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The Information Society

How ICT Is Working to Reduce Poverty in the Developing World

Cambodia became the first country in the world in 1993 where mobile telephones passed fixed ones. Courtesy: ITU

One of the greatest promises of the Information Society has been the potential of information technology--from telephony to the Internet--to reduce poverty in the developing world. While the "digital divide" between technologically rich and poor countries still exists, information and communication technology (ICT) is now considered a basic tool for economic development in poor countries and a key component in the global development agenda. Together, civil society and public-private partnerships have helped shape the practicalities of access to ICT, e-learning, e-government, e-business, e-health and work force preparedness. On the occasion of Phase I of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva from December 10-12, this Development Gateway Special provides resources from 16 topic pages related to the Information Society. Elizabeth Longworth, the new head of UNESCO's Information Society Division, speaks with the Gateway about challenges in transforming the Information Society into Knowledge Societies.

E-Government
	WSIS will adopt a Declaration of Principles and a Plan of Action for implementation by governments, institutions and civil society to deal with the challenges of the information society. More

Non-Governmental Organizations
	A major player in discussions about the information society at WSIS, the civil society community has created a virtual Civil Society Meeting Point and the Civil Society News Center for the summit. More

ICT for Development
	What role does information and communication technology play in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)? What is the relationship between WSIS and the MDGs? More

Indigenous Peoples
	For indigenous peoples, ICT may open new possibilities for social and economic development, defined in terms of ethnic and cultural identity. More

Poverty
	The International Telecommunications Union, World Economic Forum and Orbicom are releasing reports at WSIS on the state of information infrastructure worldwide. More

E-Learning
	Government policies in Asia Pacific region are key to adoption of technologies and programs for use in e-learning. More

Culture
	Local culture bearers are confronting the Information Society tidal wave by adapting commercial technology to promote the survival of cultural traditions. More

Capacity Development for MDGs
	WSIS focuses on ICT as a critical enabler of capacity development to achieve the MDGs. More

Gender & Development
	The WSIS Gender Caucus is a multi-stakeholder group consisting of women and men from national governments, civil society, NGOs, the private sector and the UN system. More

Innovations for Development
	Eight case studies--from Brazil to the Philippines--analyze how innovations in technology and governance can be harnassed for positive social outcomes.More

Privatization
	Privatization can improve telecommunications infrastructure and information accessibility. More

Youth
	What is important to young people in the information society and how new technologies can be harnessed for development goals are questions addessed at the WSIS Youth Caucus.More

Afghanistan
	Telecommunications capacity-building in Afghanistan will serve to facilitate broad reconstruction efforts. More

E-Commerce
	Handicrafts e-commerce projects are leading success stories for e-business SMEs in the developing world. More

Foreign Direct Investment
	To what extent does the spread of information and communication technologies determine the flow of foreign direct investment? More

Population & Reproductive Health
	UNFPA is launching at WSIS the portable Knowledge Asset Development System (pKADS) developed in partnership with the University College Cork and the Irish Government. More

DG Expert Perspective:
Changing the Information Society into Knowledge Societies

Elizabeth Longworth

Elizabeth Longworth has been Director of UNESCO's Information Society Division since August 2003. Formerly Director of the ICT Sector at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the country's national economic development agency, she oversaw the development and implementation of national ICT strategies and programmes. Prior to her work in economic development, Ms. Longworth practised law in New Zealand specializing in a wide-range of areas, including information policy issues, privacy, e-commerce, dispute resolution, bioinformatics and global information infrastructure. More

Partners

		World Summit on the Information Society

		UNESCO - Communication and Information Sector

		InfoDev

		United Nations Development Program at WSIS

		World Bank WSIS

		Development Gateway Foundation - Petersberg Prize