Resolution of the second Bishkek-Moscow regional conference on the information society

RESOLUTION

OF THE SECOND BISHKEK-MOSCOW REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

(the first stage, Bishkek, November 16-18, 2004)

The second Bishkek-Moscow conference (the first stage) on the Information Society is carried out within the framework of the countries participants of Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications preparations for the second stage of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which will be held in Tunis on November 16-18, 2005. The second stage of the Conference will take place in Moscow in the first half of 2005.

Representatives of the Azerbaijan Republic, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan, UN European Economic Commission (ЕCE), UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and also representatives of business circles and a civil society of the region participated in the first stage of the Conference.

During the Conference the wide spectrum of the questions on the information society and development of information-communication technologies (ICT) was considered. Within the framework of the Conference plenary sessions and sessions by sections on the following themes have been carried out:

·  Contribution to development of the information society;

·  Regional and interregional cooperation in ICT for development;

·  Increasing potential for ICT application.

Discussion of formation of the CIS countries consolidated position on the basic agenda items of the WSIS second stage has been carried out.

Conference notes:

·  Introduction of ICTs in the region goes quickly, development of ICT sphere is one of the priority directions in many CIS countries;

·  ICTs find more and more wide application in government administration, economy and social sphere (e-government, e-economy, e-health, e - education, etc.);

·  during preparations for the WSIS first stage (Geneva, December 10-12, 2003) at national and regional levels there were carried out the first Bishkek-Moscow Conference on then Information Society (2002), International Congress in Kiev (2003), Baku International Forum on ICT (2003), “St.-Petersburg declaration on development of the information society” and “Strategy of the CIS countries cooperation in the field of informatization”;

·  in the Declaration of principles and in the Action Plan adopted at the WSIS first stage the coordinated position of the CIS countries was taken into consideration;

·  with a view to expanding cooperation between regions, during the WSIS first stage on December 12, 2003 signing by the RCC and the regional unions (ATU, CEPT, PAPU) of the “Interregional and international program of cooperation in the field of communications and informatization for ” took place;

·  at the national and regional levels implementation of the decisions stipulated by final documents of the WSIS first stage is being carried out - national strategies and programs of the ICT development are developed and realized;

·  within the RCC framework an Action Plan for implementation of the “Strategy of the CIS countries cooperation in the field of informatization”, which includes topical for the region actions is being developed.

At the same time, the Conference takes note of the problems in the field of ICT development and building of the information society:

·  presence of the digital divide at the national and regional levels constraining provision of access to ICT services for population;

·  absence of harmonized normative-legal base in the sphere of information technologies which is slowing down ICT introduction and development;

·  inadequacy of the ICT development financing to the tasks of the information society building in the region;

·  absence of clear mechanisms of financing for joint projects on ICT development and also research developments in this sphere in the region and insufficient attraction of donor funds (international financial institutions and the organizations);

·  insufficient progress in the sphere of information security ensuring and combat against spam;

·  absence of the system of indicators, describing ICT development and preparedness of the countries to an information society comparable at the regional and international levels, complicating estimation and monitoring in the countries and the region;

·  insufficiency of existing coordination of the information society building in countries - participants of the Conference between individual departments, between the state and a private sector, and also between the countries of the region;

·  insufficiency of the mechanism of information interchange with the countries of other regions about achievements in the field of the information society development;

·  insufficient literacy of wide strata of the population for using possibilities of modern ICT;

·  shortage of highly qualified experts in the ICT field in some countries of the region.

Conference considers it necessary:

1. To consolidate efforts of the RCC participants for inclusion of the common coordinated proposals in the documents on realization of the WSIS decisions (including on such key positions as Internet management and creation of the “Digital Solidarity Fund”) within the framework of preparations for the second stage of the World Summit on the Information Society to be held in Tunis in 2005.

2. Approving the effective activities carried out within the framework of the RCC and Coordination Council of the CIS member states on Informatization attached to the RCC related to coordination of a position of the RCC participants’ countries on preparation for the second WSIS stage to more actively use the RCC for organization of the governmental, business and civil society bodies interaction in building the information society.

3. To prepare for the Moscow stage of the Conference proposals for creation of mechanisms promoting development of cooperation in the field of information technologies, in particular creation of a “regional fund for cooperation in the ICT sphere” which will render financial support to joint ventures and projects in sphere of information technologies.

4. To support proposals of the Conference participants for inclusion in the RCC Action Plan and WSIS documents:

·  creation of mechanisms for organizing assistance to the countries with economy in transition in shaping of the information society;

·  organization of assistance to introduction of the international standards in the ICT area;

·  organization of pilot projects on digital multimedia interactive broadcasting in the mountains;

·  organization of regional coordination programs on the major directions of the ICT development:

o  different applications (medicine, education, state administration, protection of the environment, etc.);

o  development of legislation in the ICT field;

o  statistics and monitoring of the ICT;

o  information security and combat against spam.

·  organization of highly qualified experts preparation for participation in the work of the international communications organizations and ICT.

5. To address to private sector, to international organizations and financial institutions for assistance in realization of projects on ICT development in the CIS region.

Conference calls all interested parties – the state, private sector and civil society:

1. To unite their efforts and to intensify activity on implementation of the decisions stipulated by final documents of the WSIS first stage on the following principle directions in the field of the ICT introduction and development and shaping of the information society in the countries of the region:

·  development of the information and telecommunication infrastructure and creation of the common information space;

·  harmonization of the legislation and normative and technical base;

·  development and introduction of new ICT applications (e-government, e-trade, e-medicine, e-education, etc.);

·  liberalization of ICT services trade conditions;

·  information security.

2. At formation of the state budgets of the RCC participants’ countries to envisage financing of the ICT developments in the interests of the population and state administration.

3. To actively participate in preparations for the WSIS second stage (Tunis, November 16-18, 2005), including in the proceedings of the WSIS preparatory committee, UN working groups on Internet management and determination of mechanisms of financing, thematic international conferences and fora.

4. To coordinate preparation of the CIS countries for the WSIS second stage within the RCC and Coordination Council for informatization of the CIS member states attached to the RCC.

5. To prepare for the Moscow stage of the Conference proposals for working out a coordinated position and for the priory measures and projects to be included in final WSIS documents.

6. To carry out within the RCC framework and also through RCC with other regions a constant information exchange about a course of realization of the WSIS first stage decisions, projects and programs on the ICT development, about planned in the states of the RCC participants fora on the information society, ICT development and preparations for the second stage of the World Summit.

7. To intensify elaboration by the CIS countries of questions of joining the Coordination Council for Informatization of the CIS member states attached to the RCC.

Conference expresses gratitude to organizers:

·  To the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic;

·  To the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Kyrgyz Republic

·  To the Ministry for Information Technologies and Communications of the Russian Federation;

·  To the RCC Executive Committee;

·  To the UN organizations - ECE, ESCAP, UNDP.