Write a short note on WSIS Declaration of 2003.

One of the main items on the global agenda today is the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). It was first proposed at Geneva in  in 2003. UNESCO,under the high patronage of the UN Secretary-General, tries “to develop and foster a clear statement of political will and a concrete plan of action for achieving the goals of the Information Society, while fully reflecting all the different interests at stake”.

 Among the fundamental ideas behind the WSIS is an ambition to create a more inclusive Information Society and to bridge the digital divide in a North-South perspective.


When the final WSIS document is adopted in 2005, 25 years will have passed since the MacBride Commission submitted its report to UNESCO. Like the MacBride Commission in 1985, the WSIS has identified important issues and problem areas with regard to global information and communication.

The significance of the WSIS will depend on the extent to which national governments, the private sector, the civil society and other relevant stakeholders are brought into the continued work towards these goals.



Some facts of WSIS are as given below-

1. To bridge the so called global digital divide. Separating rich countries from poor countries by spreading access to the Internet n developing countries.

2. To discuss on Information Society, Opportunities and Challenges.

3. To implement ICT to  facilitate  achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and

4. Bringing the Information Society - a global challenge in the new Millennium.

May 17 is observed as World Information Society Day.

Write a short note on UNESCO's initiative in Information and Communication

Information and communication have occupied the United Nations system since its early years. As early as 1946, one year after the UN was founded, the ‘free flow of information’ principle was agreed on.

Two years later, in 1948, the UN summoned its member nations to an International Conference on Freedom of Information; that same year, the UN also adopted a Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

All states should proclaim policies under which the free flow of information within countries and across frontiers will be protected. The right to seek and transmit information should be insured in order to enable the public to ascertain facts and appraise events.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

It was with the founding of the UN and UNESCO that norm-setting in relation to information and communication was elaborated on an international plane. In the beginning, the normative role of the UN and UNESCO was closely aligned with work relating to the protection of human rights.

Chronic imbalances in international information flows became the focus of attention, and a new doctrine concerning ‘the free flow of information’ emerged.

Explain New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO)

In 1970's and 1980's, broadcast mass media was dominated by few developed countries America, England and France mainly. There was almost a one-sided flow of information from developed countries to poorer countries. Very little news flowed the other way, and often news about developing countries was distorted or rejected by media houses. Thus these countries were not represented in the media broadcasts.

There were concerns from many people about how the then broadcast media was dominated by the very few developed countries. Most channels carried American Movies and serials.

These poor populations saw mostly American channels and were influenced by it. Their culture was not reflected in the media thus there were culture shocks, disparities and trends in developing countries started aping the ‘west’.

These concerns about unbalanced media coverage around the world was coined as New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO).

It was controversial in UNESCO, due to the following reasons-

1. It was seen as a demand for a fair and balanced flow of International news.

2. It was an invitation to states to control the free collection and distribution of news.