Seminar and Workshop background.
1. Role of ICT in promoting equitable and sustainable development for present and
future generations
The rapid pace of development in information and communications technologies (ICT) and
structures, particularly the global Internet, has significant implications for social and
economic development in countries. The data available indicate that these developments can
both facilitate and reduce the costs of communications across long distances and make
available new and expanded ranges of knowledge-based goods and information services.
However, the data also indicate that availability does not always equate with
accessibility due to poor design of information infrastructures, products and service, and
means for dissemination in relation to social and economic development variables.[1]
The benefits of accessible information and communication technologies for development
in the context of global disability policies was considered by the fifty-fourth (1999)[2] and fifty-sixth (2001)[3] sessions of the General
Assembly.
ICT and development was the topic of high-level policy dialogues of the international
community during the year 2000.[4]
In the United Nations "Millennium Declaration" (United Nations General
Assembly resolution 55/2)[5], heads of State and Government resolved
"to ensure that the benefits of new technologies, especially information and
communication technologies, in conformity with recommendations contained in the ECOSOC
2000 'Ministerial Declaration' [on the role of information technology in the context of a
knowledge-based global economy] are available to all".
The "Ministerial Declaration" of the High-level Segment of the substantive
session of the 2000 Economic and Social Council on "development and international
co-operation in the twenty-first century: the role of information technology in the
context of a knowledge-based global economy"[6] states in paragraph
5:
"We are deeply concerned that, at present, ITC's huge potential of advancing
development has not been fully captured… urgent and concerted actions at the
national, regional, and international levels are imperative for bridging the digital
divide and building digital opportunities and putting ICT firmly in the service of
development for all. In this regard we call upon all the members of the international
community to work co-operatively to bridge the digital divide and to foster 'digital
opportunity'."
Paragraph 6 of the "Ministerial Declaration" underscores the potential of ICT
to empower:
"ICT provides unique opportunities for economic growth and human development. It
can shape and enhance a wide range of development applications… from improved
agricultural and manufacturing productivity to the empowerment of all sections of society.
The potential to help foster sustainable development, empower people … is
enormous."
The "Ministerial Declaration" suggests that the considerable potential of ICT
to empower also would apply to persons with disabilities; and paragraph 7 of the
Ministerial Declaration discusses "access" to ICT but not the basic issue of
"accessible" ICT or instruments by this should be furthered:
"Access to information and knowledge-sharing is largely determined by education,
capabilities, including resources, transparent societies, capacity to generate and utilize
knowledge, connectivity and the availability of diverse content and applications and the
policy and legal/regulatory framework. These areas require urgent action at the national
and international levels to improve the capacity of all countries, particularly the
developing countries and countries with economies in transition, to participate in the
knowledge-based economy in order to promote their economic and social development."
2. Accessible ICT and Internet accessibility: international and national norms and
standards
Neither the "Millennium Declaration" of the Millennium Summit of the General
Assembly nor the "Ministerial Declaration" of the substantive session of the
2000 Economic and Social Council address the question of accessibility in new and emerging
information and communication technologies and its contribution to sustainable social and
economic development of countries. This is significant since the General Assembly
previously has identified accessible information and communications technologies as
essential components of a broad human rights framework for development.[7]
Normative concern with accessible ICT was, however, reflected in documents from other
intergovernmental fora during 2000, such as the "Declaration" of the Economic
Leaders of the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum) meeting at Brunei
Darussalam[8] and the adoption of the "eEurope 2002 Action Plan; an
information society for all"[9] by the "Feira European
Council".
For persons with disabilities access to Internet-enabled resources removes obstacles to
mobility, and enhances opportunities for participation and communication of knowledge,
information and ideas.[10]
Access to Internet-enabled resources is not automatic, however.
- Some persons with disabilities may need the means to communicate via the global Internet
in terms of personal computing devices and software that are adapted to meet their
particular needs.
- Information goods and services contained in sites on the World Wide Web of the Internet
must provide reasonable levels of accessibility for all in accordance with recognized
criteria on reasonable accommodation. This is not always the case since accessibility
norms and technical standards developed by professional bodies and voluntary organizations
are not obligatory unless these are incorporated national policy, law or administrative
guidance.[11]
In the absence of policy, regulatory or administrative guidance, there is limited
evidence of either governmental or private initiatives to encourage accessible
Internet-enabled services, which take into account the needs of persons with disabilities.
The principal policy reference on accessible ICT at the international level is the
United Nations Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with
Disabilities, which provides, in rule 5, that "States... develop strategies to make
information services and documentation accessible for different groups of persons with
disabilities." Measures to translate policy intent into practice are not specified.
Several countries, including Australia, Canada, Portugal and the United States of
America have enacted policy guidance or legislation on information accessibility.[12] For instance, the "Guide to the Internet" of the Government
of Canada [13] states:
"Since the end user cannot count on either standard technology or helping devices
to ensure access to information on the [World Wide] Web, the onus is on the Web page
developer to deliver the message in a way that allows everyone to benefit.
"It is every Canadian's right to receive Government information or service in a
form that can be used, and it is Government of Canada's obligation to provide it."
3. Capacity building for Internet accessibility for all and the link to sustainable
and equitable development for present and future generations
Paragraph 9 of the "Ministerial Declaration" of the substantive session of
the 2000 Economic and Social Council states:
"… Investment in education ... remains the fundamental way of developing
human capacity and should be at the heart of any national, regional and international
information technology strategy."
Paragraph 14 of the "Ministerial Declaration" describes what is to be an
expected outcome of the seminar and workshop of the current project:
"National programmes for putting ICT in the service of development must be
integrated into national development strategies. These national programmes could include,
inter alia: Establishing a transparent and consistent legal and regulatory framework that
fosters ICT development."
Paragraph 15 of the "Ministerial Declaration" states:
" The United Nations system, in particular the Economic and Social Council, can
play a key role in promoting synergies and coherence of all efforts directed to expand the
development impact of ICT in the following ways:
…
(d) Emphasizing the importance of universal access to knowledge and information for
promoting development."
The seminar and workshop would address these topics as well as emerging issues and
concerns being identified for the "World Summit on the Information Society" in
the deliberations and group work on policies, standards and procedures related to
accessible ICT and promoting digital connections in support of efforts to further
implement the Millennium Development Goals.
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Notes:
1 "Declaración Final Adoptada por los Representantes de América
Latina al Término del Seminario Latinoamericano sobre Accesibildad en Internet"
(México D.F., el 7 de Junio de 2001) http://www.worldenable.net/mexico2001/declaracion.htm
.
2 "Implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning
Disabled Persons; towards a society for all in the twenty-first century, report of the
Secretary-General" (A/54/388/Add.1) http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disa54e6.htm
.
3 "Implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning
Disabled Persons; towards a society for all in the twenty-first century, report of the
Secretary-General" (A/55/169 and Corr.1) http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disA56169e1.htm
.
4 See ECOSOC High-level segment (5-7 July 2000), Development of
information technology in a knowledge-based global economy, "Introduction,"
http://www.un.org/esa/coordination/ecosoc/itforum/index.html >; and "Millennium
Report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations" (A/54/2000) http://www.un.orrg/millennium/sg/report/ .
5 General Assembly resolution 55/2, of 8 September 2000 http://www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.htm
.
6 http://www.un.org/documents/ecosoc/docs/2000/e2000-l9.pdf
7 General Assembly resolutions 52/82 and 54/121, op. cit., and 56/115,
of 19 December 2001.
8 Leaders' Declaration, Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC)
meeting, Brunei Darussalam (16 November 2000), "Delivering to the Community"
<http://www.apecsec.org.sg/virtualib/econlead/brunei.html.
9 http://europa.eu.int/information_society/eeurope/action_plan/pdf/actionplan_en.pdf
.
10 The Disabled People's Association (Singapore), "PCs and the
disabled" http://www.dpa.org.sg/DPA/pcknowhow.htm
.
11 "Selected policies related to accessibility" http://www.w3.org/WAI/Policy/; see also "The
Internet standards process (revision 3)" [on standardization of protocols and
procedures] http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2026.txt
.
12 "Selected policies …", op. cit.
13 http://canada.gc.ca/programs/guide/3_1_4e.html
.
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