[WSIS CS-Plenary] Global WSIS-2005 Fundraising Campaign

Wed Apr 7 09:54:17 BST 2004

Hey there on the List -

Has this press release already been posted (april 5)? - if so, i'm sorry 
for being redundant.
I'm not quite sure what exactly this funding is about - or for "who".

Just intended to share that background information with you.

Rgds,
Christine

german coordination group (wkk), Germany

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http://www.itu.int/wsis/funding/campaign.html
http://www.itu.int/wsis/newsroom/press_releases/wsis/2004/5apr.html

*ITU Launches Global WSIS-2005 Fundraising Campaign*

*Japan makes first contribution of nearly 400,000 Swiss Francs.
WSIS partners confirm staff for Executive Secretariat. *

*Geneva, 5 April 2004* – The Secretary-General of the International 
Telecommunication Union, Mr Yoshio Utsumi, today launched a global 
fundraising campaign <http://www.itu.int/wsis/funding/campaign.html> to 
support activities for the Tunis phase of the World Summit on the 
Information Society. Appealing to the international community, he called 
on all stakeholders to help make the WSIS-2005 Fundraising Campaign and 
the Summit in Tunis a success.

The fundraising campaign got off to an impressive start with an 
announcement by the Government of Japan, Ministry of Public Management, 
Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, of a CHF 386 300 (JPY 33 401 
000) contribution to the WSIS Fund. In addition, the governments of 
Japan, Spain, Canada, Switzerland and the Republic of Korea as well as 
other stakeholders, including UNESCO, and KDDI Corporation and BHN 
Association of Japan, have confirmed that they will provide professional 
staff to serve in the WSIS Executive Secretariat.

Mr Utsumi thanked these partners for their continued commitment to the 
Summit process. He called upon governments and other stakeholders to 
contribute generously to the WSIS-2005 Fundraising Campaign. He said, 
“Financial and in-kind support is essential to prepare for the Tunis 
phase of the Summit and to help bridge the digital divide and create a 
truly inclusive Information Society.”

“WSIS depends entirely on voluntary contributions to a special fund 
established by ITU,” noted Mr Utsumi. The cost of organizing the Tunis 
phase of the Summit is estimated to be about CHF 15 million. The goal of 
the fundraising campaign is to raise at least CHF 5 million in cash 
contributions for the WSIS Fund while covering the remaining amount 
through in-kind support from various partners.

The Geneva Phase of the World Summit on the Information Society 
culminated with global agreement on a Declaration of Principles for the 
emerging Information Society and a Plan of Action to implement concrete 
measures to make it a reality. The road map to Tunis and beyond 
envisages accelerated realization of the United Nations Millennium 
Development Goals built on a foundation of access to information and 
communication technology for all by 2015.

Contributions to the WSIS Fund can be tracked here 
<http://www.itu.int/wsis/funding/contributors2.html>.

*Contact info*
Telephone: +41 22 730 6373
Fax: +41 22 730 6393
E-mail: wsismedia at itu.int

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Call from Secretary-General Yoshio Utsumi

The Geneva Phase of the World Summit on the Information Society 
culminated with a landmark gathering of participants from all sectors, 
including nearly * 50 Heads of State/Government and Vice Presidents * as 
well as other representatives from * 176 countries, international 
organizations, civil society and business*. The Summit established the 
foundations of the Information Society by enunciating a shared vision in 
a Declaration of Principles 
<http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/doc_multi.asp?lang=en&id=1161%7C0> to 
meet the global challenges of the new millennium along with a concrete 
Plan of Action 
<http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/doc_multi.asp?lang=en&id=1160%7C0>. 
Significantly, government leaders and their multi-stakeholder partners 
gave an impetus to harnessing the tremendous potential of ICTs to help 
bridge the digital divide and achieve the UN Millennium Development 
Goals, which include forming partnerships to make ICTs accessible to all 
by 2015.

World leaders will once again congregate in Tunis in 2005 to review the 
progress made on the WSIS Action Plan and to formulate an Agenda for the 
future. We now face the immediate challenge of implementing the Plan of 
Action and organizing the Tunis phase of the Summit. * This requires 
contribution of effort and support from all concerned*.

The UN General Assembly Resolution 56/183 
<http://www.itu.int/wsis/docs/background/resolutions/56_183_unga_2002.pdf> 
(21 December 2001) that endorsed the holding of the World Summit on the 
Information Society did not provide a specific funding mechanism for 
WSIS. Instead, it invited the international community to make * 
voluntary contributions to a special trust fund* established by ITU to 
support the Summit.

The Geneva Phase of the Summit was made possible thanks to generous 
financial contributions 
<http://www.itu.int/wsis/funding/contributors1.html> by different 
governments (including several developing countries) and various 
international organizations. Additional in-kind support was also 
critical in putting together the organizational arrangements. It is 
estimated that the Tunis phase of the Summit * will cost approximately 
** CHF 15 million* 
<http://www.itu.int/wsis/funding/financial-status2.html>, which does not 
include elements of the process supported by the host country, Tunisia. 
* I have set a goal of raising * * at least CHF 5 million* 
<http://www.itu.int/wsis/funding/contributors2.html> * in financial 
contributions* to fund preparatory activities for the Tunis phase with 
the expectation that the remainder can be supported through in-kind 
contributions from various partners.

As part of this comprehensive fundraising campaign, I have written to 
our various partners requesting contributions to support the process. I 
would like to emphasize that the need is urgent, indeed vital, for the 
organization of the Tunis Summit and its successful outcome.

*To support WSIS-2005 with your valuable contributions, please call +41 
22 730 6310 or send an email to wsis at itu.int, for the attention of Mr. 
Christopher Clark.*

*More information on how to contribute to WSIS-2005 Fundraising 
Campaign* 
<http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/doc_multi.asp?lang=en&id=1194%7C1195>

/Yoshio Utsumi
Secretary-General of ITU and Secretary-General of WSIS/

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*Quick links:*

    * Tunis Phase: Contributions »
      <http://www.itu.int/wsis/funding/contributors2.html>
    * Tunis Phase: Financial status »
      <http://www.itu.int/wsis/funding/financial-status2.html>
    * Geneva Phase: Contributions »
      <http://www.itu.int/wsis/funding/contributors1.html>
    * Geneva Phase: Financial status »
      <http://www.itu.int/wsis/funding/financial-status1.html>