Platform / WSIS meetings

Its specific objective is to use the collective strength of international and national media-related NGOs to leverage/advocate/lobby for the democratisation of communication and communication access.

Admittedly, this is a tall task. Media related NGOs often focus on a disparate, at times mutually exclusive set of concerns. Media-related lobbying, generally speaking, has become an exclusive preserve of corporations and governments. Churches in North America and certain NGOs in Europe have tried their luck at lobbying but have found that lobbying takes time, money, resources and personnel.

Since 1997, the Platform has been involved in a restricted but critical number of activities, the most prominent being the attempt to open up the International Telecommunications Union ( ITU) to NGO involvement in planning and decision-making processes. Towards this end, Sean O’Siochru (MacBride Roundtable) and others were involved in preparing the document ‘Study Group 2 Question 10 g/2 “Enhancing the Capacity of NGOs to Achieve Development Aims through the Use of Telecommunication - Final Report” which clearly outlined a rationale for NGO and civil society involvement at the ITU, and described the possible outcomes of such involvement leading to the democratisation of communications. This report is available at WACC.

After an initial consideration of a bouquet of issues, some that petered out, Platform members are now of the opinion that the best approach to effective lobbying is to select a single issue, to concentrate on it, and to organise activities that will further issue-specific, particular goals.

While at any given time, there are a plethora of issues that can become a part of the Platform portfolio, the Platform is today confronted with an issue that will have important ramifications for the future health of civil society. The ITU plans to organise a World Summit on the Information Society(WSIS) in late 2004-05.

It is important that the Platform responds to this challenge. While the Platform has been able to, so to speak, get one foot into the ITU door, the legitimacy of NGO/civil society issues is yet to be reflected in ITU ‘speak’ or policy. It is vital that NGOs contribute to the planning and organisation processes related to the WSIS and that NGO interests and issues are adequately represented at this summit.

Towards this end, the Platform plans to organise a two-day meeting that will be hosted by WACC in London on November 2-3. The agenda will deal with 1) organisational issues related to the Platform, along with a specific focus, 2) strategies related to Platform/civil society involvement in the planning, organising and execution of the WSIS. The outcome of this meeting will be fed into a subsequent meeting scheduled for November 19-20, 2001, and organised by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) in Geneva and that will focus on the issues and concerns related to the involvement of ‘public service broadcasters’ at the WSIS. While in Geneva, Platform representatives also intend to engage with those from the ITU directly involved in co-ordinating the WSIS.

The Platform is keenly interested in hearing from Action readers who may want to get involved in, and contribute to this line of action. Please send your comments / responses to Pradip Thomas.
Pradip N. Thomas
Director, Studies & Publications

Related links:
http://www.comunica.org/v21/
http://www.itu.in /wsis
http://www.itu.in /ITU-D-UniversalAccess/focus/ngo