July 19, 2006 at 15:13Kofi Annan convenes at IGF
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan convenes the Internet Governance Forum . The place and date of the event are known: “The Greek government generously agreed to host the first meeting of the Forum and proposed to do so in Athens from October 30 to November 2, 2006,” Mr. Annan said in his message .
Following the information contained in the Tunis Agenda for the Information SocietyI appeal that Kofi Annan invites all interested parties - governments, the private sector and civil society, including academic and technical circles - to participate in the first meeting of the Forum. Kofi Annan noted that “with satisfaction” he is doing this through the World Wide Web. Applications for participation can be submitted by institutions and persons with recognized experience and knowledge on issues related to Internet governance.
A common theme for the future Athens meeting will be “Internet Governance for Development”. The agenda will be built around broad topics:
- Openness - freedom of speech, free movement of information, ideas and knowledge;
- Security - creating an atmosphere of trust through cooperation;
- Diversity - strengthening the principle of multilingualism and expanding the use of local content;
- Access - Internet connection: policy and cost.
“Over the short period of its existence, the Internet has become a factor in radical, even revolutionary changes, and possibly one of the greatest tools for progress,” says Kofi Annan. “This is a great way to promote and protect freedom and provide access to information and knowledge.” World Information Society Summit (WSIS)laid the foundation for a dialogue between two different cultures: the non-governmental Internet community with its traditions of informal decision-making on the basis of the “bottom-up” principle and a more formal structured community of governments and intergovernmental organizations. I hope that the Forum will deepen this dialogue and will also contribute to a better understanding of how we can fully use the potential laid down on the Internet for the benefit of all people in the world. ”
Following the information contained in the Tunis Agenda for the Information SocietyI appeal that Kofi Annan invites all interested parties - governments, the private sector and civil society, including academic and technical circles - to participate in the first meeting of the Forum. Kofi Annan noted that “with satisfaction” he is doing this through the World Wide Web. Applications for participation can be submitted by institutions and persons with recognized experience and knowledge on issues related to Internet governance.
A common theme for the future Athens meeting will be “Internet Governance for Development”. The agenda will be built around broad topics:
- Openness - freedom of speech, free movement of information, ideas and knowledge;
- Security - creating an atmosphere of trust through cooperation;
- Diversity - strengthening the principle of multilingualism and expanding the use of local content;
- Access - Internet connection: policy and cost.
“Over the short period of its existence, the Internet has become a factor in radical, even revolutionary changes, and possibly one of the greatest tools for progress,” says Kofi Annan. “This is a great way to promote and protect freedom and provide access to information and knowledge.” World Information Society Summit (WSIS)laid the foundation for a dialogue between two different cultures: the non-governmental Internet community with its traditions of informal decision-making on the basis of the “bottom-up” principle and a more formal structured community of governments and intergovernmental organizations. I hope that the Forum will deepen this dialogue and will also contribute to a better understanding of how we can fully use the potential laid down on the Internet for the benefit of all people in the world. ”