The NGO Gender Strategies Working Group statement presented by Chat Garcia Ramilo from the Association for Progressive Communication-Women's Networking Support Programme (APC-WNSP) reinforced the need to ensure gender equality at the WSIS.
The other intervention came from the Human Rights Caucus and called for reaffirming the commitment to respect the rights and fundamental freedoms of people. The Human Rights Caucus statement presented by Rikke Frank Joergensen also urged states to quote and reference article 19 on freedom of expression of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in full length. In addition, it urged states to mainstream a principle of non-discrimination and diversity with regard to gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, faith, and disability.
Meanwhile, the community media group circulated a position paper, which addressed key issues on community media. These are: the role of community media as stated in the declaration; the commitment to community broadcasting in country level legislation; the commitment to spectrum allocation for community broadcasting; and the establishment of an international Community Media Fund.
This specific statement is also being circulated to solicit endorsements. For those who want to send messages of endorsement and support, please direct them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
For an updated copy of the Draft Declaration, please visit the following link: http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-s/md/03/wsispc3/doc/S03-WSISPC3-DOC-0002!!MSW-E.doc.
For an updated copy of the Draft Plan of Action, please visit the following link: http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-s/md/03/wsispc3/doc/S03-WSISPC3-DOC-0003!!MSW-E.doc.
Below are copies of the statements.
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Gender statement:
15 September 2003
Gender Equality for Plenary Block 1/11
We call on governments to ensure gender equality concerns, which are at the heart of addressing social injustice and equitable and sustainable development, are fully addressed in the Declaration.
We urge states to reinstate paragraph 11A. This calls for a focus on the gender dimensions of ICTs as essential not only in preventing the perpetuation of existing inequalities and discrimination, but also for enhancing women's equitable access to the benefits of ICTs. By incorporating this focus we can ensure that ICTs become a tool for the empowerment of women and the promotion of gender equality.
In relation to paragraphs 14 and 15, we call on governments to support the principles of full participation, empowerment and social inclusion as fundamental characteristics and objectives of the Information Society. Accordingly, attention must be paid to developing an enabling environment that empowers people, especially those living in poverty, to fight their own exclusion.
In particular, more attention must be given to redress the effects of the intersection of unequal power relations - in social, economic and political spheres and in terms of gender, class, race, ethnicity and geographical location. We have made concrete text suggestions for the paragraphs which we hope will feed into your negotiations.
Thank you for your attention. ----
Community media statement:
Community Media and the Information Society
Statement on the draft Declaration and Action Plan
A just and equitable information society strategy must be people-centred, inclusive, built on fundamental human rights and focused primarily on the reduction of poverty. Traditional and new means of communication must be focused on creating opportunities for people and communities to participate in shaping their own destiny.
Much is promised by the information society - access to vital knowledge for health and education, better information from governments and corporations, electronic democracy, global trade and exchange, up to the minute news. But the world's poorest communities face the danger of being left out. The communication needs of poor people are compromised at the highest levels by a vastly unequal access to the global communications environment and by the absence of structural measures and commitments to redress past imbalances.
Free and universal access to basic education and affordable access to electricity are required before the world's poorest people can benefit from new ICTs. Nearly one third of the world's population still do not have reliable access to electricity. Basic literacy skills are lacking for 20 percent of the world's population, especially women and girls. The most widespread and accessible communications technologies remain the traditional media, particularly radio - an oral medium, low cost and receivable by 90 percent of the world's population. And the most effective approaches to poverty reduction are community-driven and empowerment oriented.
Community media are thus a vital means to enable public participation, to strengthen cultural and linguistic diversity, to promote gender equity and to bring about a more just and equitable information society that includes the voices of the poor and the marginalised. We urge this to be reflected in the WSIS Declaration and Action Plan. In particular, we are calling on government delegations to WSIS Prepcom 3 to make the following improvements:
In the draft Declaration
- Include reference to the specific and crucial role of community media
In the draft Action Plan
- Strengthen commitment to community broadcasting in country level legislation
- Strengthen commitment to spectrum allocation for community broadcasting
- Support the establishment of an international Community Media Fund
Comments and Proposals on the draft Declaration (version 18 July 2003)
In the draft Declaration of Principles, paragraph 51 has not yet been adequately formulated to reflect the essential role of media in the provision of information and communication, nor does it reflect media diversity and the importance of public service broadcasting and community media. Freedom of expression is also worryingly compromised by phrases such as "in accordance with the legal system in each country" which represent an unacceptable weakening to the provisions of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
The Declaration of Principles requires a much clearer statement on the media, based on respect for the provisions of Article 19 of the UDHR and recognising the importance of a diverse and pluralist media environment including public service broadcasting and community media. This would provide firmer foundations for the following series of points that we consider should be made as specific commitments in the WSIS Action Plan. Comments and Proposals on the draft Action Plan (version 22 August 2003)
We warmly welcome paragraph 6b in the draft Action Plan:
"6b) Public service broadcasting and community media have specific and crucial roles to play in ensuring the participation of all in the information society."
We are also encouraged by commitments in paragraphs 27, 41 and 42 of the Action Plan:
"27a) Governments should support a generous allocation of frequencies for local radio stations at affordable prices."
"41f) Give recognition and support to media based in local communities and support projects combining the use of traditional media and new technologies."
"42f) Encourage investment in regional and community-based media content as well as new technologies."
Nevertheless we believe these statements can and should be strengthened. The statement in paragraph 6b) should be reflected in an improved Declaration of Principles and the commitments in the Action Plan need to be more specific and measurable.
Country level legislation
The major barrier to the development of community broadcasting services is the country level legislative and regulatory framework. Many countries provide specific legislative and regulatory frameworks that encourage community broadcasters. Others retain legislative or regulatory systems that restrict freedom of expression by preventing or discouraging local communities from establishing their own community broadcasting services.
The draft Action Plan sets specific targets for access to the information society including, for example, a commitment to Internet access in every village by 2010 and in every school by 2015. These commitments, if realised, would give the world's literate population access to global information resources and communications capacity. They need to be balanced by investment in the local communications infrastructure, recognising that for the poorest people radio will continue to be the dominant source of information.
We propose the WSIS should set specific targets for the opening up of broadcast licensing to allow for the operation of community broadcasting services in every community by 2010 and to ensure all of the world's population can access community broadcasting services by 2015.
Spectrum allocation
The draft Action Plan recognises (paragraph 27a) the importance of access to spectrum for local radio services but it includes no specific targets nor does it address the importance of managing the radio spectrum in the public interest to ensure a diversity of services.
The Action Plan should include an explicit commitment to ensure the radio-frequency spectrum is recognised as a natural resource belonging to all humanity and that should be managed in the public interest as a publicly owned asset through transparent and accountable regulatory frameworks. Regulation should ensure equitable access to spectrum among a plurality of media including sufficient capacity reserved for community media.
We propose the WSIS should set specific targets for the reservation of spectrum to enable community broadcasting services in every community by 2010.
Community Media Fund
The draft Action Plan proposes a global ICTs for Development Fund but leaves open how such a Fund would be deployed. There has been a strong focus in the WSIS draft Declaration and Action Plan on building the infrastructure, generally taken to mean the telecommunications infrastructure for local and international connectivity. Private sector infrastructure and content providers and some donor governments have a strong interest in promoting public investment in infrastructure particularly where this opens up new markets.
This is unlikely to address the needs of the poorest, mainly rural communities, who face barriers of literacy, electricity supply and affordable consumer equipment. A substantial portion of any investment in ICTs for poverty reduction must be ring-fenced for community-driven development and community communications initiatives based on the principles of empowerment, inclusion, sustainability and appropriate technology.
We propose the Action Plan should include a commitment to establish a Community Media Fund by 2006. The Fund would support new community radio development and community media content including projects that make provision for the poorest communities, for cultural and linguistic diversity and for the equal participation of women and girls. The Fund should also support community projects that combine the use of traditional media and new communication technologies. The Fund should be established through a donor - civil society partnership involving leading community media organisations and civil society organisations working in this field. ----
Human Rights Caucus statement:
15 September 2003
HR entry for Plenary block 1/11
In relation to paragraph one, we are asking States to clearly re-affirm their commitment to building a society based on human rights and human dignity. We are asking states to re-affirm in this context the principle of universality and indivisibility of all human rights, both civil and political rights--and social, economic and cultural rights and their centrality for democracy, the rule of law and sustainable development.
In relation to freedom of expression, currently mentioned in paragraphs 1 and 7, we are urging states to quote and reference article 19 in full length. In relation to paragraph 7, we are urging states to mainstream a principle of non-discrimination and diversity in all ICT policy areas and actions. the principle of non-discrimination and diversity with regard to gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, faith, and disability is crucial in order to make the inclusive information society a reality. In relation to paragraph 10, we are asking states to include not only respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms but also for labour standards, as a guarantee for secure working conditions. Finally, we are asking states to include in paragraph 10 the need for effective public service in the hands of democratic and accountable agencies.
Thank for your attention.
Compiled by Libay Linsangan Cantor from reports by Mavic Cabrera-Balleza in Geneva.
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