[Pal-dc] Call for 2013 WSIS Project Prizes

Mon Sep 17 09:13:47 BST 2012

Dear Colleagues

I'm sharing with you the call for 2013 WSIS Project Prizes that was recently announced by the ITU. Library projects under action line C3 and C7 could well be strong contenders for these prizes - if anyone on this list would like more information or advice on how to proceed with this process, please contact me.

Kind regards,

Stuart

...........................................................

Geneva, 10 September 2012 - The International Telecommunication Union is pleased to announce the second edition of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Project Prizes, an annual contest which recognizes excellence in the implementation of projects and initiatives which further the WSIS goals of improving connectivity to information and communication technologies (ICTs) in line with the 11 Action Lines laid out in the WSIS outcome documents <http://www.itu.int/wsis/docs2/tunis/off/6rev1.html>  agreed at theUN World Summit on the Information Society <http://www.itu.int/wsis/tunis/index.html> . 

The WSIS Project Prizes 2013 ( www.wsis.org/stocktaking/prizes ) contest is open to all stakeholders including governments, the private sector, international organizations, civil society, regional and international agencies, research institutions and others. Interested parties are invited to nominate a project by completing the online form at www.wsis.org/stocktaking/prizes. The deadline for submission of project descriptions is 16 December 2012. 

The winning projects will be announced during a special awards ceremony to be held on 13 May 2013 during the WSIS Forum 2013 <http://www.wsis.org/forum>  in Geneva, Switzerland. 

"The WSIS Project Prizes emphasize the importance of the WSIS Stocktaking Process in the Overall Review of the implementation of the WSIS outcomes," said ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun I. Touré. "This Stocktaking Process is the key platform that allows the international development community to take stock of WSIS achievements, and to share best practices on a global scale." 

The 18 winners will have the opportunity to network, showcase their projects at an international level, share knowledge and experience as well as learn about other strategies and models which further the WSIS goals. A special Showcasing Roundtable and Gala Dinner will provide global visibility for winning organizations, and winners will also be highlighted in the 2013 edition of the WSIS Stocktaking Report on Success Stories. 

In 2012, more than 170 projects from 50 countries were nominated. The winning projects can be found in the 2012 WSIS Stocktaking Report on Success Stories <http://groups.itu.int/stocktaking/2012Releases.aspx> . 

For further details on the World Summit on the Information Society, please see: www.itu.int/wsis/index.html 

Follow WSIS news on Twitter at #WSIS. 

For editors - quotes from a few of last year's winners: 

Vujica Lazović, Deputy Prime Minister, Montenegro: "Winning this award is a direct recognition of the efforts that have been made in Montenegro to develop a modern information society."

Diego Molano Vega, Minister of ICT, Colombia: "It's a great honour for the government of Colombia, especially for the Ministry of ICT and for Computadores para Educar, to receive this international award in recognition of our comprehensive strategy of bringing technology and training teachers, in addition to promoting environmental responsibility; three elements that make difference to this social program, which is aimed at contributing to poverty reduction and development."
Lakshmi Vaidyanathan, Director of RTBI, India: "Participation in such a contest allowed us to learn about other best practices and approaches, exchanging views and more so, meeting an international community of people with like-minded interests and challenges."

Manal Al Abdwani, Director General of Planning & Follow Up, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Oman: "Winning this award for the One-Stop-Shop of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry shows the project's contribution towards the growth of the national economy. The IT industry helps in simplifying procedures and cuts short the document cycle through the use of modern technologies."

Krzysztof Glomb, President of the 'Cities on Internet', Poland: "It is important that a Polish project which is socially innovative won in international competition. This project is based on the real demands of society and it is changing also the perception of rural areas. The WSIS Prize is not only an award for the Association, but for all Lighthouse Keepers and those who are keen on digital education in Poland". 

Note on the WSIS Stocktaking Process 

The WSIS Stocktaking process provides a comprehensive register of ICT-oriented development activities carried out by governments, international organizations, the business sector, civil society and other entities. The Tunis Agenda for the Information Society adopted by the 2005 Summit mandates ITU to maintain the WSIS Stocktaking Database as a publicly accessible system providing information on ICT-related initiatives and projects linked to the 11 WSIS Action Lines. 

United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) resolution 2012/5 "Assessment of the progress made in the implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society" reiterates the importance of sharing the best practices at the global level, and while recognizing excellence in the implementation of the projects and initiatives which further the WSIS goals, encourages all stakeholders to nominate their projects to the annual WSIS Project Prizes as an integral part of the WSIS Stocktaking process. 

http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2012/55.aspx 

Stuart Hamilton

Director of Policy and Advocacy

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

P.O. Box 95312
2509 CH The Hague
Netherlands

00 31 70 314 0884

Twitter: @iflaspa

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.apc.org/mailman/private/pal-dc/attachments/20120917/f203e011/attachment.html>