Pacific joins WSIS

WSIS made good progress in Tokyo. The Pacific islands were well represented for the first time, and NGOs, private sector and governments worked together on significant documents with good results.

Senior officials of governments, NGOs, and the private sector from a majority of Pacific island countries joined a pre-conference consultation, entitled "Pacific Islands and the WSIS: ICTs for Development -- Resources, Needs and Opportunity". The meeting examined the Pacific islands regional experience with ICTs for development, and prepared delegates to ensure that Pacific island concerns and issues are adequately addressed in the global declarations and action plans. During the main conference, Pacific countries were well represented in panel discussions, and their issues were addressed in the Tokyo Declaration.

The Pacific had been largely overlooked in WSIS and other global policy making processes, DOT Force and UN ICT Task Force. But their success in Tokyo was much more than a "foot in the door", now islands' representatives clearly feel part of the WSIS.

Success of multi-sector collaboration

The Japanese government organizers introduced an innovative multi-sector declaration drafting process. 3 NGO representatives joined colleagues from government, international organizations, UN agencies and the private sector to form a drafting group to produce the conference declaration. Using a draft that had been widely circulated before the conference, the drafting team met late into the night to produce a "non-paper" unofficial draft. This non-paper was discussed at an open-floor discussion meeting, where any delegate from any sector could raise issues for inclusion or for editorial changes. Once agreed --after a 6 hour public session-- the non-paper was put to Plenary for discussion and ratification by governments.

The "non-paper" process is becoming a useful way for us to do constructive work. It can avoid potential delays of formal intergovernmental processes, and, as was shown in Tokyo, can make a significant contribution. It allows us to work together in a meaningful and collaborative way as partners in a process, and in the true sprit of WSIS.

Adam Peake

Adam Peake works at GLOCOM (Center for Global Communications), a Tokyo based research institute. GLOCOM worked with the conference organizers to help facilitate NGO participation in the Asia and Pacific regional conference. See the Asian civil society website:

www.wsisasia.org