SPEAKING NOTES FOR MR. PATRIZIO CIVILI ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR POLICY COORDINATION AND INTER-AGENCY AFFAIRS

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1 WSIS Implementation: Consultation Meeting on Action Line C7 ICT Applications: E-government 16 May 2006, 3:00 6:00 pm, Room XXIII, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland SPEAKING NOTES FOR MR. PATRIZIO CIVILI ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR POLICY COORDINATION AND INTER-AGENCY AFFAIRS Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen and dear colleagues, It is my pleasure to welcome you to the first Consultation Meeting of the component of WSIS Action Line C7 which deals with E- government applications. The objective of this Consultation Meeting is to bring about a first exchange of views on the implementation modalities of action Line C7 e-government of the WSIS Plan of Action. We intend to exchange information and discuss possible cooperation modalities among us, the stakeholders. This Consultation is open to all WSIS stakeholders who are interested and involved in the implementation process and principally in the subject matter of Action Line C7- E-government applications. 1

2 I hope that at the end of this meeting we will have reached an understanding, and possibly a consensus, of how to best ensure that implementation for Action Line C7 as it relates to E- government applications, and that synergies are established among its stakeholders. While I trust that we are all familiar with the World Summit on the Information Society, I would like to describe the road that led us here today since the second Phase of the Summit in Tunis. To the many of you who have participated in other Action Line Meetings during the past few days, the information on the Summit Outcome that follows may sound repetitive. Therefore I will keep it as short as possible. The Tunis Agenda for the Information Society states that the WSIS implementation mechanism at the international level should be organised taking into account the themes and action lines in the Geneva Plan of Action, and moderated or facilitated by UN agencies when appropriate. I would like to underline here the distinction between the implementation of action lines and the general follow-up, or review, of the post-summit activities. Implementation is a multistakeholder process which involves the organisation of activities conducted in the field, through projects and partnerships. These are the engines that will turn the WSIS principles and goals into concrete actions to bridge the digital divide. 2

3 The players in multi-stakeholder implementation are governments, private sector, NGOs, civil society and international organizations, as well as regional organizations. On the other hand, general follow-up or review of post-summit activities is the process of review of how implementation is working and the decision to reinforce it, if necessary, by further political action or support, such as another summit. As implementation at the international level involves the role of UN agencies in facilitating activities among different stakeholders, UN agencies and other inter-governmental organisations were invited, in line with UNGA Resolution 57/ 270 B, to facilitate activities among different stakeholders, including civil society and the business sector, to help national governments in their implementation efforts. (para 108 of the Tunis Agenda). On the basis of the above premises, and on the basis of paragraph 109 of the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, a Consultation Meeting of prospective WSIS Action Line Facilitators/Moderators was held in Geneva in February of this year. One of the agreements reached in the meeting is that UNDESA would act as ad interim focal point for action lines C1, C7 and C11. 3

4 This is why UNDESA put together this meeting on the implementation of Action Line C7 as it relates to E-government applications. This role builds upon DESA s mandate and renewed focus on promoting an effective implementation of the outcomes of major UN conferences and summits, giving special attention to the achievement of the development goals embodied in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, and guided by the Agenda for Development. In addition, UNDESA has developed a body of knowledge and services in the area of e-government that is internationally recognized. UNDESA makes available to United Nations Member States a wide array of products, tools and services relating to e- government to build awareness and capacity, support development of regional cooperation initiatives, and promote resource mobilization and partnership-building. While I intend to leave up to you participants the discussion on the contents and modalities of the collaboration among stakeholders in implementing Action Line C7 as it relates to e- government, I would like to remind all of us the principles that our collaboration is supposed to follow. As emphasized by Mr. Yoshio Utsumi, Secretary-General of ITU and Secretary-General of WSIS in his speech at the February 2006 meeting of Action Line Facilitators/Moderators, there are several key principles that should direct our work. 4

5 To start, the process must be INCLUSIVE. WSIS was based heavily on a multi-stakeholder approach in which a full range of different views were accommodated. The Tunis Agenda clearly instructs that implementation under the Action Lines must be multi-stakeholder in nature. We must arrange a format that ensures an inclusive and bottom up approach for all stakeholders to work together. Second, the process must be COLLECTIVE. Only through collective action by all stakeholders will it be possible to fulfil the goals we have set at the Summit. Even though they are free to act by their own will, stakeholders have to work as a team and in a coordinated manner. Thirdly, our work must be RESULTS-ORIENTED. The time for discussing principles and theoretical concepts in WSIS is over. We must focus now on the minimum practical arrangements that are necessary for efficient implementation. We must be AGILE as well. The mechanism we create must be light and not burdensome. We have the flexibility to organize our work in the most appropriate manner. We must be prepared to react quickly and make the necessary changes if our mechanism is not working well. 5

6 It is useful at this stage to focus on the subject matter of this meeting, namely e-government applications. We are aware that an increasing number of e-government initiatives are being employed around the world to improve the delivery of public services to the people and tap the potential synergy from the interaction between new technologies, an educated population and an enabling environment for the attainment of knowledgebased economies. The new imperative of development is to employ ICT applications across the board for the creation of economic opportunities and human development. National governments, together with other stakeholders at national, regional and international levels are doing a considerable amount of work in conceptualizing, and deploying ICT and e-government services. I am sure that many of them are present at this meeting and we are looking forward to hearing from you what have been done and what we should work together further in this area. Learning from the recent plethora of e-government research and early prototypes of successful initiatives, e-government policies and programmes in countries around the world have begun to take into account the need for political commitment, organizational and institutional efficiency, regulatory reform, citizen participation, and cultural appropriateness. However, many challenges remain in the realization of the potential of e- government. 6

7 So, how does this relate to our discussion today? The mechanism that we are to discuss today should build on the existing resource base, aiming at more efficient and effective implementation activities. Although implementation of e-government applications is already underway at national, regional and international levels there is a need for coordination to minimise any unnecessary duplication, promote partnership, join efforts and cost-sharing to ensure that there is a balanced progress of all the different key areas in all regions. Action Line C7 as described in the Geneva Plan of Action involves a wide range of stakeholders and eight different spheres of action, and has inter-linkages with other Action Lines. But the task of this group is to focus on e-government applications. Governments around the world are recognized as one of the major actors in the promotion of ICT for development. In many instances the adoption of ICTs by governments is the entry point for ICT development in the country. Action line C7 identifies the following sub-themes on e-government applications: a) Implement e-government strategies focusing on applications aimed at innovating and promoting transparency in public administrations and democratic processes, improving efficiency and strengthening relations with citizens. 7

8 b) Develop national e-government initiatives and services, at all levels, adapted to the needs of citizens and business, to achieve a more efficient allocation of resources and public goods. c) Support international cooperation initiatives in the field of e- government, in order to enhance transparency, accountability and efficiency at all levels of government. Which stakeholders have which capabilities in the different spheres of Action Line C7 as it relates to e-government? This is a question that we will address in this meeting. The agenda of today is rather loose, as it intends to provide the minimal structure necessary to allow a fruitful exchange of information and views among stakeholders. I will soon give the floor to Mr. Charles Geiger, Executive Director of WSIS, who will make a presentation of the background of WSIS and on the international multi-stakeholder process as set forth in the WSIS outcome document, in particular the Tunis Agenda. This will be followed by an open space fir interventions by participants, the stakeholders of relevant programmes and initiatives committed to and involved in the promotion of ICT applications in and by public administrations. Finally, an open debate among participating stakeholders will focus on possible cooperation modalities. 8

9 This meeting is about using the potential of ICT for development. We hope that technology will assist us today in connecting with those who could not be present here today: we will try to connect via videoconferencing with colleagues of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition, our debate will be informed by the exchange of views which has been taking place during the past week through an online discussion forum dedicated to Action Line C7 e-government. The Tunis phase of WSIS has moved beyond broad discussion of the digital divide, and established a framework for implementation. It is our duty now to get down to the specifics of implementation, and set out ways to foster and expand digital opportunities. DESA stands ready to provide committed support to this important process, by making available substantive and technical support. As you know, DESA is the manager and coordinator of the United Nations Network on Public Administration (UNPAN), a global network that has been active for several years now. We are herewith making available this platform of UNPAN, its tools and services to the stakeholders team of Action Line C7 e- government to help facilitate its work. We look forward to a productive consultation. Thank you. 9

10 ANNEX I [Text of slides, prepared in PowerPoint by KMB] ACTION LINE C7 IN THE GENEVA PLAN OF ACTION 1 Slide # C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life (1) Title: Body Text: ICT applications can support sustainable development, in the fields of public administration, business, education and training, health, employment, environment, agriculture and science within the framework of national e- strategies. Slide # Title: C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life (2) Body Text Actions involve the following sectors: E-government E-business E-learning E-health E-employment E-environment E-agriculture E-science Slide # Title: E-government (1) Body Text E-government a) E-government strategies b) National E-government initiatives and services c) International cooperation initiatives on e-government Slide # Title E-government (2) Body Text a) Implement e-government strategies focusing on applications aimed at innovating and promoting transparency in public administrations and democratic processes, improving efficiency and strengthening relations with citizens. 1 Document WSIS-03/GENEVA/DOC/5E 10

11 Slide # Title E-government (3) Body Text b) Develop national e-government initiatives and services, at all levels, adapted to the needs of citizens and business, to achieve a more efficient allocation of resources and public goods. Slide # Title E-government (4) Body Text c) Support international cooperation initiatives in the field of e-government, in order to enhance transparency, accountability and efficiency at all levels of government. 11