• The World Summit on the Information Society and the role of Local Authorities
• Presentation
  • Honorary Committee
  • The players at the Bilbao Summit
  • Why should a Local Authority take part in the Bilbao Summit?
  • Bilbao and its commitment in favour of Digital Solidarity
  • Organizers and support
  • The vision of Local Authorities at the Tunis Summit
• Preparation for the Bilbao Summit
• Declaration and Plan of Action of Bilbao
• Bilbao and the Basque Country
• Program and informations to download
• Press Room
• Videos
• Speakers

Presentation

Objectives

Through this Bilbao Summit, Local Authorities attempt to contribute towards setting a World Agreement in motion in favour of Digital Solidarity which may bring together all the players. To this end, the local authorities:

-State that they are, in collaboration with the other players involved, a determining political agent as regards the Information Society, and that they are willing to take on this responsibility in a context of continuous dialogue with states, civil society and the private sector, both on a local and international scale.

-They are contributing towards setting a funding mechanism for Digital Solidarity in motion, following on from the principle(*) approved at the Geneva WSIS with regard to the need to ensure the fair development of ICT, job creation and access to the research and developmental capacity of their communities.

-They propose a public-private cooperation space which may enable applications, training and the harmonious development of territories to be created.

The Bilbao Summit will adopt a Declaration and a Plan of Action which will reflect the specific commitments adopted by local authorities and their partners to set in motion a fair and diverse Information Society which will facilitate new opportunities for development over a 10-year period (2005-2015).

The Digital Solidarity Fund aims at mobilizing financial resources in order to develop a truly sympathetic Information Society.

(*)Based on the Principle of Geneva defined by the President of Senegal, Mr.Abdoulave Wade, the public sector should take into account when Information Technologies services are offered to them that a contribution of 1% on the contract obtained by private ICTs services providers (hardware and software) is made to the Digital Solidarity Fund. Such voluntary contributions would give private businesses the right to use a “Digital Solidarity Fund” label on their equipments and materials.