESAT Headquarters

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu HI 96822,   USA

tel: +1 808/956-7794

fax: +1 808/956-2512

<peacesat@elele.peacesat.hawaii.edu>

-------------------------------

PEACESAT GOES-3 TERMINAL SITES

Western Samoa

FSM

Solomon Islands

Fiji

Tuvalu

Guam

Kiribati,

Marshall Islands

Nauru

Palau

Papua New Guinea

Vanuatu

Australia

Cook Islands

Northern Marianas

New Caledonia

Tonga

Okamura, N., A. Blake, R. Lam, and L. Mukaida. 1995. Internet Services via PEACESAT: Proceedings of INET ’95. (9pp.). Accessed 10 September, 2015.

http://obake.peacesat.hawaii.edu/text/40RESOURCES/Library/Papers/INET95.PDF.

“In August of 1994, PEACESAT and the Forum Fisheries Agency in the　Solomon Islands conducted experiments using a Unix-based system to provide local E-mail, file transfer, and batch mail through the use of UUCP to transfer mail to the Internet. Once the tests were conducted, the service was made operational and FFA became an ‘electronic post office’ for its users. The creative use of the PEACESAT circuit has been an innovation that merits attention, especially since it provides an effective means for communication among Pacific Island Countries that do not have access to cost-effective electronic mail and file transfer services (Okamura, Blake, Lam and Mukaida 1995). “

ICT4PICs and I

This is with President Remengesau of Palau, who came to Japan for another conference a month after the WSIS Tokyo Conference. The 2003 WSIS was special for me because I wasn't alone. It was at the height of the harassment from the Foundation.

これは、WSIS東京会議の1か月後の別の会議に来日したパラオのレメンゲザウ大統領と。2003WSISが私にとって特別なのは、一人ではなかった事。財団のハラスメントが最高潮の頃だった。

During the PICISOC Welling Conference, I had the opportunity to talk about ICT4PICs and myself to Keith Davidson. Apparently, he thought that I had been doing ICT4PICs under the direction of an organization in Tokyo, Japan.

In principle, that should be the case, but my involvement with the Pacific Island countries is unique, and I have been promoting projects entirely on my own.

In 1989, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation was established with a 3 billion yen Pacific Islands Fund, but the first person in charge created chaos and suddenly left. I was asked to revive the PICs Fund a week later, without knowing the situation well.

Among the huge pile of documents I found USPNet and PEACESAT grant applications.
After a while, I realized that none of the executives or staff at the foundation had ever seriously considered the Pacific island countries and ICT. On top of that, there was widespread corruption that was typical of foundations.

It was clear that if I quit running the fund, there would be no one to support USPNet. At that time, no one thought that USP could maintain and operate an independent network. However, I had already received the enthusiasm of many leaders, including Dr Geoffrey Caston, Dr Esekia Solofa, Dr Calir Matthewson, George Tupou V, and the education ministers of all PICs. I really had no choice.

I was always lonely within the foundation, and I was subjected to all kinds of harassment. Fortunately, I spent more time in the PICs, so I somehow managed to hold on for six years, and in 1997 I was able to make USPNet an ODA project for Japan, New Zealand and Australia at the first Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting hosted by the Japanese government.

After USPNet became an ODA project, I set up the Pacific Islands Digital Opportunity -PIDO Study Group to promote ICT policy reform in PICs. The 2003 WSIS Tokyo Conference was part of this.

However, within the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, I was obstructed by all means to stop my ICT4PICs project. In the midst of this, the fact that Minister Francis Itimai of the FSM was able to achieve the ICT reform was a great outcome. It lead to other contiries.

PICISOCのウェリン会議開催中にKeith Davidsonに私とICT4PICsについて説明する機会がありました。どうやら、私が日本の、東京の組織か誰かに指示されてICT4PICsをやってきたと思われていました。
本来、そうあるべきなのですが、私の太平洋島嶼国への関与は特殊で、全て私の判断で事業を進めてきました。
1989年に30億円の島嶼基金がに笹川平和財団設立されましたが、最初の担当者が混乱状態を招いて突然いなくなりました。私はその１週間後に状況をよく知らず島嶼国基金の再興を頼まれました。
残された山のような書類の中にUSPNetとPEACESAT の申請書があったのです。
しばらくしてわかったのは、財団には太平洋島嶼国も情報通信のことも真剣に考える幹部、職員は一人もいないということでした。さらに悪いことに財団特有の不正が蔓延っていました。
私が基金運営をやめればUSPNetを支援する人は誰もいなくなることは明白です。当時、USPが独立したネットワークを維持運営できると思う人は一人もいなかったのです。しかし私はDr Esekia Solofa, Dr Calir Matthewson, George Tupou V、各国の教育大臣など多くの指導者の熱意を直接聞いていたのです。逃げられなかった、というのが本音です。
財団組織の中で私は常に孤独でしたし、あらゆるハラスメントを受けていました。幸いPICsにいる時間の方が長かったのでどうにか6年持ち堪え、1997年日本政府が主催する第一回太平洋島サミットでUSPNetを日本・NZ ・豪州のODA案件にすることができたのです。
USPNetがODAとなった後、私はPICsの情報通信制度改革を進めるべく、Pacific Islands Digital Opportunity -PIDO研究会を立ち上げました。2003年WSIS東京会議もその一環です。
しかし笹川平和財団内部では、私のICT4PICs事業を止めさせようと、あらゆる手段で妨害を受けました。その中でFSMのFrancis Itimai大臣が情報通信制度改革を成し遂げられた事は大きな成果でした。

2000年の島サミット共同議長だった森総理とパラオのナカムラ大統領を呼んで、2001年フィジーでICT会議を開催したのも私です。しかしこの時のミクロネシアICT事業案は日本外務省の宮島明夫大洋州課課長が潰した。小国に教育も医療も必要ないという理由だった。

I was also the one who organized the ICT conference in Fiji in 2001, inviting Prime Minister Mori, who was the co-chair of the PALM, along with President Nakamura of Palau. However, the Micronesian ICT project proposal was rejected by Mr. Akio Miyajima, Director of the Oceania Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.　The reason was that a small country like this didn't need education or medical care.

2003 The Tokyo Declaration - the Asia-Pacific perspective to the WSIS -

 

UNU at Aoyama, Tokyo Japan. The side event of PICs for WSIS 2003 was held.

As for how the WSIS conference hosted by the ITU has affected Internet Governance, I will write about that later.

WSIS officially began in December 2003, but preparatory meetings were held in various locations before that. The 2003 conference in Tokyo was initially positioned as an Asian conference, but with the support of Japan (the Pacific Islands Digital Opportunity Study Group, which I organized), Australia, and Malaysia, a fairly large-scale PICs side event was held at the United Nations University.

The reports from the PIF, SPC and SOPAC that were invited to the main conference also focused on the content of the discussions at this side event.

Both the ITU and the Japanese government (the then ITU Secretary-General was a Japanese bureaucrat, Mr. Utsumi) recognized the importance of PICs' participation, and the conference was renamed the Asia-Pacific Conference.

The Tokyo Declaration, the result of these discussions, mentions the Asia-Pacific region 19 times, and small islands 4 times. The fact that the presence of PICs was recorded in an official document of an international organization will have important implications for the future activities of the ITU and the UN.　

At the time, we were unaware that the main theme of the conference was Internet governance. Although I don't know the details of the other preparatory meetings,  “47 governments, 22 international organizations, 54 private organizations, and 116 non-governmental organizations (NGOs)” mentioned at the beginning of the Tokyo Declaration laid the foundation for Internet governance to be discussed by multistakeholders. The PICs accounted for at least 30% of them.

ITUが主催するWSIS会議がInternet Governanceにどのように影響したかは追々書いていく。

WSISは2003年12月に正式に開始したが、それ以前に各地で準備会合が開催された。2003年の東京での会議は当初アジア会議という位置付けであったが、日本（私が主催したPacific Islands Digital Opportunity研究会) 豪州、マレーシアの支援でかなり大掛かりなPICs サイドイベントが国連大学で開催された。

本会議に呼ばれたPIF, SPC, SOPACの報告書もこのサイドイベントの協議内容が中心であった。

PICsの参加の重要性をITUも日本政府も（当時のITU事務局長は日本人官僚内海氏）認識し、会議はアジア太平洋会議と名称を変更した。

その成果である東京宣言にはAsia-Pacific regionが19回出てくる。small islands は4回出てくる。国際組織の正式な文書にPICsの存在が記録されたことはITUやUNの今後の動きに重要な意味を持つ。

当時私たちはこの会議がインターネットガバナンスを主要テーマにしていることを知らなかった。他の準備会合の詳細を知らないがこの東京宣言冒頭にある「47カ国の政府、22の国際機関、54の民間機関、116の非政府組織（NGO）」はインターネットガバナンスがマルチステイクホルダーで議論される土台を作ったのではないか？PICsが占める割合は少なくとも３割、２割はあったはずだ。

Interestingly, I could not find document of Tokyo Declarartion in ITU, neitehr Japan government web site, but US Departmet of State has it.

https://2001-2009.state.gov/documents/organization/16871.pdf

***

World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Asia-Pacific Regional Conference

The Tokyo Declaration
- the Asia-Pacific perspective to the WSIS -

Preamble

Representatives of the governments of 47 countries, 22 international organizations, 54 private sector entities and 116 non-governmental organizations (NGO) of the Asia-Pacific region gathered at the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference, held in Tokyo from 13 to 15 January 2003, to develop a shared vision and common strategies for the “Information Society”. The objective of the conference was to discuss how best to work together to contribute to the region’s effective transition to an Information Society that will accelerate and enhance regional economic, social, cultural and technological development.

The conference emphasized that a primary aim of the Information Society must be to facilitate full utilization of information and communication technologies (ICT) at all levels in society and hence enable the sharing of social and economic benefits by all, by means of ubiquitous access to information networks, while preserving diversity and cultural heritage.

The Conference endorsed the important role that ICTs can play in achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which describe a fundamental set of principles and guidelines for combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and gender inequality.

1. Shared vision of the Information Society

The concept of an Information Society is one in which highly-developed ICT networks, equitable and ubiquitous access to information, appropriate content in accessible formats and effective communication can help people to achieve their potential, promote sustainable economic and social development, improve quality of life for all, alleviate poverty and hunger, and facilitate participatory decision-making processes. The Information Society in the Asia-Pacific region must:

1) Provide equitable and appropriate access for all to well-developed, affordable and easily-accessed information and communication network infrastructures.

2) Use ICTs as a driving force for the promotion of sustainable economic and technological development by enlarging the gross national product (GNP) through increased technological innovation and continuous research and development resulting in reduced levels of poverty through robust economic growth.

3) Enhance the sharing and strengthening of global knowledge for development by ensuring equitable access to information for educational, scientific, economic, social, political and cultural activities, leading to a vibrant public domain of information.

4) Preserve the rich and diverse cultural heritage and social values of the Asia-Pacific region in the information age.

5) Provide information and communication services targeted at disadvantaged groups in society, in particular those from lower income groups, to contribute to the alleviation of poverty.

6) Use ICTs to strengthen traditional media such as broadcasting and print, which will continue to have an important role in disseminating content in the Information Society.

7) Promote the use of ICTs for capacity-building and human resource development, including ICT literacy, with special reference to the requirements of people with disabilities.

8) Ensure the security and reliability of information and communication networks so as to build confidence and trust in the Information Society.

9) By providing a secure environment for communication, ensure that the use of information and communication services does not place vulnerable groups at risk.

10) Facilitate the important role played by the private sector and civil society in the development of diversified information and communication technologies, networks and services in the Information Society. Concurrently, acknowledge the significant role of governments in terms of creating stakeholder partnerships that engender trust and confidence, promote fair competition, and encourage innovative private sector investment and new initiatives, and promote global and regional cooperation, while protecting consumers and safeguarding public interests.

11) Promote strategies to assess and deal with the environmental impact of ICTs.

12) Continue the ongoing spirit of cooperation and solidarity among the countries of the region.

1. Recognizing the unique features of the Information Society in the Asia–Pacific region

In building an Information Society for the Asia-Pacific region, we should take into account its unique features:

1. 1)  Geographic and demographic diversity: The region comprises the earth’s largest land mass and vast ocean as well as many small islands. The region has over 65 per cent of the world’s population, including over 75 per cent of the world’s poor. Many countries of the region have very low population densities spread over large percentages of their areas. Many rural populations are also inaccessible, and have limited contact with other communities.

2. 2)  Cultural and linguistic diversity: This region enjoys a richness of ancient and modern cultures, including diverse languages, social traditions and customs. Of the more than 6,800 languages in the world, 3,500 (51 per cent) are spoken in the Asia-Pacific region, including languages without written scripts.

3.  

   3) Institutional stability: Generally speaking, the region is institutionally stable. Such stability will enable the region to attract more investors, including innovators, entrepreneurs, operators, manufacturers and vendors in the field of ICTs.

   4) Productive workforce: the region’s economic growth depends on a large, productive workforce capable of fully utilizing ICTs. Given the strong integration of the region into the global economy, this would maintain and enhance the competitive position of its enterprises, leading to the growth of decent employment.

   5) Gender issues: Unequal power relations and other social and cultural aspects have contributed to differential access, participation and status for men and women in the region. In this regard, more attention should be given to overcoming these constraints and ensuring that women can equally benefit from the increased use of ICTs for empowerment and full participation in shaping political, economic and social development.

   6) Disability issues: There are an estimated 400 million persons with disabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. The majority are poor and have been excluded from the benefits of ICT development due to the lack of appropriate or affordable technology for persons with disabilities. More effort, including implementation of disability-concerned regional plans of action and programmes, should be made to ensure equitable access to ICTs for persons with disabilities.

   7) Youth issues: Youth forms the majority of the population in the Asia-Pacific region and is a force for socio-economic development. Equipping young people with knowledge and skills on ICTs to prepare them for full participation in the Information Society is an important goal.

   8) Digital divide disparities: In the region as a whole, there is a noticeable disparity in access to, and use of, the latest ICTs, including Internet access and broadband availability, between and within countries. It is recognized that the barriers to equitable access result from differences in education and literacy levels, gender, age, income and connectivity. In this context, particular attention should be given to least developed countries, economies in transition and post- conflict countries.

   9) Imbalance of information flows: While there is substantial internal international trade within the Asia-Pacific, North American and European regions, the same cannot be said for the flow of information between these regions. There is potential for growth in information flows between the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the world, as well as between countries within the region.

   10) Pioneering role in selected ICT areas: Within the region, some countries have been pioneering, inter alia, broadband, satellite and mobile telecommunication services, among others, which are having a significant impact on the way people communicate and on the delivery of government and business services. The experience gained by those countries in this field can be shared with others to promote good practice at local, national, regional and global levels.

   11) Special circumstances of regional small island developing States: These countries, vulnerable to environmental hazards, and characterized by small, homogenous markets, high costs of access and equipment, human resource constraints exacerbated by the problem of “brain-drain”, limited access to networks and remote locations, will require particular attention and tailored solutions to meet their needs.

 

2. Advancing the region’s Information Society

In order to promote the development and advancement of the Information Society, it is necessary to address many issues, within and across sectors, while ensuring that the essential platform of ICT infrastructure and services, standards and innovation is established.

(1) Priority areas for action

a) Infrastructure development

The development of the Information Society must be based on platforms of internationally interoperable technical standards, accessible for all, and technological innovation of ICTs, as well as systems to promote the exchange of knowledge at global, regional and subregional levels through any media. In this regard, in addition to enhancing people’s awareness of the advantages of using ICTs, reliable, advanced and appropriate, ICT technologies and services infrastructure are required.

As a sharp increase in the volume of international and regional Internet traffic is anticipated, it is important to strengthen regional and international broadband network infrastructure by using new technologies to enhance network efficiency and provide the capacity to match the needs of the countries in the region.

Working towards open and flexible international and interoperable standards is an important issue for all countries so as to ensure that all can utilize the technology and associated content and services to their maximum potential. Development and deployment of open-source software should be encouraged, as appropriate, as should open standards for ICT networking.

b) Securing affordable, universal access to ICTs

In order to achieve affordable and universal access it is important to enable existing and new technologies to provide connectivity to all, in particular through institutions accessible to the public such as schools, libraries, post offices and multi- purpose community centres. Special attention should be paid to how ICTs can benefit the disadvantaged, through innovative initiatives.

High-quality access, attainable through broadband, has great potential to help better deliver essential services required to meet basic human needs through applications such as e-education and e-health, as well as e-business and other ICT applications. Also, new technologies, such as wireless and satellite networks can assist remote areas, including small island nations, to gain access to information and knowledge.

c) Preserving linguistic and cultural diversity and promoting local content

Linguistic and cultural diversity enriches the development of society by giving expression to a range of different values and ideas. It can facilitate the spread and use of information by presenting it in the language and cultural context most familiar to the user, thereby further encouraging the use of ICTs.

Promoting broadband networks in the Asia-Pacific region could not only support research, business and personal activities, but also help to preserve cultural diversity and indigenous knowledge and traditions. In this context, an effort should be made to support multilingual domain names, local content development, digital archives, diverse forms of digital media, content translation and adaptation. The development of standard and recognized character sets and language codes should also be supported.

d) Developing human resources

In order for people to make the most of the Information Society, they must have enhanced levels of ICT literacy and ICT skills. To achieve this, relevant education and training should be promoted at every level, from primary to adult, to open up opportunities for as many people as possible, and especially for the disadvantaged. The capacity of developing and least developed countries to apply ICTs effectively must be enhanced through regional and international cooperation.

ICTs can contribute to enhancing the quality of teaching and learning, and the sharing of knowledge and information. Teachers act as a gateway to the Information Society, and their skills development and curriculum resources need increased support.

It is also important to improve both basic and advanced education in science and technology. This will help to create a critical mass of highly qualified and skilled ICT professionals and experts that will continue to serve as a foundation for the region’s ICT development. It is recognized that education in network infrastructure development and operation is of particular importance, and is critical to the availability of efficient, reliable, competitive and secure ICT network services.

e) Establishing legal, regulatory and policy frameworks

The transition to the Information Society requires the creation of appropriate and transparent legal, regulatory and policy frameworks at the global, regional and national levels. These frameworks should give due regard to the rights and obligations of all stakeholders in such areas as freedom of expression, privacy, security, management of Internet addresses and domain names, and consumer protection, while also maintaining economic incentives and ensuring trust and confidence for business activities. In order to secure prompt settlement of disputes, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) should be considered along with normal judicial proceedings.

f) Ensuring balance between intellectual property rights (IPR) and public interest

While intellectual property rights play a vital role in fostering innovation in software, e-commerce and associated trade and investment, there is a need to promote initiatives to ensure fair balance between IPRs and the interests of the users of information, while also taking into consideration the global consensus achieved on IPR issues in multilateral organizations.

Copyright holders and distributors of content should be cognizant of the need to ensure that content is accessible for all, including persons with disabilities. In this connection, access requirements should be included in legal, regulatory and policy frameworks, where appropriate.

g) Ensuring the security of ICTs

Among the challenges to the region are the general lack of awareness of information security issues, the rapidly evolving complexity, capacity and reach of information technology, the anonymity offered by these technologies, and the transnational nature of communication frameworks. Recognizing the principle of fair, equitable and appropriate access to ICTs for all countries, special attention should be paid to the fact that ICTs can potentially be used 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 in both civil and military fields. A multi-pronged approach is needed to address these challenges, and cybercrime, on all fronts, with emphasis on preventive approaches, national guidelines and regional and international cooperation. At the same time, action to address cybercrime and to ensure a safe and secure Information Society must respect the sovereignty of nations and maintain respect for the constitutional and other rights of all persons, including freedom of expression.

All stakeholders concerned with ICT issues should take the necessary steps to enhance security, user confidence and other aspects of information and system/network integrity in order to avoid the risk of wholesale disruption and destruction of the network systems on which they are increasingly dependent.

Effective information security could be guaranteed not only by technology, but also by education and training, policy and law, and international cooperation. In the long term, development of a “global culture of cybersecurity”, based on a common understanding of regulations and appropriate mechanisms for information and technology exchange and international cooperation, should be promoted.

h) Fostering partnerships and mobilizing resources

The private sector plays an important role in the development and diffusion of ICTs, while civil society, including NGOs, works closely with communities in strengthening ICT-related initiatives. Increased cooperation and partnerships are needed between governmental and intergovernmental organizations, the private sector and civil society, for effective design and implementation of various initiatives, by giving priority to locally-available human resources. All stakeholders are urged to mobilize resources for the development of the Information Society, including through increasing investment in telecommunication infrastructure, human capacity building, policy frameworks and the development of culturally sensitive local content and applications. International and regional organizations, including financial and development institutions, have an important role to play in integrating the use of ICTs in the development process and making available the necessary resources for this purpose.

(2) Cross-sectoral priority programmes and activities

To make significant progress, all countries of the region will need to mainstream ICTs, with special reference to gender, within their national and regional development strategies, and across all sectors.

In this context, the following initiatives can support social and economic development, including the emergence of e-communities, while at the same time ensuring that traditional models are recognized and respected, so that the non-users of ICTs are not marginalized.

a) e-government

ICT networks can offer better public services to citizens by more efficient and effective dissemination of information and delivery of essential government services.

E-government can also generate a greater sense of community participation, and improve informed decision-making and development programme implementation.

b) e-business

Through the application of ICT, businesses in all sectors can achieve increased productivity and profitability, reach wider markets, lower their transaction costs and control inventories more effectively. On the consumer side, ICTs can bring to consumers greater satisfaction through their interaction with many potential suppliers, beyond the constraints of location.

c) e-learning

Access to education and knowledge is essential for economic, social and cultural development, and as a means of personal empowerment, community development and business efficiency. ICT networks have the potential to offer unprecedented educational opportunities to all groups in all areas of the Asia-Pacific region. Implementation of affordable and universal educational programmes, content, broadband networks and hardware should be promoted.

d) e-health

Access to healthcare information and services is a basic right. Many countries lack adequate healthcare facilities and personnel, particularly in rural and remote areas. The use of ICTs promotes social inclusion of all members of society by enabling equitable access to healthcare services, as well as empowering citizens to better manage their own health and to participate more effectively in the healthcare process.

e) Community information and communication centres

Community information and communication centres are critical to ensure inclusive access to information and social services, particularly in rural areas.

(3) National and regional e-strategies

Comprehensive ICT strategies that have been endorsed at the highest political levels and that include clear goals need to be formulated at community, national, regional and global levels in order to create the Information Society. These strategies will be encouraged to be designed and implemented through collaboration and participation of all stakeholders. In this regard, awareness of the vast potential of the positive use of ICTs should be promoted among all concerned.

3. Conclusion

This Declaration was adopted at the conclusion of the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference and will be submitted as the Asia-Pacific region’s input to the WSIS process. Furthermore, the Conference recognizes the importance of the declaration and plan of action resulting from the WSIS process, taking into account internationally agreed goals, including those of the Millennium Declaration.

Pacific Islands and the WSIS Report of Conference and Side Events: Opportunities for the Pacific Islands Region

As this logo shows, the WSIS Tokyo Conference was originally an Asian regional event, but it was changed to an Asia-Pacific event due to the participation of PICs.

このロゴが示すように、WSIS東京会議は　Asian regional だったのですがPICsの参加によってAsia-Pacific に変更されました。

While searching for the text of the Tokyo Declaration of the WSIS 2003, I came across a valuable report. It is an unfinished report called ‘Pacific Islands and the WSIS Report of Conference and Side Events: Opportunities for the Pacific Islands Region’ compiled by Dr Robert Guild of PIF, Samuelu Taufao of SPC, and Les Allinson of SOPAC.

Reading this report brings back even more memories of the situation at the time. A large number of Multistakeholders, including Dr Robert Guild of PIF, gathered for this side event. Perhaps Multistakeholderism, which ITU Secretary-General Utsumi was aiming for, was demonstrated by the PICs.

And everyone who participated in this conference worked really hard!

＊＊＊

WSIS2003の東京宣言の文書を探していたら貴重な報告書を見つけた。PIFのDr Robert Guild、 SPCのSamuelu Taufao、そしてSOPACのLes Allinsonがまとめた”Pacific Islands and the WSIS Report of Conference and Side Events: Opportunities for the Pacific Islands Region” と言う未完成の報告書である。

この報告書を読むと当時の状況をさらに思い出す。PIFのDr Robert Guildをはじめ本当に多くのMultistakeholders がこのサイドイベントに集まった。もしかしたらITUの内海事務局長が目指したMultistakeholderism はPICsがそのお手本を示したのかもしれない。

そしてこの会議に参加した全員が本当によく働きました！

＊＊＊

https://spccfpstore1.blob.core.windows.net/digitallibrary-docs/files/89/89d96a6cec1a3222af1af5a72679fe31.pdf?sv=2015-12-11&sr=b&sig=CypY7Pe%2BQW08NYfSShnwxODG2Mlbv1Qk2BPkGS9jcQ8%3D&se=2025-03-17T11%3A27%3A35Z&sp=r&rscc=public%2C%20max-age%3D864000%2C%20max-stale%3D86400&rsct=application%2Fpdf&rscd=inline%3B%20filename%3D%22MR0500.pdf%22

 

Pacific Islands and the WSIS
Report of Conference and Side Events: Opportunities for the Pacific Islands Region

16 January 2003 Compilers:

Dr Robert Guild
Economic Infrastructure Adviser
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) Private Mail Bag
Suva, Fiji
Tel: +679 322 0212 / 322 0212
Fax: +679 330 0192 / 331 2696 www.forumsec.org.fj robertg@forumsec.org.fj

Samuelu Taufao
IT Manager
Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) BP D5 98848
Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia
Tel: +687 262000
Fax: +687 263818
www.spc.int
samt@spc.int

Les Allinson
IT Manager
South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) Private Mail Bag
Suva, Fiji
Tel: +679 338 1377
Fax: +679 337 0040
www.sopac.org
les@sopac.org

SOPAC Miscellaneous Report 500

Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND......................................................................................................... 1

GENEVA 2003: FIRST PHASE.................................................................................. 1

TUNIS 2005: SECOND PHASE................................................................................. 2 PREPARATORY PROCESS: GLOBAL LEVEL ......................................................... 2

KEY DATES ............................................................................................................... 2 PREPARATORY PROCESS: REGIONAL CONFERENCES ..................................... 2 CONFERENCE........................................................................................................... 3

SIDE EVENTS............................................................................................................. 3

POST CONFEENCE MEETING ................................................................................. 3 Participation at PrepCom-2.......................................................................................... 3 Regional Meeting post PrepCom-2.............................................................................. 3 Attachment A – Pacific Islands Side Event – News Release........................................ 1 Attachment B – Pacific Islands Side Event – Report ................................................... 1 Attachment C – Pacific Islands Side Event – Agenda and Objectives ......................... 1 Attachment D – Pacific Islands Side Event – Participants ............................................ 1 Attachment E – Conference – News Release................................................................ 1 Attachment F – Conference – Tokyo Declaration .......................................................... 1 Attachment G – Contacts ............................................................................................... 2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Asian Regional Conference was held in Tokyo 13-15 January 2003 as part of the preparatory process to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and invitations were sent to senior government ministries in the Pacific Islands region in November and December 2002. In addition, invitations were sent to several regional organizations that included the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Secretariat of the Pacific Community and South Pacific Geoscience Commission.

This conference presented opportunities for Pacific Island Countries (PIC) to participate in the preparatory process of WSIS and ensure that the government sector, private sector, NGOs and civil society were represented in developing themes for WSIS.

Despite the short notice, a collaborative process was established via electronic mailing lists and email, and a side event meeting was proposed and conducted on Sunday 12 January to address the participation by PIC in the WSIS preparatory process. The press release, report of meeting, agenda and objectives, and list of participants are included as Attachments A through D.

The report of this side event meeting was accepted by the secretariat and distributed to all participants as Doc. C-24. In addition, a meeting was held Monday 13 January between Mr Adama Semassekoui, President of PrepCom and Charlotte Sgier De Cerf, Executive Secretariat and senior government representatives from PIC to explore participation in the forthcoming PrepCom-2 meeting that will be conducted in Geneva 17-28 February 2003 where is was noted that accreditation for this meeting closed 5 January.

An additional round table, representation as panelists on the planned eight round tables as well as opportunities to conduct a side event at PrepCom was requested. The request for an additional round table was unsuccessful, participation as panelists was considered possible as these had not been decided, a side event was considered and accreditation for participation in PrepCom-2 was accepted.

It was agreed that participation by representatives of PIC at PrepCom-2 was essential where a minimum of 4 would be needed and that a regional meeting post PrepCom-2 would be necessary ensure that there was continuity by PICs in the preparatory process.

The main outputs from this conference include a news releases and the Tokyo Declaration, a statement for the summit are included as Attachment E and F.

A list of participants from PICs, international and other organizations who interacted or are associated with PICs and CROP agencies is included as Attachment G. It should be noted however that this list in not complete as there will omissions of names as well as PIC invitees would did not participate in the relevant side events or the conference.

BACKGROUND

The Summit is being held under the high patronage of Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General, with the International Telecommunication Union taking the lead role, in cooperation with other interested UN agencies, and will occur in two phases:

GENEVA 2003: FIRST PHASE

The first phase of the World Summit will take place in Geneva hosted by the Government of Switzerland from 10 to 12 December 2003. It will address the broad range of themes concerning the Information Society and adopt a Declaration of Principles and plan of action, addressing the whole range of issues related to the Information Society

TUNIS 2005: SECOND PHASE

The second phase of the World Summit will take place in Tunis hosted by the Government of Tunisia, in 2005. Development themes will be a key focus in this phase, and it will assess progress that has been made and adopt any further plan of action to be taken.

PREPARATORY PROCESS: GLOBAL LEVEL

The Summit in Geneva (10 to 12 December 2003) will be the outcome of a wide variety of inputs, including from previous meetings, existing Action Plans of the various partners involved and inputs from the Preparatory Committees of the Summit (PREPCOMs). Regional, conferences and thematic and expert meetings will be organized to consider a specific subject. Regional conferences will be organized to address the specific concerns, needs and priorities of the various regions. They will, most likely, be organized at ministerial level. PREPCOMs will be attended by governmental representatives and other parties concerned, including representatives of the UN specialized agencies, the private sector, civil society and NGOs.

KEY DATES

• PrepCom 1 - Geneva 1-5 July 2002

• Informal Meeting on Content & Themes - Geneva, 16-18 September 2002

• PrepCom 2 - Geneva, 17-28 February 2003

• PrepCom 3 - Geneva, September 2003 (tentative)

PREPARATORY PROCESS: REGIONAL CONFERENCES

• African Regional Conference - Bamako (Mali) 28-30 May 2002

• Pan European Regional Conference - Bucharest (Romania) 7-9 November 2002

• Asian Regional Conference - Tokyo (Japan) 13-15 January 2003

• Latin America and Caribbean Regional Conference - Bávaro (Dominican Republic)

  29-31 January 2003

• ESCWA Regional Preparatory Conference: Beirut (Lebanon), 4-6 February 2003

• League of Arab States Regional Conference: Cairo (Egypt), June 2003

Regional preparatory conferences are taking place in each of the regions of the world. It is recommended that these should generally be based on the regional groupings used for conferences of the United Nations. The regional conferences should include representatives from all major stakeholders. They will assess the key challenges, opportunities and constraints stemming from the information society, develop a common vision and understanding for the region and prepare a plan to address the key issues and solve the problems identified.

More specifically, the regional conferences may undertake the following main tasks:

• ?  Conduct a regional assessment of the relevant challenges, opportunities and constraints, taking into account a) the specific constraints faced by the region and b) constraints resulting from global developments in the information society.

• ?  Develop a vision for an information-based society in the region and a strategy to achieve that vision.

• ?  Establish a platform for dialogue and contributions that includes all major stakeholders.

• ?  Share experiences and provide an opportunity to forge a better understanding of the concerns of the countries in the region, to prepare their positions and to identify the key themes for the Summit.

• ?  Identify existing initiatives and networks in the regions and assess examples of best practices.

PREPARATORY PROCESS: GLOBAL LEVEL

The Summit in Geneva (10 to 12 December 2003) will be the outcome of a wide variety of inputs, including from previous meetings, existing Action Plans of the various partners involved and inputs from the Preparatory Committees of the Summit (PREPCOMs). Regional, conferences and thematic and expert meetings will be organized to consider a specific subject. Regional conferences will be organized to address the specific concerns, needs and priorities of the various regions. They will, most likely, be organized at ministerial level. PREPCOMs will be attended by governmental representatives and other parties concerned, including representatives of the UN specialized agencies, the private sector, civil society and NGOs.

KEY DATES

• PrepCom 1 - Geneva 1-5 July 2002

• Informal Meeting on Content & Themes - Geneva, 16-18 September 2002

• PrepCom 2 - Geneva, 17-28 February 2003

• PrepCom 3 - Geneva, September 2003 (tentative)

  PREPARATORY PROCESS: REGIONAL CONFERENCES

• African Regional Conference - Bamako (Mali) 28-30 May 2002

• Pan European Regional Conference - Bucharest (Romania) 7-9 November 2002

• Asian Regional Conference - Tokyo (Japan) 13-15 January 2003

• Latin America and Caribbean Regional Conference - Bávaro (Dominican Republic)

  29-31 January 2003

• ESCWA Regional Preparatory Conference: Beirut (Lebanon), 4-6 February 2003

• League of Arab States Regional Conference: Cairo (Egypt), June 2003

  Regional preparatory conferences are taking place in each of the regions of the world. It is recommended that these should generally be based on the regional groupings used for conferences of the United Nations. The regional conferences should include representatives from all major stakeholders. They will assess the key challenges, opportunities and constraints stemming from the information society, develop a common vision and understanding for the region and prepare a plan to address the key issues and solve the problems identified.

  More specifically, the regional conferences may undertake the following main tasks:

• ?  Conduct a regional assessment of the relevant challenges, opportunities and constraints, taking into account a) the specific constraints faced by the region and b) constraints resulting from global developments in the information society.

• ?  Develop a vision for an information-based society in the region and a strategy to achieve that vision.

• ?  Establish a platform for dialogue and contributions that includes all major stakeholders.

• ?  Share experiences and provide an opportunity to forge a better understanding of the concerns of the countries in the region, to prepare their positions and to identify the key themes for the Summit.

• ?  Identify existing initiatives and networks in the regions and assess examples of best practices.

• ?  Consider new initiatives and commitments within the region and its subregions with a view to overcoming the prevailing constraints and fostering further progress towards achieving the vision of an information society.
• ?  Prepare contributions for consideration by the PrepCom meetings.

Representatives from major stakeholders will play an integral role in these discussions through a multi-stakeholder process in which leaders from all sectors can contribute their expertise to the regional dialogue. The reports from these regional conferences will be considered by the following PrepCom meeting

CONFERENCE

The outputs from the conference in addition to the aforementioned news release and Tokyo Declaration can be summarised as follows:

1. 1. ICT resources need to be focused on the regions that can use it best to reduce poverty.

   2. ICT to enhance educational benefits is key to overall development of all regions.

   3. Government must agree to boost private sector support and break away from monopoly situations and abuse of monopoly situations.

   4. Low Cost Bandwidth and development of high bandwidth availability is a must.

SIDE EVENTS
The Pacific consultation on Sunday 12 January was a success where the relevant documents are included as Attachments A through D. The report of the meeting outlines the activities but cannot capture the cooperative spirit and sense of common purpose that prevailed.

POST CONFEENCE MEETING
Following the closing ceremony, a small meeting of PIC representatives and associates was convened where the process for next steps was discussed that included.

Participation at PrepCom-2
Participation by representatives from PICs is essential to ensure that there is input into this critical event in the preparatory process. It was suggested that key specialists from PIC be encouraged to attend and all participants at this post conference meeting who had access to funds either directly or indirectly would cooperate in securing participation by appropriate specialists.

Regional Meeting post PrepCom-2
A regional meeting should be convened post PrepCom-2 that provides PICs with a report of PrepCom-2 and opportunities to contribute to PrepCom-3 through a consultative process. In addition this meeting should be held in conjunction with the next PITA meeting in April 2003 to maximise participation. This meeting will also provide opportunities for a review of the Regional Pacific Islands Information and Communications Policy and Strategic Plan and enable outputs from various National implementations of this plan.

It should be remembered that donors may be exploring assistance to projects that fit within outputs from WSIS and PICs should ensure that their national needs are addressed with the preparatory process to WSIS.

Attachment A – Pacific Islands Side Event – News Release

For Immediate Release

PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES AT MAJOR ICT CONFERENCE (Tokyo, Japan; 14 January 2003)

Senior officials from around the Pacific are attending a series of high-level meetings in preparation for the 2003 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

The Asia Pacific Regional Conference for WSIS is being held in Tokyo Japan from 13-15 January. The conference will prepare a regional declaration to the global summit that is expected to prioritise:

• Securing accessibility of telecommunication networks
• Preserving linguistic and cultural diversity
• Developing human resources
• Establishing legal, regulatory and policy frameworks
• Building confidence in the security of ICT

It is also expected to emphasise the importance of cross-sector programmes and activities in e-government, e-business, and e-community, supported by n ational and regional e- strategies.

In preparation for their engagement in the WSIS process, regional delegates attended a full- day Pacific consultation on 12 January at the United Nations University in Tokyo. The Pacific consultation, entitled “Pacific Islands and the WSIS: ICTs for Development: Resources, Needs and Opportunity” examined the Pacific islands regional experience with ICTs for development in island countries, and prepared delegates to ensure that Pacific island concerns and issues are adequately addressed in the global declarations and action plans.The Pacific consultation summarised a series of policy and planning lessons for incorporation in the Tokyo declaration and future WSIS action plans.

These included recommendations that:

• • IT literacy should be increased at all levels and in all sectors to create ‘e-citizens’ able to make the most of new opportunities
  • ICTscanincreaseefficiencyandeffectivenessandreducethecostsofdeliveryof public services such as health and education
  • There is an over-riding need for training and indigenous capacity building in both technical and content areas
  • Pacific island countries require technical and policy assistance during project implementation, including strong international support to bridge the international and domestic digital divide
  • Development partners, governments, civil society, and the private sector could usefully increase their already considerable collaboration for example on the interconnection of networks.
  • There is an existing context and planning framework in the Pacific island region, including the PALM process and culminating in the Pacific Islands ICT Policy and Plan, that has been prioritised and endorsed at Ministerial level, that could provide useful guidance to development partners

The event was supported by the Global Knowledge Partership, the Foundation for Development Cooperation, the Sasakawa Pacific Islands Nations Fund, the Center for Global Communications, the World Bank’s infoDev programme, and the Asian Development Bank.

Delegations including representatives of governments, civil society, and the private sector are attending from a majority of Pacific island countries. They are being supported by advisers from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission.

Further Information:
Dr Robert Guild, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

Telephone Facsimile Email

+679 322 0212
+679 330 0192 robertg@forumsec.org.fj

0.  

Attachment B – Pacific Islands Side Event – Report

Pacific Islands and the WSIS: ICTs for Development: Resources, Needs and Opportunity

United Nations University Headquarters Building Committee Rooms 2/3 Sunday, 12th January 2003

Side Event Final Report

A side event to discuss ICT sector opportunities for Pacific island countries, in the context of WSIS preparations and the Asia Pacific Regional Conference for WSIS, was held at the United Nations University on 12 January 2003. Pacific country representatives from Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, New Zealand, Niue, the Northern Marianas, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Vanuatu attended. A wide range of participants from Pacific regional organisations, bilateral and multilateral development partners, NGOs, and academia also attended. A number of participants also attended via a videoconferencing link to American Samoa, Hawaii, Marshall Islands, and Samoa.

Convenors and Sponsors
The event was convened by co-facilitators from the Foundation for Development Cooperation and the Center for Global Communications/Pacific Islands Digital Opportunities. The event was generously sponsored by the Asian Development Bank, the Global Knowledge Partnership, infoDev, PEACESAT, and the Sasakawa Pacific Islands Nations Fund.

Four thematic sessions were held on National ICT Applications for Development, Connecting Communities through ICTs, a Development Partner Dialogue, and WSIS and the Pacific. A keynote address was given via videoconference by the Lt. Governor of American Samoa on Common Themes in ICT Development for Pacific Islands.

Session 1: National ICT Applications for Development
The objective of Session 1 was to illustrate common Pacific challenges and successes with ICT applications, and draw out policy and planning lessons for incorporation in the Tokyo declaration and future WSIS action plans. The session was moderated by Sam Taufao of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

Presentations were given by Professor Rajesh Chandra of the University of the South Pacific on USPNet Distance Learning, Abel Caine of Fiji on e-government, Stuart Davies of Cook Islands on Tele-health in the Pacific, Fuatai Purcell of Samoa and New Zealand on e- commerce for micro-enterprises, and Richard St Clair of Niue on activities of the Pacific Islands chapter of the Internet Society (PICISOC).

Key lessons and recommendations for consideration at the Asia Pacific Regional Conference for WSIS included :
?  Awareness by all stakeholders (decision makers and general public) should be increased
?  IT literacy should be increased at all levels and in all sectors to create ‘e -citizens’ able to make themost of new opportunities
?  It is important to raise awareness of the opportunities of e-commerce for small island developingstates
?  There is a need for compelling vision of sector and project development
?  There is a strong need for research on applications and best practices on ICT for development that are sustainable in an island context
?  Strong partnerships are required between all stakeholders and development partners
?  ICT applications need to address the expressed needs of countries
?  ICTs can increase efficiency and effectiveness and reduce the costs of delivery of public servicessuch as health and education
?  ICTs can enhance good governance practices through transparency and productivity
?  Pacific island countries require technical and policy assistance during project implementation,including strong international support to bridge the international and domestic digital divide

Session 2: Connecting Communities
The objective of Session 2 was to illustrate Pacific experiences with ICT for development at the grassroots level for connecting communities, and to draw out implementation lessons for incorporation in the Tokyo declaration and future WSIS action plans. The session was moderated by Nina Ratulele of Fiji and the Pacific Islands News Association.

Presentations were given by Jim Stevenson of the Federated States of Micronesia on the Department of Education YapSEED project, Robert Guild of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat on the Solomon Islands PeopleFirst Network for community development and peace building, Laila Younis o the Northern Marianas Variety and Palau Horizon newspapers, Norman Okamura of the University of Hawaii on PEACESAT and E-Rate Developments in American Samoa, Guam and CNMI, and Andrew Stockwood of Vanuatu on the Pacific Islands Association of NGOs
Key lessons and recommendations for consideration at the Asia Pacific Regional Conference for WSISincluded :
?  Countries and the Pacific region need to create sustainable ICT networks
?  It is important to encourage cultural diversity and linguistic diversity through, among other means, the use of local languages understood by all
?  There is an over-riding need for training and indigenous capacity building in both technical and content areas
?  The role of traditional media will remain very important in information dissemination and that role should be stengthened
?  Community participation through free flow of information and freedom of expression have a very important role in modern society
?  Reliable, affordable and equitable access to ICTs are required for all people of the Pacific islands

Lunch Session
Objectives:
The objective of the lunch session was to address common topics pertinent to Pacific islands such as the creation of enabling policies, cooperation among organizations, and competition in small markets, and to demonstrate the potential of video over satellite by linking American Samoa; Hawaii; Marshall Islands, and Samoa. The session was moderated by Christina Higa of PEACESAT.
The Hon Togiola Tulafono, Lt. Governor of American Samoa, gave an address via videoconference that summarised the following key lessons and recommendations for consideration at the Asia Pacific Regional Conference for WSIS:
?  Policy and regulations must be at the forefront of any ICT infrastructure
?  Funding resources are required for development of local infrastructure before regional initiatives
?  Sector planning and implementation should build and draw on indigenous capacity in preference to external experts with limited national knowledge
?  Goodwill and sincerity, partnership and collaboration
?  Liberal markets and competition have been proven in SIS, and will bring costs down, andthere are good examples of liberalisation in small markets
?  There are also examples of monopoly carriers providing effective services
?  Voluntary participation at the local level can ensure ownership of projects
?  It is important to facilitate participation of all Pacific islands regardless of political affiliation, and to urge the WSIS process to include small island states in international fora

Session 3: Development Partner Dialogue
The objective of Session 3 was to provide an opportunity for development partners active in the Pacific region to present summaries of their existing and anticipated programmes for the region over the medium term, and discuss how Pacific island countries and regional organisations should incorporate these plans into their own planning for the WSIS process. The session was moderated by Rinalia Abdul Rahim of the Global Knowledge Partnership.
Presentations were given by Abdul Waheed Khan of UNESCO, Craig Keating of the Australian Agency for International Development Virtual Colombo Plan Unit, Pamela Kruzic of the Asian Development Bank, Shahid Akhtar of the UNDP Asia Pacific Development Information Program, Kenji Saga of the Pacific Islands Digital Opportunities initiative, and Les Allinson of the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission
Key lessons and recommendations for consideration at the Asia Pacific Regional Conference for WSISincluded :
?  There is a need to raise awareness of the mandates of bilateral and multilateral funding agencies
?  Pacific island countries with the help of development partners are creating enabling environments on policy strategy and regulatory framework
?  Development partners should work according to national needs and priorities of governments, and stakeholders need to work through national and regional procedures to influence these
?  There is a need for education on appropriate uses of ICTs and
?  Access to appropriate information on development partner programmes should beincreased
?  Development partners will continue to work through a range of stakeholders depending on types of project
?  Development partners, governments, civil society, and the private sector could usefully increase their already considerable collaboration for example on the interconnection of networks.
?  There is a need for simplified processes for funding with less bureaucracy at both domestic and international levels to identify and support good projects not necessarily good proposal writing
?  Technical and policy assistance may be needed at national level to adapt and implement
?  Pacific island countries and regional organisations should continue to build their collaboration, sothat subsets of states can cooperate to leverage resources
?  Poverty alleviation an over-arching goal for many devlopment partners
?  There is an existing context and planning framework in the Pacific island region, including the PALMprocess and culminating in the Pacific Islands ICT Policy and Plan, that has been prioritised and endorsed at Ministerial level, that could provide useful guidance to devlopment partners

Session 4: WSIS and the Pacific
The objective of Session 4 was for Pacific island countries to consolidate their national and regional lessons and experiences, propose contributions to the Tokyo Declaration and future WSIS action plans, and discuss strategies for future engagement in the WSIS process. The session was moderated by by Robert Guild of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
Presentations were given by Fuatai Purcell of of Samoa and New Zealand on Themes for Small Island States, Abel Caine of Fiji on inputs to the WSIS Preparatory Process, Adam Peake of the Center for Global Communication on the procedures for the WSIS Preparatory Process, Tarja Virtanen of UNESCO, and Sam Taufao of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
Key lessons and recommendations for consideration at the Asia Pacific Regional Conference for WSIS included :
?  Key SIS issues are well known and have been synthesised in the findings of this event
?  Two of the most important issues are development of human resources and continued development of national strategies that should be effective, responsive, and culturally appropriate
?  The overall WSIS process offered opportunities to small island developing states, which require specific and targeted approaches to address their needs, respond to opportunities, and increase the effectiveness of national and regional initiatives
?  The Tokyo Declaration could usefully be improved in areas of gender issues, youth, the role of traditional media, and should emphasise the free flow of information and freedom of expression
?  Interregional cooperation between small island developing states should be explored and further discussed
?  The possibility of a Pacific regional consultation should be explored and further discussed
?  Regional coordination is requested to explore the possibility of holding a thematicmeeting and increase Pacific island country participation in roundtables at Prepcom2
?  A Pacific caucus meeting will take up further details on the Tokyo Declaration and regional statements later in the week

Conclusion
The meeting requested that a report of the event’s topics and findings be forwarded for consideration by the Asia Pacific Regional Conference.The co-facilitators closed the meeting by thanking all participants for their valuable contributions, and expressed appreciation to the sponsors for making the event possible.

Submitted by:
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat 
Tokyo, Japan
13 January 2003

Attachment C – Pacific Islands Side Event – Agenda and Objectives

Pacific Islands and the WSIS: ICTs for Development: Resources, Needs and Opportunity
United Nations University Headquarters Building Committee Rooms 2/3 Sunday, 12th January 2003

Welcome
Co-facilitaors: Beris Gwynne FDC and Adam Peake, GLOCOM/PIDO representative

Session 1: National ICT Applications for Development
Objective:
Illustrate Pacific challenges and successes with ICT applications, and draw out policy and planning lessons for incorporation in the Tokyo declaration and future WSIS action plans.

Moderator:
Sam Taufao SPC

Lead Discussants:
Rajesh Chandra, Deputy Vice Chancellor, USP: USPNet Distance Learning

Abel Caine Fiji: e-government
Stuart Davies, Cook Islands: Tele-health in the Pacific
Fuatai Purcell, Consultant, e-Pasifika: e-commerce for micro-enterprises

Panellists:
Richard St Clair, Niue and PICISOC
Muli’agatele Jean Malifa, Samoa and PINA Vice President

Session 2: Connecting Communities
Objective:
Illustrate Pacific experience with ICT for development at the grassroots level, and draw out implementation lessons for incorporation in the Tokyo declaration and future WSIS action plans.

Moderator:
Nina Ratulele, PINA Fiji

Lead Discussants:
Jim Stevenson, FSM Department of Education, YapSEED
David Leeming, Solomon Islands, PeopleFirstNet community development /peace building

Johnson Honimae, Solomon Islands and PINA President
Christina Higa, Director, PEACESAT: E-Rate Developments in American Samoa, Guam and CNMI

Panellists:
Sai Rokovucago, Ministry for Women, Fiji
Andrew Stockwood, Pacific Islands Association of NGOs

Izumi Aizu, GLOCOM

Lunch Session
Objectives:
Address key topics pertinent to the overall workshop such as enabling policy, cooperation among organizations, competition in small markets, etc. Demonstrate potential of video over satellite by linking American Samoa; Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; East- West Center and Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL), Hawaii; Federated States of Micronesia, Yap State; Samoa

Moderator:
Professor Akio Watanabe, Chair, Steering Committee, SPINF

Speaker:
Hon Togiola Tulafono, Lt. Governor, American Samoa

Session 3: Development Partner Dialogue
Objective:
Provide an opportunity for development partners active in the Pacific region to present summaries of their existing and anticipated programmes for the region over the medium term, and discuss how the region should incorporate in its own planning for the WSIS process.

Moderator:
Ms Rinalia Abdul Rahim (Executive Director, GKP)

Lead Discussants:
Abdul Waheed Khan, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Communications and Information
Craig Keating, AusAID Virtual Colombo Plan Unit
Adam Peake, GLOCOM
Pamela Kruzic, ADB: the Pacific ICT Assessment 2002

Panellists:
Kyoko Shibata, World Bank (Knowledge Management)
Shahid Akhtar, Director, Asia Pacific Development Information Program Kenji Saga, Japan National Committee for PECC and PIDO
InfoDev ?
Bilateral aid agencies

Session 4: WSIS and the Pacific
Objective:
Pacific island countries to consolidate lessons and experiences, propose contributions to the Tokyo Declaration and future WSIS action plans, and discuss strategies for future engagement in the WSIS process.

Moderator:
Robert Guild, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

Lead Discussant:
Fuatai Purcell, Consultant, e-Pasifika: Themes for Small Island States

Abel Caine, Fiji: Comments on WSIS Preparatory Process

Panellists:
Palmira Pries, East Timor Development Agency

Tarja Virtanen, UNESCO
Sam Taufao, SPC

Final Session - Conclusions and Acknowledgements
Co-Facilitators

Session Moderators
 

Notes for Panellists and Moderators

Objective: Incorporate the Pacific islands regional experience with projects and planning to inform the WSIS preparatory process and ensure that Pacific island concerns and issues are adequately addressed in declarations and action plans

Structure: The event will feature two keynote addresses, four substantive sessions, and a demonstration of a video link via satellite. It will be co-facilitated by FDC and SPINF/PIDO/GLOCOM. A report of the event will be submitted to the Regional Conference. The event should be approached as a workshop among colleagues, rather than a set of formal presentations, and be directed to producing a regional consensus.

Sessions: Topical sessions are 60 minutes each and will feature 3 or 4 introductory presentations by Lead Discussants followed by open discussion between the panel and the meeting participants. This means presentations should be not longer than 10 minutes each, and can usefully be shorter. Moderators will be very strict with time limits so Lead Discussants please practice your presentation.

Presentations: Given the objectives for the event and the time constraints we face, Lead Discussants are asked to focus their introductory presentations first on the overall theme of their paper, then spend most of their time slot drawing out the lessons from the Pacific islands experience that should go into WSIS declarations and action plans. Computer presentations are not required and may be informal. Project details are welcome for off-line consideration but should be covered in a paper or handout, NOT in verbal presentations.

Papers: Printed documentation is not required but is welcome in any form – papers, handouts, or a printed version of a presentation are all suitable. Please bring 50 copies of your documentation to the meeting, as it may not be possible to reproduce them on-site on the day of the meeting.

Discussion: The formal conference is expected to develop an Asia Pacific Declaration for the Information Society. It may also make recommendations for development of a global action plan to be taken up in the WSIS preparatory process. Panellists should therefore be familiar with the themes proposed in the draft declaration (see attached outline) and focus their discussion on supporting, amending, and supplementing aspects of the Declaration and making recommendations for future Action Plans.

Briefing Session: Lead Discussants, Panellists, and Moderators are asked to register on site promptly at 0800 on Sunday morning and attend a briefing session with moderators in the meeting room to begin at 0815. Note that this may mean taking separate transportation to UNU at an earlier time than other participants.

Meeting Record: It is expected that a summary report of the meeting will be submitted to the formal conference. Lead Discussants should provide a one-paragraph description of their presentation in electronic form to their moderator. Moderators should produce a synthesis of the discussion of their session. Particular attention shall be given to recommendations for the Tokyo Declaration and future Action Plans. A drafting committee consisting of the co- facilitators and session moderators will meet Sunday evening to draft the summary report. Additional volunteers for the drafting committee are welcome.

World Summit on the Information Society Asia Pacific Regional Conference

The Tokyo Declaration Draft version 1.0 (22 December 2002)

Preamble
1. What is the Information Society?
2. The Present Situation
3. Bridging the Digital Divide to Make Progress Together

(1) Platform of development

(2) Priority should be placed on the following issues:

1. a)  Securing accessibility of telecommunication networks

2. b)  Preserving linguistic and cultural diversity

3. c)  Developing human resources

4. d)  Establishing legal, regulatory and policy frameworks

5. e)  Building confidence in the security of ICT

(3) Cross-sector Programmes and Activities

a) e-government b) e-business
c) e-community

(4) National and Regional e -Strategies 4. Follow-up

Attachment D – Pacific Islands Side Event – Participants

To be provided by Reiko Hayakawa.

Attachment E – Conference – News Release

For Immediate Release

SUCCESS FOR PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES AT TOKYO WSIS CONFERENCE (Tokyo, Japan; 15 January 2003)

The Asia Pacific Regional Conference for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) has concluded in Tokyo Japan today with major successes for the Pacific islands region.

The Pacific caucus at the meeting was instrumental in ensuring that the Tokyo Declaration recognises the special circumstances of small island developing states and calls for tailored solutions for ICT development. Pacific island delegates were also successful in gaining recognition for regional priorities in universal access through rural telecentres, distance learning for human resources development, and tele-medicine.

The conference adopted a regional declaration to the global summit that identified for priority action:

• Infrastructure development including universal access to information and communication technology in rural and remote areas
• Preservinglinguisticandculturaldiversity
• Developing human resources
• Establishinglegal,regulatoryandpolicyframeworks
• Ensuringbalancebetweenintellectualpropertyrightsandpublicinterest
• EnhancingsecurityofICTs
• Fosteringpartnershipsandmobilisingresources

In addition, the Tokyo Declaration emphasises the importance of, and calls for progress in, cross-sector programmes and activities:

• e-government
  
• e-business
  
• e-learning
  
• e-community
  
• nationalandregionale-strategies.

In addition to the main conference documents, Pacific island delegates were also successful in having a report from the full-day Pacific consultation released as an official conference document. The Pacific consultation, entitled “Pacific Islands and the WSIS: ICTs for Development: Resources, Needs and Opportunity” examined the Pacific islands regional experience with ICTs for development in island countries, and prepared delegates to ensure that Pacific island concerns and issues are adequately addressed in the global declarations and action plans.

Delegations including representatives of governments, civil society, and the private sector attended from a majority of Pacific island countries. They have been supported by advisers from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission.

Further Information:
Dr Robert Guild, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

Telephone Facsimile Email

+679 322 0212 +679 330 0192

robertg@forumsec.org.fj

Attachment F – Conference – Tokyo Declaration

Omission

Attachment G – Contacts

URLs

WSIS:　www.itu.int/wsis

Conference:　www.wsis-japan.jp

Side events:　 www.unu.edu/wsis

MAILING LISTS

Main: wsis-pacific@list.sopac.org.fj

Other: pignet@lyris.spc.int

cropict@list.sopac.org.fj

PARTICIPANTS

MEMBER COUNTRIES

AUSTRALIA

Craig Keating
Virtual Colombo Plan
AusAID
GPO Box 887
Canberra ACT 2601, Australia Tel: +61 2 6206 4683
Fax: +61 2 6206 4871 craig_keating@ausaid.gov.au

Beris Gwynne
Executive Director
The Foundation for Development Cooperation Level 2, 283 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane
PO Box 10445 Adelaide Street, Brisbane
Qld 4000 Australia
Tel: +61 7 3236 4633
Fax: 61 7 3236 4696
www.fdc.org.au
berisqwynne@fdc.org.au

Stuart Mathison
Program Officer
The Foundation for Development Cooperation Level 2, 283 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane
PO Box 10445 Adelaide Street, Brisbane
Qld 4000 Australia
Tel: +61 7 3236 4633
Fax: 61 7 3236 4696
www.fdc.org.au stuartmathison@fdc.org.au

COOK ISLANDS

Stewart Davies
Chief Executive and Managing Director Telecom Cook Islands Ltd
PO Box 106
Rarot onga
Cook Islands
Tel: 682 29680
Fax: +682 29692
stu@telecom.co.ck

FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA

Jolden Johnnyboy
Assistant Secretary for Communications
Department of Transport, Communications and Information PO Box PS-2
Palikir
Pohnpei FM 96941
Tel: +691 320 2381
Mobile: +691 920 1458
Fax: +691 320 5853
transfsm@mail.fm

James L. Stevenson
Education Technology Engineer
Yap State Education Enterprising Department PO Box 220, Colonia
Yap FSM 96943
http://www.yapseed.fm jim_stevenson@yapseed.fm

FIJI

Abel Caine
Manager Business and Systems Development Ministry of Finance
310 Victoria Parade
GPO Box 784
Suva, Fiji
Tel: +679 330 6005 Ext 250
Mobile: +679 993 4726
Fax: +679 330 0954
abel@itc.gov.fj

Jale Curuki
Pricipal Engineer
Ministry of Communications Suva
Fiji

KIRIBATI

Hon. Willie Tokataake
Minister
Ministry of Information Communication and Transportation PO Box 487
Betion, Tarawa
Kiribati
Tel: +686 26003
Fax: +686 26193

Francis Ngalu
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Information Communication and Transportation PO Box 487
Betio, Tarawa
Kiribati
Tel: +686 26003
Fax: +686 26193
secretary@mict.gov.ki

Enota Ingintau
General Manager Telecom Kiribati Limited PO Box 401
Berio, Tarawa
Kiribati
Tel: +686 26036
Fax: +686 26045 tkl@tskl.net.ki

MARSHALL ISLANDS

Anthony Muller
Director, Communications
Ministry of Transport and Communication PO Box 1079
Majuro, MH 96960
Tel: +692 625 6083 / 7550 / 8869
Fax: +692 625 3486 freqman@ntamar.com

NEW ZEALAND

Fuatai Purcell
Managing Director
e-Pasifika Consulting Organisation 111 Rongotai Road
Kilbirnie
Wellington
New Zealand
Tel: +64 4 977 4889
Mobilex: +64 25 271 7014
Fax: +64 4 382 7820 taipurcell@hotmail.com

NORTHERN MARIANAS

Laila C. Younis
General Manager
Marianas Variety
PO Box 500231
Saipan MP 96950, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands Tel: +670 234 6341

Fax: +670 234 9271

www.mvariety.com mvariety@vzpacifica.net

NUIE

Richard St Clair

stclair@mail.nu

PALAU

Charles Obichang
Chairman, Board of Directors
Palau National Communications Corporation PO Box 99
Koror, Palau
Tel: +680 587 9959
Fax: +680 587 99958 pnccbod@palaunet.com

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Henao Iduhu
Director General
Office of Information and Communications
Department of Prime Minister and National Executive Council PO Box 639
Waigani, NCD
8th Floor, Somare Foundation Haus
Port Moresby
Papua New Guinea
Tel: +675 325 0148
Mobile: +675 693 7058
Fax: +675 325 0412
hiduhu@datec.com.pg

John Rei
Manager, Secretariat
Media Council of Papua New Guinea PO Box 135, NCD
Port Moresby
Papua New Guinea
Tel: +675 320 2978
Fax: +675 320 1956 mediacouncil@online.net.pg

SAMOA

Asamu Ah Sam
Director
Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications Private Mail Bag
Apia, Samoa
Tel: +685 26117
Fax: +685 24671
Mobile: +685 74024
a.ahsam@samoa.ws

Hinauri Petana
Financial Secretary
Ministry of Finance
Level 6, Central bank Building Apia, Samoa

Tel: +685 34333 Fax: +685 21312 hinauri@samoa.ws

VANUATU

Andrew Stockwood
Information and Communications Coordinator
Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (PIANGO) PO Box 164
Port Vila, Vanuatu
Tel: +678 25607
Fax: +678 25609
www.piango.org
Andrew@vanuatu.com.vu

INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

Tarja Virtanen
Advisor for C.I. in the Pacific UNESCO
Safdarjung Enclave B5-29 New Delhi
India
Tel: +99 11 2671 3000
Fax: +99 11 2671 3001 www.unesco.org/webworld t.virtanen@unesco.org

Rieko Hayakawa
Sasakawa Peace Foundation Japan
www.spf.or.jp hayakawa@spf.or.jp

Adam Peake
Executive Research Fellow
Center for Global Communications (GLOCOM) International University of Japan
Harks Roppongi Building
2F, 15-21 Roppongi 6-chome
Minatu-k u
Tokyo 106-0032
Japan
Tel: +81 3 5411 6685
Fax: +81 3 5412 7111
www.glocom.ac.jp www.glocom.org ajp@glocom.ac.jp

Kenji Saga
Acting Chairman, ICT Committee
Senior Advisor to ANIC
Japan National Committee for Pacific Cooperation c/o The Japan Institute of Internal Affairs
11F Kasumigaseki Building
3-2-5 Kasumigaseki. Chiyoda-Ku
Tokyo, 100-601i
Japan
Tel: +81 3 3503 7758
Fax: +81 3 3503 6707 kenji.saga@jcom.home.ne.jp

Shahid Aktar
Programme Coordinator
Asia Pacific Development Information Programme (APIDIP) Wisma UN, Block C
Kompleks Pejabat Damansara Heights
50490 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: +603 2095 9122 ext 2244
Direct: +603 2093 3834
Fax: +603 2092 9740
www.apdip.net
shahid@apdip.net

Rinalia Abdul Rahim
Executive Director
Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) Secretariat Lot L2-1-4, Enterprise 4

Technology Park Malaysia Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Tel: +603 89962378
Fax: +603 69962382 www.globalknowledge.org rinalia@pkpsectrtariat.org.my

Adama Semassekou President of PrepCom Executive Secretariat
c/o ITU – Place des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland

Tel: +41 22 730 63 60
Fax: +41 22 730 63 93 www.itu.int/wsis adama.semassekou@ties.itu.int

Charlotte Sgier De Cerf Executive Secretariat
c/o ITU – Place des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 730 63 70 Mobile: +41 79 763 96 48 Fax: +41 22 730 63 93 www.itu.int/wsis charlotte.sglier@ties.itu.int

Amarendra Narayan
Executive Director
Asia-Pacific Telecommunity
12/49, Soi 5, Chaengwattana Road Bangkok 10210

Thailand

Tel: +662 573 6890 Fax: +662 573 7479 www.aptsec.org apthrd@aptsec.org

Siva Thampi
Director
Information, Communication and Space Technology Division Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Unitied Nations Building’Rajamnern Nok Avenue
Bangkok 10200
Thailand
Tel: +662 288 1466
Fax: +662 288-1085
When calling within Thailand dial 02 before the number www.unescap.org
thampi.unescap@un.org

Dr Guennadi Fedorov
Chief, ICT Policy Section
Information, Communication and Space Technology Division Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Unitied Nations Building’Rajamnern Nok Avenue
Bangkok 10200
Thailand
Tel: +662 288 1675
Fax: +662 288-1085

When calling within Thailand dial 02 before the number

www.unescap.org federov.unescap@un.org

Nick Moraitis
Project Manager Digital Opportunities www.takingitglobal.org nick@takingitglobal.org

REGIONAL ORGANISATIONS

Dr Robert Guild
Economic Infrastructure Adviser
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) Private Mail Bag
Suva
Fiji
Tel: +679 322 0212 / 322 0212
Fax: +679 330 0192 / 331 2696 www.forumsec.org.fj robertg@forumsec.org.fj

Samuelu Taufao
IT Manager
Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) BP D5 98848
Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia
Tel: +687 262000
Fax: +687 263818
www.spc.int
samt@spc.int

Les Allinson
IT Manager
South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) Private Mail Bag
Suva
Fiji
Tel: +679 338 1377
Fax: +679 337 0040
www.sopac.org
les@sopac.org

Professor Rajesh Chandra

Deputy Vice Chancellor University of the South Pacific Suva　Fiji
Tel: +679 314751 Fax: +679 302809 www.usp.ac.fj chandra_r@usp.ac.fj

WSIS Tokyo Conference 2003/ WSIS 東京会議2003

United Nations University at Aoyama, Tokyo

I'm surfing the web to write about the relationship between WSIS and Internet governance, and what Internet governance is.
It's impossible to put it all in chronological order, so I'll start by writing about how the PICs, including PIF, PINA and others, participated in WSIS in Tokyo in 2003. I'll start by writing about how PICs affected Internet governance and ICT4D.
Fortunately, I found the document from the website of the Australian Foundation for Development Cooperation, which co-hosted the PICs side event with me.
I will also write about how I became involved in ICT4PICs at some point. It was a lonely battle.

There are many familiar names.

PICs have been proactive in changing global ICT4D policies, rather than being passive. The WSIS Tokyo Conference was originally an ‘Asia Conference’ but the Japanese government and ITU, having confirmed the presence of PICs, changed it to ‘Asia-Pacific’. And as I will introduce next, the ‘Tokyo Declaration’ ended up repeatedly stating the importance of small island countries.

WSISがインターネットガバナンスの関係、インターネットガバナンスとは何かも書きたいと思いウェブサーフィンをしています。
時系列にまとめるのは無理なので、最初にPIF, PINAを含む太平洋島嶼国が2003年に東京で開催されてWSISに参加したこと。インターネットガバナンスやICT4Dにどのように影響を与えたかをまず書きます。
幸い、PICsサイドイベントを私と共同で開催したオーストラリアのFoundartion for Development Cooperationのウェブにその時の文書を見つけました。
私がどのようにICT4PICsに関わったかもいつか書きます。それは孤独な戦いでした。

懐かしい名前がたくさん出てきます。PICsは受け身ではなく積極的にICT4Dの政策を変えてきました。WSIS東京会議は当初アジア会議だったのですがPICsのプレゼンスを確認した日本政府とITUは「アジア太平洋」に変更したのです。そして次回紹介しますが「東京宣言」には小島嶼国の重要性が何度も述べられる結果となりました。

***

https://fdc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Pacific-Islands-and-the-WSIS-2003.pdf

Pacific Islands and the WSIS: ICTs for Development: Resources, Needs and Opportunity”

United Nations University Headquarters Building Committee Rooms 2/3 Sunday, 12th January 2003

Side Event Final Report

A side event to discuss ICT sector opportunities for Pacific island countries, in the context of WSIS preparations and the Asia Pacific Regional Conference for WSIS, was held at the United Nations University on 12 January 2003. Pacific country representatives from Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, New Zealand, Niue, the Northern Marianas, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Vanuatu attended. A wide range of participants from Pacific regional organisations, bilateral and multilateral development partners, NGOs, and academia also attended. A number of participants also attended via a videoconferencing link to American Samoa, Hawaii, Marshall Islands, and Samoa.

Convenors and Sponsors

The event was convened by co-facilitators from the Foundation for Development Cooperation and the Center for Global Communications/Pacific Islands Digital Opportunities. The event was generously sponsored by the Asian Development Bank, the Global Knowledge Partnership, infoDev, PEACESAT, and the Sasakawa Pacific Islands Nations Fund.

Four thematic sessions were held on National ICT Applications for Development, Connecting Communities through ICTs, a Development Partner Dialogue, and WSIS and the Pacific. A keynote address was given via videoconference by the Lt. Governor of American Samoa on Common Themes in ICT Development for Pacific Islands.

Session 1: National ICT Applications for Development

The objective of Session 1 was to illustrate common Pacific challenges and successes with ICT applications, and draw out policy and planning lessons for incorporation in the Tokyo declaration and future WSIS action plans. The session was moderated by Sam Taufao of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

Presentations were given by Professor Rajesh Chandra of the University of the South Pacific on USPNet Distance Learning, Abel Caine of Fiji on e-government, Stuart Davies of Cook Islands on Tele-health in the Pacific, Fuatai Purcell of Samoa and New Zealand on e-commerce for micro-enterprises, and Richard St Clair of Niue on activities of the Pacific Islands chapter of the Internet Society (PICISOC).

Key lessons and recommendations for consideration at the Asia Pacific Regional Conference for WSIS included :

• Awareness by all stakeholders (decision makers and general public) should be increased
• IT literacy should be increased at all levels and in all sectors to create ‘e-citizens’ able to make the most ofnew opportunities
•  It is important to raise awareness of the opportunities of e-commerce for small island developing states
• There is a need for compelling vision of sector and project development
• There is a strong need for research on applications and best practices on ICT for development that are sustainable in an island context

• Strong partnerships are required between all stakeholders and development partners
• ICT applications need to address the expressed needs of countries
• ICTs can increase efficiency and effectiveness and reduce the costs of delivery of public services such ashealth and education
• ICTs can enhance good governance practices through transparency and productivity
• Pacific island countries require technical and policy assistance during project implementation, includingstrong international support to bridge the international and domestic digital divid

Session 2: Connecting Communities

The objective of Session 2 was to illustrate Pacific experiences with ICT for development at the grassroots level for connecting communities, and to draw out implementation lessons for incorporation in the Tokyo declaration and future WSIS action plans. The session was moderated by Nina Ratulele of Fiji and the Pacific Islands News Association.

Presentations were given by Jim Stevenson of the Federated States of Micronesia on the Department of Education YapSEED project, Robert Guild of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat on the Solomon Islands PeopleFirst Network for community development and peace building, Laila Younis o the Northern Marianas Variety and Palau Horizon newspapers, Norman Okamura of the University of Hawaii on PEACESAT and E- Rate Developments in American Samoa, Guam and CNMI, and Andrew Stockwood of Vanuatu on the Pacific Islands Association of NGOs

Key lessons and recommendations for consideration at the Asia Pacific Regional Conference for WSIS included :

• Countries and the Pacific region need to create sustainable ICT networks
• It is important to encourage cultural diversity and linguistic diversity through, among other means, the useof local languages understood by all
• There is an over-riding need for training and indigenous capacity building in both technical and contentareas
• The role of traditional media will remain very important in information dissemination and that role should bestengthened
• Community participation through free flow of information and freedom of expression have a very importantrole in modern society
• Reliable, affordable and equitable access to ICTs are required for all people of the Pacific islands

Lunch Session

Objectives:
The objective of the lunch session was to address common topics pertinent to Pacific islands such as the creation of enabling policies, cooperation among organizations, and competition in small markets, and to demonstrate the potential of video over satellite by linking American Samoa; Hawaii; Marshall Islands, and Samoa. The session was moderated by Christina Higa of PEACESAT.

The Hon Togiola Tulafono, Lt. Governor of American Samoa, gave an address via videoconference that summarised the following key lessons and recommendations for consideration at the Asia Pacific Regional Conference for WSIS:

• Policy and regulations must be at the forefront of any ICT infrastructure
• Funding resources are required for development of local infrastructure before regional initiatives
• Sector planning and implementation should build and draw on indigenous capacity in preference toexternal experts with limited national knowledge
• Goodwill and sincerity, partnership and collaboration
• Liberal markets and competition have been proven in SIS, and will bring costs down, and there are goodexamples of liberalisation in small markets
• There are also examples of monopoly carriers providing effective services
• Voluntary participation at the local level can ensure ownership of projects
• It is important to facilitate participation of all Pacific islands regardless of political affiliation, and to urge theWSIS process to include small island states in international fora

Session 3: Development Partner Dialogue

The objective of Session 3 was to provide an opportunity for development partners active in the Pacific region to present summaries of their existing and anticipated programmes for the region over the medium term, and discuss how Pacific island countries and regional organisations should incorporate these plans into their own planning for the WSIS process. The session was moderated by Rinalia Abdul Rahim of the Global Knowledge Partnership.

Presentations were given by Abdul Waheed Khan of UNESCO, Craig Keating of the Australian Agency for International Development Virtual Colombo Plan Unit, Pamela Kruzic of the Asian Development Bank, Shahid Akhtar of the UNDP Asia Pacific Development Information Program, Kenji Saga of the Pacific Islands Digital Opportunities initiative, and Les Allinson of the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission

Key lessons and recommendations for consideration at the Asia Pacific Regional Conference for WSIS included :

• There is a need to raise awareness of the mandates of bilateral and multilateral funding agencies
• Pacific island countries with the help of development partners are creating enabling environments onpolicy strategy and regulatory framework
• Development partners should work according to national needs and priorities of governments, andstakeholders need to work through national and regional procedures to influence these
• There is a need for education on appropriate uses of ICTs and
• Access to appropriate information on development partner programmes should be increased
• Development partners will continue to work through a range of stakeholders depending on types of project
• Development partners, governments, civil society, and the private sector could usefully increase theiralready considerable collaboration for example on the interconnection of networks.
• There is a need for simplified processes for funding with less bureaucracy at both domestic andinternational levels to identify and support good projects not necessarily good proposal writing
• Technical and policy assistance may be needed at national level to adapt and implement
• Pacific island countries and regional organisations should continue to build their collaboration, so thatsubsets of states can cooperate to leverage resources
• Poverty alleviation an over-arching goal for many devlopment partners
• There is an existing context and planning framework in the Pacific island region, including the PALMprocess and culminating in the Pacific Islands ICT Policy and Plan, that has been prioritised and endorsed at Ministerial level, that could provide useful guidance to devlopment partners

Session 4: WSIS and the Pacific

The objective of Session 4 was for Pacific island countries to consolidate their national and regional lessons and experiences, propose contributions to the Tokyo Declaration and future WSIS action plans, and discuss strategies for future engagement in the WSIS process. The session was moderated by by Robert Guild of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

Presentations were given by Fuatai Purcell of of Samoa and New Zealand on Themes for Small Island States, Abel Caine of Fiji on inputs to the WSIS Preparatory Process, Adam Peake of the Center for Global Communication on the procedures for the WSIS Preparatory Process, Tarja Virtanen of UNESCO, and Sam Taufao of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

Key lessons and recommendations for consideration at the Asia Pacific Regional Conference for WSIS included :

• Key SIS issues are well known and have been synthesised in the findings of this event
• Two of the most important issues are development of human resources and continued development ofnational strategies that should be effective, responsive, and culturally appropriate
• The overall WSIS process offered opportunities to small island developing states, which require specificand targeted approaches to address their needs, respond to opportunities, and increase the effectivenessof national and regional initiatives
• The Tokyo Declaration could usefully be improved in areas of gender issues, youth, the role of traditionalmedia, and should emphasise the free flow of information and freedom of expression
• Interregional cooperation between small island developing states should be explored and furtherdiscussed
• The possibility of a Pacific regional consultation should be explored and further discussed
• Regional coordination is requested to explore the possibility of holding a thematic meeting and increasePacific island country participation in roundtables at Prepcom2
• A Pacific caucus meeting will take up further details on the Tokyo Declaration and regional statementslater in the week

Conclusion

The meeting requested that a report of the event’s topics and findings be forwarded for consideration by the Asia Pacific Regional Conference.

The co-facilitators closed the meeting by thanking all participants for their valuable contributions, and expressed appreciation to the sponsors for making the event possible.

Submitted by:
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Tokyo, Japan
13 January 2003

＊＊＊機械訳＊＊＊

太平洋諸島とWSIS:開発のためのICT:リソース、ニーズ、機会」

国連大学本部ビル 委員会室2/3 2003年1月12日(日)

サイドイベント最終報告書

太平洋諸島諸国における情報通信技術(ICT)分野の機会について話し合うサイドイベントが、世界情報社会サミット(WSIS)の準備およびアジア太平洋地域WSIS会議の文脈において、2003年1月12日に国連大学で開催された。オーストラリア、クック諸島、ミクロネシア連邦、フィジー、ニュージーランド、ニウエ、北マリアナ諸島、パラオ、パプアニューギニア、サモア、バヌアツの太平洋諸国代表が出席しました。太平洋地域の組織、二国間および多国間開発パートナー、NGO、学術界からも幅広い参加者が出席しました。また、アメリカ領サモア、ハワイ、マーシャル諸島、サモアとのビデオ会議リンクを通じて参加した参加者も多数いました。

主催者およびスポンサー

このイベントは、財団法人開発協力基盤(FDC)とグローバル・コミュニケーション・センター/太平洋諸島デジタル・オポチュニティーズ(CGC/PDO)の共同進行役により開催されました。このイベントは、アジア開発銀行、グローバル・ナレッジ・パートナーシップ、infoDev、PEACESAT、笹川太平洋島嶼国基金の多大なご支援により実現しました。

「開発のための国家ICT利用」、「ICTを通じたコミュニティの結合」、「開発パートナー対話」、「WSISと太平洋」の4つのテーマ別セッションが開催されました。また、太平洋諸島におけるICT開発の共通テーマについて、アメリカ領サモア副知事によるビデオ会議による基調講演が行われました。

セッション1:開発のための国家ICT利用

セッション1の目的は、太平洋地域におけるICT利用の共通の課題と成功例を明らかにし、東京宣言および今後のWSIS行動計画に盛り込むための政策および計画に関する教訓を引き出すことでした。このセッションは、太平洋共同体事務局のサム・タウファオ氏が司会を務めました。

南太平洋大学のラジェッシュ・チャンドラ教授によるUSPNet遠隔学習、フィジーのアベル・ケイン氏による電子政府、クック諸島のスチュアート・デイヴィス氏による太平洋地域における遠隔医療、サモアおよびニュージーランドのフアタイ・パーセル氏による小規模企業向け電子商取引、ニウエのリチャード・セントクレア氏によるインターネット協会太平洋諸島支部(PICISOC)の活動に関するプレゼンテーションが行なわれました。

WSISのアジア太平洋地域会議で検討すべき主な教訓と提言には、以下のものが含まれた。

• すべての利害関係者(意思決定者および一般市民)の意識を高めるべきである。
• あらゆるレベル、あらゆる部門でITリテラシーを高め、新たな機会を最大限に活用できる「電子市民」を育成すべきである。
• 小島嶼開発途上国にとっての電子商取引の機会に対する意識を高めることが重要である。
• セクターおよびプロジェクト開発に関する説得力のあるビジョンが必要である
• 島嶼国において持続可能な開発のためのICTの応用およびベストプラクティスに関する研究が強く求められている

• すべての利害関係者および開発パートナー間の強力なパートナーシップが必要である
• ICTの応用は、各国が表明したニーズに対応する必要がある
• ICTは、保健や教育などの公共サービスの提供における効率性および有効性を高め、コストを削減することができる
• ICTは、透明性および生産性を通じて、優れたガバナンスの実践を強化することができる
• 太平洋島嶼国は、プロジェクト実施中に技術的および政策的な支援を必要としており、国際的な支援を強化して、国際的なデジタル・ディバイドと国内のデジタル・ディバイドを埋める必要がある

セッション2:コミュニティの結束

セッション2の目的は、コミュニティの結束に向けた草の根レベルでの太平洋地域の開発におけるICTの経験を説明し、東京宣言および今後のWSIS行動計画に盛り込むための実施上の教訓を引き出すことでした。セッションはフィジーのニナ・ラトゥレレ氏(フィジーおよび太平洋諸島ニュース協会)が司会を務めました。

ミクロネシア連邦のジム・スティーブンソン氏からは、教育省のヤップSEEDプロジェクトについて、太平洋諸島フォーラム事務局のロバート・ギルド氏からは、地域開発と平和構築のためのソロモン諸島PeopleFirstネットワークについて、 北マリアナ諸島の新聞「Variety」とパラオの新聞「Horizon」の編集者、ハワイ大学のノーマン・オカムラ氏による米領サモア、グアム、北マリアナ諸島におけるPEACESATとE-Rateの発展に関する発表、バヌアツのNGO太平洋諸島協会のアンドリュー・ストックウッド氏による発表などが行われました。

WSISアジア太平洋地域会議で検討すべき主な教訓と提言には、以下のものが含まれました。

• 各国および太平洋地域は持続可能なICTネットワークを構築する必要がある
• その手段の一つとして、誰もが理解できる現地語の使用を通じて、文化の多様性および言語の多様性を奨励することが重要である
• 技術およびコンテンツの両分野において、トレーニングおよび現地の能力開発が非常に必要とされている
• 情報発信において、従来型のメディアの役割は今後も非常に重要であり、その役割は強化されるべきである
• 情報の自由な流通および表現の自由を通じたコミュニティの参加は、現代社会において非常に重要な役割を果たしている
• 太平洋諸島の人々すべてが、信頼性が高く、手頃な価格で、公平な情報通信技術(ICT)へのアクセスを確保することが必要である

昼食会セッション

目的:
昼食会セッションの目的は、太平洋諸島に関連する共通のトピック、例えば、実現可能な政策の策定、組織間の協力、小規模市場における競争などについて話し合い、また、アメリカ領サモア、ハワイ、マーシャル諸島、サモアを結び、衛星ビデオの潜在的可能性を示すことでした。このセッションは、PEACESATのクリスティーナ・ヒガ氏により司会進行されました。

米領サモアの副知事であるトギオラ・トゥラフォノ氏は、ビデオ会議を通じて、以下の主要な教訓と提言を総括したスピーチを行いました。

• 政策と規制は、あらゆるICTインフラの最優先事項でなければならない
• 地域的な取り組みに先立ち、地域インフラの開発には資金源が必要である
• セクターの計画と実施は、限られた国内知識を持つ外部の専門家よりも、自国の能力を構築し、活用すべきである
• 善意と誠意、パートナーシップと協力
• 自由市場と競争はSISで実証済みであり、コスト削減につながる。小規模市場における自由化の好例もある
• 独占事業者が効果的なサービスを提供している例もある
• 地域レベルでの自発的な参加は、プロジェクトの所有権を確保できる
• 政治的立場に関わらず、太平洋諸島すべてが参加できるよう促すことが重要であり、WSISプロセスに小島嶼国を国際フォーラムに含めるよう促すことが重要である

セッション3:開発パートナー対話

セッション3の目的は、太平洋地域で活動する開発パートナーが、同地域に対する既存のプログラムと今後の中期的な見通しについて概要を提示し、太平洋島嶼国と地域組織がこれらの計画をWSISプロセスにおける自国の計画にどのように組み込むべきかについて話し合う機会を提供することでした。セッションはグローバル・ナレッジ・パートナーシップのリナリア・アブドゥル・ラヒム氏が司会を務めました。

UNESCOのアブドゥル・ワヒード・カーン氏、オーストラリア国際開発庁バーチャル・コロンボ・プラン・ユニットのクレイグ・キーティング氏、アジア開発銀行のパメラ・クルジック氏、UNDPアジア太平洋開発情報プログラムのシャヒード・アクタル氏、太平洋諸島デジタル・オポチュニティ・イニシアティブのケンジ・サガ氏、南太平洋応用地質科学委員会のレス・アリソン氏がプレゼンテーションを行いました。

アジア太平洋地域WSIS会議で検討すべき主な教訓と提言には以下が含まれます。

• 二国間および多国間資金提供機関の権限に対する認識を高める必要がある
• 太平洋島嶼国は、開発パートナーの支援を受けながら、政策戦略および規制枠組みに関する環境整備を行っている
• 開発パートナーは、各国政府のニーズや優先事項に従って活動すべきであり、利害関係者は、各国および地域の手続きを通じて、これらの活動に影響を与える必要がある
• 情報通信技術(ICT)の適切な利用に関する教育が必要であり、
• 開発パートナーのプログラムに関する適切な情報へのアクセスを拡大すべきである
• 開発パートナーは、プロジェクトの種類に応じて、さまざまな利害関係者と協力していく

開発パートナー、政府、市民社会、民間部門は、例えばネットワークの相互接続など、すでにかなりの協力関係をさらに拡大することが可能である。

国内および国際レベルの両方において、必ずしも優れた提案書を作成することに重点を置かず、優れたプロジェクトを特定し支援するための、より簡素化された資金調達プロセスが必要である

太平洋諸島諸国および地域組織は、引き続き協力関係を構築し、一部の国々が協力して資源を活用できるようにすべきである

• 貧困緩和は、多くの開発パートナーにとっての包括的な目標である
• 太平洋島嶼地域には、PALMプロセスや、閣僚レベルで優先事項として承認された「太平洋諸島ICT政策および計画」に集約されるような、既存の背景や計画の枠組みがある。これは、開発パートナーにとって有益な指針となり得るものである

セッション4:WSISと太平洋

セッション4の目的は、太平洋島嶼国が自国の国レベルおよび地域レベルでの教訓や経験をまとめ、東京宣言および今後のWSIS行動計画への貢献を提案し、今後のWSISプロセスへの関与戦略について話し合うことでした。このセッションは、太平洋諸島フォーラム事務局のロバート・ギルド氏が司会を務めました。

サモアおよびニュージーランドのフアタイ・パーセル氏による小島嶼国に関するテーマ、フィジーのアベル・ケイン氏によるWSIS準備プロセスへのインプット、グローバル・コミュニケーション・センターのアダム・ピーク氏によるWSIS準備プロセスの手順、ユネスコのタルヤ・ヴィルタネン氏、太平洋共同体事務局のサム・タウファオ氏によるプレゼンテーションが行なわれました。

WSISアジア太平洋地域会議で検討すべき主要な教訓および提言には以下が含まれます。

• SISの主要な問題は周知の事実であり、今回の会議の結論にまとめられている
• 最も重要な問題の2つは、人材開発と、効果的で、対応力があり、文化的に適切な国家戦略の継続的な開発である
• WSISのプロセス全体は、小島嶼開発途上国に機会を提供した。小島嶼開発途上国は、自国のニーズに対応し、機会に対応し、国家および地域イニシアティブの効果を高めるために、特定の的を絞ったアプローチを必要としている
• 東京宣言は、ジェンダー問題、若者、伝統的メディアの役割といった分野で改善の余地があり、情報の自由な流れと表現の自由を強調すべきである
• 小島嶼開発途上国間の地域間協力について検討し、さらに議論すべきである
• 太平洋地域協議の可能性について検討し、さらに議論すべきである
• テーマ別会議の開催可能性を検討し、準備委員会2における太平洋島嶼国の円卓会議への参加を増やすため、地域調整を行うことが要請される
• 太平洋諸島会議では、東京宣言および地域声明に関するさらなる詳細を今週後半に検討する予定である

結論

会議では、このイベントのトピックおよび調査結果の報告書をアジア太平洋地域会議に提出し、検討を求めるよう要請された。

共同進行役は、すべての参加者が貴重な貢献をしたことに感謝の意を表し、会議を閉会した。また、このイベントの実現を可能にしたスポンサーにも謝意を表明した。

提出者:
太平洋諸島フォーラム事務局 東京、日本
2003年1月13日

Internet Governance and SIDS/インターネットガバナンスとSIDS

Once again, I would like to thank Mr. Andrew Molivurae and the PICISOC board members for inviting me to the IGF Wellington meeting. This is not just a diplomatic courtesy.

At this Wellington meeting, I was able to recall the important role of PICs in Internet governance, as well as the PICs that participated in the 2003 Asia-Pacific WSIS, in Tokyo.

Furthermore, most of the people attending the Wellington conference did not know about the impact of PICs on Internet governance let by the ITU.

So, although it was 20 years ago and my memory is fading, I would like to write about what PICs have done for Internet governance. I have forgotten a lot. I would be grateful for any pointers or comments.

改めて、Andrew Molivurae氏とPICISOCの理事の方々からIGFウェリントン会議への招待をいただき、心より感謝いたします。これは外交辞令ではありません。

このウェリントン会議で、2003年の東京で開催されたアジア太平洋WSISに参加したPICs、インターネットガバナンスにおけるPICsの重要な役割について思い出すことができました。

さらに、会議に出席していたほとんどの人は、ITUが主導したインターネットガバナンスにおけるPICsが影響を及ぼした事実について知りませんでした。

そこで、20年も前のことなので記憶も薄らいでいますが、PICsがインターネットガバナンスのために何をしてきたかを書いてみたいと思います。

私は多くを忘れています。ご指摘、ご意見をいただければ幸いです。