10/28/03

As part of the preparations for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) that will be held from 10-12 December 2003 in Geneva, the cities of Lyon and Geneva have taken the joint initiative to organise Cities e World-Lyon 2003, the first world summit of cities and local authorities on the information society.

To be held in Lyon from 4-5 December 2003, Cities e World-Lyon 2003 will bring together the mayors and elected local representatives from five continents as well as representatives from economic, financial, community and media circles involved in local life.

The meeting aims to ensure the inclusion of the specific perspectives of cities and regions in the WSIS discussions. It will also highlight and publicise the initiatives on information technology taken by cities and local authorities as well as those of the private sector and civil society.

Cities e World-Lyon 2003 will integrate the outcomes of the preparatory meetings in Shanghai, China; Curitiba, Brazil; and Nouakchott, Mauritania organised in partnership with United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

The conclusions in the "Lyon Declaration" will be presented to the heads of state and government meeting at Geneva by a delegation of mayors and local elected representatives from five continents.

The summit has three main objectives: - To publicise the initiatives made by cities and local authorities as well as by community networks and citizens on every continent. The use of the new Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in rural towns of the South will be given emphasis. - To facilitate the emergence of community expression by co-ordinating discussion forums on the political stakes represented by these practices. - To publicise the experiences of cities and local authorities online; identify tools for implementation of their ICT projects, and develop co-operation among cities

The Lyon Summit hopes to encourage and support the participation of as many people as possible, both at the Summit itself and remotely.

There are various ways to join the summit.

1. Attend the Summit (4 and 5 December)

   Registration forms and other details can be accessed at http://www.cities-lyon.org/en/inscription

   Fill up the form and send to secretariat:

   • by fax + 33 4 72 77 45 56
   • or post mail to Package Organisation, 140 cours Charlemagne - 69 002 - Lyon - France.


2. By presenting an experience or a tool or by organising a training session in the Agora of Actions, a space intended for: - the presentation of initiatives and experiences by the participants, - the presentation of new tools, - training workshops.

   To participate in the Agora of actions, send an email to . Specify the name and objective of the organisation and describe in a few words the type of initiative, tool or training that will be presented.

3. By installing a stand in the Confluence showspace. The stands can be used for exhibits, meetings and receptions. The showspace covers 1,600 m² on the ground floor of the Palais des Congrès.

   For more information on stand availability and prices, visit http://www.cities-lyon.org/en/confluence

4. By organising meetings at the summit;

   The summit of cities and local authorities is also an opportunity for the participants to hold meetings of their own networks by taking advantage of their members' presence at the Summit. Meetings can be reserved solely for the members of the network or be open to all the participants.

5. One can also participate remotely by proposing an article for publication on the web site and by contributing to the collective drafting of the Lyon Declarations.

   For more details, visit http://www.cities-lyon.org