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Japan makes first contribution of nearly 400,000 Swiss Francs.
WSIS partners confirm staff for Executive Secretariat.
Geneva, 5 April 2004 – The Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, Mr Yoshio Utsumi, today launched a
global fundraising campaign to support activities for the Tunis phase of the World Summit on the Information Society. Appealing to the international community, he called on all stakeholders to help make the WSIS-2005 Fundraising Campaign and the Summit in Tunis a success.
The fundraising campaign got off to an impressive start with an announcement by the Government of Japan, Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, of a CHF 386 300 (JPY 33 401 000) contribution to the WSIS Fund. In addition, the governments of Japan, Spain, Canada, Switzerland and the Republic of Korea as well as other stakeholders, including UNESCO, and KDDI Corporation and BHN Association of Japan, have confirmed that they will provide professional staff to serve in the WSIS Executive Secretariat.
Mr Utsumi thanked these partners for their continued commitment to the Summit process. He called upon governments and other stakeholders to contribute generously to the WSIS-2005 Fundraising Campaign. He said, “Financial and in-kind support is essential to prepare for the Tunis phase of the Summit and to help bridge the digital divide and create a truly inclusive Information Society.”
“WSIS depends entirely on voluntary contributions to a special fund established by ITU,” noted Mr Utsumi. The cost of organizing the Tunis phase of the Summit is estimated to be about CHF 15 million. The goal of the fundraising campaign is to raise at least CHF 5 million in cash contributions for the WSIS Fund while covering the remaining amount through in-kind support from various partners.
The Geneva Phase of the World Summit on the Information Society culminated with global agreement on a Declaration of Principles for the emerging Information Society and a Plan of Action to implement concrete measures to make it a reality. The road map to Tunis and beyond envisages accelerated realization of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals built on a foundation of access to information and communication technology for all by 2015.
Contributions to the WSIS Fund can be tracked here.
Contact info
Telephone: +41 22 730 6373
Fax: +41 22 730 6393
E-mail: wsismedia@itu.int
About WSIS
The World Summit on the Information Society provides a unique opportunity for all stakeholders to develop a common vision and understanding and to address a range of relevant issues related to the Information Society.
The Geneva phase Summit, held from 10-12 December 2003, brought together Heads of State and Government, Executive Heads of United Nations agencies and other international organizations, non-governmental organizations, civil society entities, industry leaders and media representatives to foster a clear statement of political will and a concrete plan of action to shape the future of the global Information Society and to promote the urgently needed access of all countries to information, knowledge and communication technologies for development. Preparations are now underway for the successful organization of the Tunis phase Summit to take place 16-18 November 2005.
The Summit has been endorsed by the UN General Assembly and takes place under the high patronage of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, with the International Telecommunication Union taking the lead role in its preparation.
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