rep Conférence générale 30e session Rapport General Conference 30th Session Report Conferencia General 30 a reunión Informe Paris 1999

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1 Paris 1999 Conférence générale 30e session Rapport General Conference 30th Session Report Conferencia General 30 a reunión Informe rep 30 C/REP July 1999 Original: English REPORT BY THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL COUNCIL FOR THE GENERAL INFORMATION PROGRAMME AND REPORT BY THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL INFORMATICS PROGRAMME ON THEIR RESPECTIVE ACTIVITIES OUTLINE Source: Article 10 of the Statutes of the Intergovernmental Council for the General Information Programme (PGI) and Article 11 of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Intergovernmental Informatics Programme (IIP). Background: In accordance with document 29 C/5 (paras and 04044) approved by the General Conference at its 29th session, and with 29 C/Resolution 28 (para. 2.C(f)) which invites the Director-General to convene the statutory meetings of the PGI Intergovernmental Council and the IIP Intergovernmental Committee, as well as those of their Bureaux, as joint meetings, the twelfth session of the Intergovernmental Council for the General Information Programme and the seventh session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Intergovernmental Informatics Programme were held in close conjunction in Paris, from 7 to 11 December These meetings included a joint session of the PGI Council and the IIP Committee on 9 December Purpose: The present report reflects the discussions and recommendations of the twelfth session of the Intergovernmental Council for PGI and of the seventh session of the Intergovernmental Council for IIP. It focuses on the renewal of both programmes integrating the objectives of PGI and IIP. Furthermore, it reflects on replacing the existing intergovernmental bodies by a new intergovernmental structure to guide and supervise this programme. Decision required: No decision is required on this document.

2 I. INTERGOVERNMENTAL COUNCIL FOR PGI, TWELFTH SESSION, 7-8 DECEMBER C/REP The twelfth session of the Intergovernmental Council for the General Information Programme (PGI) was held at UNESCO House, Paris, from 7 to 8 December In his opening remarks, the Assistant Director-General for Communication, Information and Informatics, Mr Henrikas Yushkiavitshus, underlined that the borderlines between communication, information and informatics were becoming increasingly permeable and that greater synergy among them is necessary to improve the efficiency of UNESCO s action. He stressed that the CII Sector has already reacted to this development by expanding and developing the mandate of the General Information Programme and that both traditional and new activities undertaken by the General Information Programme and the Intergovernmental Informatics Programme have a common strategy. They are based on the intellectual and ethical mandate of UNESCO which, on the one hand, requires a focus on content in the information society and, on the other hand, promotes action to build the infrastructure or infostructure of the information society through training, the establishment of information policies and the promotion of networking. These strategies will be consolidated in the future and implemented within the framework of the three major themes on which UNESCO will focus its attention in the next biennium ( ): the impact of the globalization process on societies and individuals; poverty alleviation and exclusion; and the challenges of a world information society. He called upon the Council members to help the Organization in adapting its programmes and activities to alleviate the great disparities in access to information existing throughout the world, and to benefit all from the immense possibilities offered by modern technologies. 3. The Council elected its Bureau composed of the Chairperson (France), three Vice- Chairpersons (China, Poland, Uruguay), three members (Canada, Mali, Yemen) and the rapporteur (Austria). 4. The Secretariat presented the main working document outlining the activities both of PGI and IIP. UNESCO s activities related to information and informatics are based on the Organization s strategy for facing the challenges of the information society. This strategy, which was discussed on several occasions by UNESCO s governing bodies, includes two main lines of action: Given its intellectual and moral mandate, UNESCO must concentrate on the content aspects of the information society, including information access, training and ethical issues. As for the infrastructure of the information society, UNESCO concentrates on infostructure (policies, networking and applications) rather than on basic telecommunication and informatics facilities. 5. Whereas the content aspect is mainly covered by activities carried out under the General Information Programme (PGI), activities under the Intergovernmental Informatics Programme (IIP) are focusing on the promotion of training in information handling and on the mastery and dissemination of informatics and telematics techniques which support development in UNESCO s fields of competence. An increasing number of activities are relevant to both programmes and are closely related to the infostructure aspect. They include the development of national and/or regional information policies (in particular universal access

3 30 C/REP.16 - page 2 policies), the promotion of networking of people and institutions (with a view to sharing experience and knowledge), the promotion of the establishment of virtual learning communities, virtual schools and virtual laboratories, assistance to the development of on-line governance services, and of multi-purpose community telecentres in rural or disadvantaged areas, the enhancement of information access for illiterates, as well as the improvement of infrastructures of public libraries, archives and documentation centres as gateways to information including the establishment of virtual libraries. 6. Examining the current activities of PGI which are being implemented by the Information and Informatics Division, many delegates noted with satisfaction that they reflected the expanded mandate of PGI and a proper balance between traditional fields of information such as preservation and conservation, on the one hand, and meeting the challenges of the new information technologies, on the other hand. A number of delegates called for more frequent evaluation of projects on the basis of clearly defined indicators for measuring their success or failure. Almost all participants mentioned the Memory of the World programme as essential. This programme has considerably enhanced UNESCO s visibility worldwide. 7. The main functions of PGI were considered to provide guidance in key areas of the information society, such as preparing citizens for globalization whilst assisting in connecting the marginalized areas to urban centres, to use new information and communication technologies to increase functional literacy and to advocate the right to communicate as one of the basic human rights. They recommended concentrating the programme and called for enhanced cooperation with NGOs. Some of the delegates underlined the need to use the new information and communication technologies in the development process and for narrowing the gap between info-haves and info have-nots. A key role in this context should be given to basic library services and archives for the dissemination of governmental information. Particular emphasis should be placed on the evaluation of the social, political and economical impact of new information and communication technologies. The delegates expressed the need to support regional approaches in information in order to counterbalance globalization. They regretted that despite the importance of the programme, no improvement of its financial situation had been achieved to date. 8. With a view to preparing the joint session of the PGI Council and the IIP Committee, the delegates requested that the ad hoc working group on the future of the General Information Programme and the Intergovernmental Informatics Programme established during the joint session of the Bureaux of the PGI Council and the IIP Committee on 23 June 1998 pursue its work by preparing a document outlining the new programme for consideration by the Executive Board and the General Conference. Member States were invited to contribute to this debate. 9. The following recommendations were adopted: The Intergovernmental Council for the General Information Programme at its twelfth session, 1. Recalling resolution 28 adopted by the General Conference at its 29th session, 2. Having examined document PGI/IIP-98/1, Part I Report on recent PGI activities,

4 30 C/REP.16 - page 3 3. Notes with satisfaction the significant activities undertaken by the Information and Informatics Division in expanding and developing the mandate of the General Information Programme; 4. Notes with satisfaction the substantial input made by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to the programme and recommends to further strengthen cooperation with all relevant NGOs; 5. Recommends that cooperation with other international organizations and the private sector should be developed; 6. Recommends the Secretariat to continue to develop its future activities along the main lines of action as put forward in the preface of document PGI/IIP-98/1; the activities shall concentrate on the content aspects of the information society, including preservation of, and access to, information, training and societal and ethical issues; infostructure aspects must equally be taken into account, including information policies and networking, thereby maintaining a balance between traditional and new fields of communication and information activities, building on previous activities to accumulate the experience of the programme; 7. Recommends a more frequent evaluation of projects on the basis of clearly defined indicators for measuring their success or failure, beginning with a baseline review of a sample of completed projects including frequent reporting on, and controlling of projects to increase their transparency; 8. Recommends Member States, the General Conference and the Executive Board to give priority to narrowing the gap between information haves and have-nots to contributing to reduce the existing economical and technical barriers; 9. Requests that the comments and recommendations made at the twelfth session of the PGI Council be duly reflected in the preparation of the Programme and Budget for (30 C/5); 10. Recommends that (a) (b) (c) (d) attempts be made that future conferences on information issues be organized at regional levels and/or on specific issues providing a balance to international conferences on general issues; the School Library Manifesto be submitted to the 30th session of the General Conference for endorsement and that the Secretariat promotes its dissemination; the Secretariat prepare, in cooperation with concerned organizations within the United Nations system and with the International Council on Archives, a proposal for undertaking actions for the safeguarding of, and access to, the archives of the intergovernmental organizations for consideration by the next Bureau meeting and Council session; the Secretariat take note of the Declaration of the eighth Regional Meeting of CDS/ISIS Distributors, Montevideo, calling for further support to

5 30 C/REP.16 - page 4 CDS/ISIS development and that it prepare detailed information on the recent situation related to this software; 11. Requests that possibilities be studied to reallocate funds to increase the CII budget in view to the key role of communication and information in all areas of UNESCO s activities. II. PGI COUNCIL AND THE IIP COMMITTEE, JOINT SESSION, 9 DECEMBER A joint meeting of the Intergovernmental Council for the General Information Programme (PGI) and of the Intergovernmental Committee of the Intergovernmental Informatics Programme (IIP) took place on 9 December It discussed ways of implementing 29 C/Resolution 28 (para. 2.C(f)) which invites the Director-General to convene the statutory meetings of the PGI Intergovernmental Council and the IIP Intergovernmental Committee, as well as those of their Bureaux, as joint meetings, in order to release funds for concrete activities in Member States and to establish the synergies necessary to adapt UNESCO s activities to the challenges of the information highways, thus enabling the 30th session of the General Conference to take a well-informed decision about a possible merger of these two intergovernmental programmes or any other appropriate solution. The meeting was co-chaired by the Chairperson of PGI and the Chairperson of IIP. The objectives of the joint session were to brainstorm on the future of PGI and IIP and to determine the steps to be undertaken for the possible new programme emerging from IIP and PGI. 11. The meeting was opened by the Director-General of UNESCO who outlined the general issues raised by the information revolution from the perspective of UNESCO s core mission to its Member States and to the people it serves. He reminded delegates that, as a result of the 29th session of the General Conference, their mandate was to rethink the role of PGI and IIP to assist UNESCO in shaping a vision leading the Organization through the transition from the industrial to the information age and to reassess the intergovernmental mechanisms for planning and orienting the Organization s activities related to information and informatics. 12. In the debate, the majority of delegates were in favour of establishing a new programme reflecting the challenges of new information and communication technologies thereby integrating the objectives of PGI and IIP and to replace the existing intergovernmental bodies by a new intergovernmental structure to guide and supervise this programme. They stressed that only integrated operations concerning information and informatics issues at the same time will have optimal results. The information society needed synergy through real cooperation and a fully integrated approach of all professions involved. They underlined that the new programme should be aimed at balancing inequalities in access to information and the use of new technologies. The capacity of information to contribute to problem-solving is a prime issue and a key to successful development. In this context, regional and multilingual approaches are of particular importance. The delegates were confident that, with the expertise of both outgoing programmes and their findings, the access to the information society for all, especially for youth, would be facilitated. They underlined that the new programme needed to be concentrated on education, science and culture as the main areas of competence of UNESCO. 13. Although in favour of rethinking PGI and IIP, some delegates expressed that caution should be taken in giving up well-established, though not ideal structures. In particular, some delegates were of the opinion that

6 30 C/REP.16 - page 5 information and informatics have clearly distinguished identities, particularly in developing countries; in the period of transition from the existing to new programme structures, the continuity of operations must be maintained in order to secure future support by external sponsors; in the process of integration of the programmes, the visibility of informatics must be maintained, regardless of intergovernmental structures; the diversity of national and regional approaches to informatics policies and projects must be taken into account. 14. The delegates agreed to entrust the two Bureaux to nominate new members of the already set up ad hoc working group on the future of PGI and IIP and to invite external experts as appropriate. The mandate of the group would be to design an outline of a possible new programme, taking into account the discussions of this joint session and the report of the previous ad hoc working group. In particular, it was proposed that the mandate of the group would be to define main lines of the new programme; suggest priority issues for future actions; define general principles for future projects (catalytic role, pilot character, adaptation of findings, etc.); reflect on the intergovernmental management structures; reflect on cooperation mechanisms with other UNESCO programmes and with outside partners; suggest reallocation of funds with a view to increasing the resources available; elaborate the proposed form of presentation to UNESCO s governing bodies. 15. The draft outline of the new programme to be prepared by the ad hoc working group would be discussed by the Bureaux and submitted to the PGI Council and IIP Committee members for their comments and proposals. It would then be put forward for discussion to the General Conference. Both PGI and IIP remain fully operational until the new programme has been endorsed. III. INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR IIP, SEVENTH SESSION, DECEMBER The seventh session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Intergovernmental Informatics Programme was held on 10 and 11 December The Assistant Director-General for Communication, Information and Informatics Mr Henrikas Yushkiavitshus, welcomed the members of the Intergovernmental Committee, the observers and the representatives of the intergovernmental and international nongovernmental organizations to the seventh session.

7 30 C/REP.16 - page The Council elected its Bureau composed of the Chairperson (Slovakia), six Vice- Chairpersons (India, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mozambique, Peru, Russian Federation, Sweden) and the rapporteur (Greece). 19. The Chairperson presented an oral report summarizing the activities of the Bureau during his presidency in the period He stressed the importance of the training activities and highlighted actions related to informatics policy, access to free software and infrastructure development. He pointed out the efforts made to reflect the synergy of information, informatics and telecommunication. Also, new modalities and strategies for evaluation were elaborated and applied by Bureau members within the framework of IIP projects in Africa and Asia. 20. In examining the activities of IIP, a number of delegates called for more frequent evaluation of projects on the basis of clearly defined indicators for measuring their success or failure. Almost all participants mentioned the training of trainers as essential. Regarding the future of the programme, the delegates underlined that the results of past projects needed indepth analysis, and future plans should be based on solid evidence of what had been successful and what had to be abandoned. Before designing the programme, it should be assessed upstream, paying special attention to the lasting nature and validity of future action. New elements should be introduced with fresh thinking, in particular those of a creative character, such as information analysis and specific engineering studies. Youth and youthrelated matters should have a high visibility, giving youth priority as users and having youth in mind when designing projects and activities. Training of trainers was a top priority and UNESCO should act as a facilitator in this area, promoting mutual learning from each other s experience. The Organization should support training activities at regional level, making the widest possible use of regional focal points and local expertise, based on the establishment of a roster of trainers. Distance education means should be made use of. Changes in priorities needed to be reflected, e.g. networking should remain a key issue, whereas physical connection is now more readily available. Content and the development of access for users in less privileged areas, such as rural zones, should have high priority, multilingualism should be supported, and the development of national content both for national and external users should constitute priority tasks, possibly with two-way access to websites. 21. Delegates underlined that major attention should be paid to the legal implications of the information society, taking into account both existing elements of legislation and those lacking. The virtual laboratory approach could be extended to applications at secondaryschool level, e.g. for teaching physics and chemistry where laboratories are lacking. The issue of developing low-price computers operating with springs merits further exploration. The reuse of hardware merited consideration, because computer equipment replaced in public administration as well as in companies may still play a considerable role in education, etc. 22. The dissemination of information on the programme as a whole and about individual projects needed to be enhanced. In particular a better use of UNESCO s server could have immediate effects. Therefore, information on past projects, their results and the experience gained through them should be made widely available through the UNESCO website. The same information system could be used to underline the cultural and society aspects in the information society, which need a better and more precise definition. The improved information would have a beneficial effect on coordination with other international programmes.

8 30 C/REP.16 - page The delegates were of the opinion that IIP projects should be presented to potential donors clearly specifying the results to be achieved, stressing the added value provided by cooperation among the beneficiary, UNESCO and the donor, the quality of UNESCO expertise which could be made available through the project, as well as the fact that the cost of UNESCO-operated projects are less expensive than execution by other agencies. A better selection of proposals, attribution of priorities and developing projects with the largest possible impact in the field of education could contribute to mobilization of funding. Involvement of the private sector should be strengthened. Projects should be replicable, and it should be made clear to both donors and beneficiaries that the results and experience gained would be transferred to the widest possible range of other countries and institutions. 24. The following recommendations were adopted: The Intergovernmental Committee of the Intergovernmental Informatics Programme recommends that 1. The main principles of elaborating the new programme should be the following: in-depth analysis and evaluation of latest achievements drawing lessons of both successes and failures; identifying fields and types of activities which are innovative and of common use to the greatest number of countries; increasing visibility and information of projects to be implemented; 2. The main lines of action should be the following: youth and youth related matters; training the trainers; networking and facility of access in a multicultural and multilingual context, focusing on developing national content; dissemination of freeware; centres of excellence; distance education; facilitating the acquisition of low-price hardware and negotiating low tariffs; 3. Efforts should be made to reverse decision to limit IIP to the use of extrabudgetary resources only, and the use of funds made available to UNESCO by the donors, be specified; more attractive procedures to mobilize public and private resources be found; cooperation with international and regional organizations in order to avoid overlapping, be strengthened;

9 30 C/REP.16 - page 8 4. Focus should be on the concept of the information society, encouraging governments to devise national informatics policy. IV. LIST OF THE PROJECTS APPROVED BY THE IIP BUREAU AT ITS FOURTEENTH MEETING 25. For this session the IIP budget was made up of voluntary contributions amounting to US $78,000, complemented by unallocated funds on the IIP Special Account. The Bureau, which also awarded the IIP label to 15 projects, allocated the following amounts from the IIP Special Account for the total or partial financing of selected projects: Cameroon Uganda Lebanon Uzbekistan Training on the creation of multimedia products with national content Preparation of training material on the methodology for the development of educational software products Establishment of a Training Centre on Informatics Applications for Handicapped Persons Development of informatics training at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy US $20,000 US $50,000 US $30,000 US $27,000 Kyrgyz Republic Regional school for web designers in Central Asia US $50,000 Croatia Development of a training module on the applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), for on-line governance and accessing public domain information US $62,000