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Development of
Information Technology |
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An Unending Endeavor |
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Dr. K. Motamednejad,
Professor of Communications |
On the occasion
of the World Communication Day, or in better words, the World Information
Society Day, we conducted an interview with Dr. Kazem Mo’tamednejad, the
founder of new communications science in Iran. He has been incessantly
following modern information and communication technologies and has compared
them with human communications for years. However, in view of hectic
conditions in the country following participation of the Iranian
representatives at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), he is
still hopeful that ratifications of WSIS meetings in Geneva and Tunisia will
be implemented in Iran.
Should we consider this day as the World Communication Day
or the World Information Society Day?
May 17 was
designated as the World Telecommunication Day many years after termination of
the World War II. However, about two years ago, in the second stage of the
World Summit on the Information Society, participants decided that the day’s
name should change to the World Information Society Day. Also, the General
Assembly of the United States accepted the name change a few weeks after it
took place.
What was the reason for the name change?
About 10 years ago; that is in 1998, International
Telecommunication Union decided to hold a world summit meeting on the
information society. Therefore, from 1998 up to 2007, that is about nine
years, issues related to the information society topped the United Nations
agenda and during all those years, the world body has tried to prepare needed
grounds for the biphasic summit meeting on the information society to prepared
countries adopt suitable policies and make needed plans for availing of modern
information and communication technologies in their national development
programs.
What measures have thus far been taken in this regard?
In the first phase of the said meeting,
two legal texts were approved, which are known as "Declaration of Principles"
and "Plan of Action". Those texts reflected on general principles and
fundamental measures to be taken by various countries for taking advantage of
modern information and communication technologies to materialize the
Information Society.
Also, a detailed text was drawn up on
how to achieve the goals of that declaration, which was known as "Plan of
Action" and clarified future goals for the materialization of the Information
Society.
What were major topics discussed at the meeting?
Digital gap and inequality between
advanced and developing countries in terms of communication structures, access
to information and taking advantage of modern information and communication
technologies for developing countries were major topics on which WSIS focused
from the very beginning.
However, with regard to funding plans
for using information technology techniques in developing countries, although
rich, industrial states had pledged during preliminary sessions of WSIS to
provide needed funds to those countries, no practical step was taken in that
regard. Therefore, no new ground was broken as to the digital gap and the
existing inequality. At the same time, during the past two years and after
holding World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva, two more documents
known as "Tunisia Commitment" and "Agenda for the Information Society" were
ratified during Tunisia meeting for the follow-up and implementation of the
goals of "Declaration of Principles" and "Plan of Action". Therefore, the four
documents follow similar goals and should be implemented.
What new measures have been taken in this regard?
During the past
1.5 years, efforts have been made in cooperation with secretariat of the
United Nations, UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), United Nations
Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International
Telecommunication Union, and the United Nations Development Program to
encourage countries implement WSIS’ ratifications and fulfill their
obligations. Therefore, more emphasis has been put on 11 action lines, which
were ratified by WSIS.
What issues have been emphasized by those 11 action lines?
The eleven action lines include the role
of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development,
information and communication infrastructure, access to information and
knowledge, capacity building, building confidence and security in the use of
ICTs, enabling environment, ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life,
cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content,
media, ethical dimensions of the Information Society, international and
regional cooperation.
It was decided that the said
international bodies, including secretariat of the United Nations, United
Nations Economic and Social Council, UNESCO, International Telecommunication
Union, and the United Nations Development Program should make needed
coordination for development of information and communication technology.
Therefore, during recent months, various sessions have been held in Paris and
Geneva for the follow-up of the said action lines during which most countries
have presented reports on the implementation of eleven action lines.
Has our country presented such a report?
Unfortunately,
no serious measure has been taken in this regard and despite presence of
Iranian representatives in Paris meeting, they presented no report in this
regard. The coordinating organizations of the said eleven action lines are
meeting from May 14 to June 4 (for 11 days) to review reports of various
countries and take bigger strides on the basis of common experiences for
future realization of the documents that were ratified in Geneva and Tunisia.
Therefore, more concrete measures are expected to be taken in this regard in
the near future.
What about Internet governance?
The issue of
Internet governance was brought up, for the first time, during WSIS meeting in
Geneva and the next meeting of WSIS was to discuss Internet governance.
However, due to obstructionism by the United States, which was accompanied
with the European Union, and despite efforts made by developing countries,
including Iran and several important Third World states such as Brazil, Saudi
Arabia, Cuba, Pakistan, Syria, Mexico, Egypt, and other countries, making a
decision on international Internet governance was postponed until a future
meeting.
What is the main goal of establishing the Internet
Governance Forum (IGF)?
Since
discussions on the Internet governance did not reach a decisive point during
biphasic meetings of WSIS in Geneva and Tunisia, it was decided that a
decision on the subject should be made in 2006 by establishing an Internet
Governance Forum, whose first meeting was held in Greece in 2006. Last year,
the forum convened in Greece and various issues regarding Internet governance
were discussed. However, a final decision on the Internet governance was
adjourned to future annual meetings. The next meeting is to be held in Brazil.
Is there any hope that WSIS ratifications will be
implemented in the world?
Although no new
agreement has been reached in many fields including digital gap, financial
assistance for the realization of policies and plans related to use of
information and communication technology in developing countries as well as
Internet governance, there is hope that in view of firm decision of the United
Nations to follow up on the realization of the goals of eleven actions lines,
relevant efforts will continue during the current year. The United States is
trying to encourage all countries, including developing states, to take better
steps toward the realization of goals of the said action lines.
Any last words?
Many developing countries have taken valuable efforts for
the realization of the goals of Information Society and have informed the
United Nations of their programs. You may find many examples of such measures
on the website of the Information Society. Some countries have even
established Information Society ministries for the realization of goals and
implementation of ratifications of WSIS and are seriously following up those
goals. We hope that our country, which has taken laudable steps in this
regard, would not lag behind. |
