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MEETINGS
Roundtable on Strategies and Plans of Action for Building the
Information Society in Western Asia
Beirut, 21-22 June 2004
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Introduction
As a follow up to the first phase of the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS) and in preparation for its second phase
to be held in Tunis on 2005, ESCWA is organizing a roundtable on
“Strategies and plans of action for building the information society
in Western Asia”. This roundtable will be the second in a series of
roundtables planned by the Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) Division in ESCWA during 2004.
This activity will be in alignment with ESCWA commitment to
devising, adopting, and fostering implementation of a regional plan
of action for building the information society. It is envisioned
that this activity will increase ownership and commitment among
member countries, which will lead to fostering collaboration and
partnership among the various stakeholders in building the
Information Society in the region.
Objective
The Roundtable aims at reaching a consensus on a suitable regional
plan of action for building the information society in Western Asia
and ensuing national actions. A tentative plan of action for the
information society in Western Asia, produced by ESCWA and based on
the global Plan of Action adopted in the Geneva phase of WSIS, will
constitute the basis for discussions at the Roundtable. This plan
should help achieve regional integration and cooperation while
reinforcing the economic potential of Western Asia on the global
arena.
Topics
The main topics to be covered in the Roundtable are:
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Review of regional strengths and opportunities of
the ICT sector with a view to developing the information society
in Western Asia;
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Priority domains of the regional plan of actions
and related actions, including framework for monitoring impact and
progress of work;
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Lessons learned from implementing e-strategies,
which affect regional ICT vision and planning;
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Impact of the regional plan of action on national
e-strategies;
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Key regional projects for building the information
society;
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Financing and partnerships for implementing the
plan of action and key regional ICT projects.
Participants
Participants in the Roundtable will include a carefully selected
group of experts in ICT policies, applications and services, in
their personal capacity, that includes decision makers from member
countries, business and NGO executives, as well as representatives
of international/regional multilateral development and funding
agencies.
Outcome
The major output of the Roundtable will be a proposal for a regional
plan of action to promote the information society in Western Asia.
It is expected to be a comprehensive document covering major areas
of the information society and including implementation and
monitoring mechanisms at regional and national levels. This document
will be presented for adoption at the Second Western Asia
Preparatory Conference for the WSIS and should pave the way for
launching national plans of action backed up by national
e-strategies.
It is also envisaged to identify key pilot projects for
implementation and to propose suitable financing and partnership
frameworks in order to sustain the development of the information
society in Western Asia.
Organization
The Roundtable is organized by the Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) Division in ESCWA. It will include a limited number
of presentations on the above topics and discussion sessions
focusing on the regional plan of action.
Language
Contributions would be in either Arabic or English. Simultaneous
translation from Arabic to English and vice-versa will be provided.
Additional
Information
Any inquiries and requests for additional information regarding
participation and substantive matters should be addressed to:
Mr. Ahmed Farahat,
Director
ICT Division, ESCWA
P.O. Box 11-8575, Beirut, Lebanon
Email: farahat@un.org
Tel: +961-1-978549
Fax: +961-1-981510
Inquiries regarding
logistics, including travel and accommodation should be directed to:
Ms. Zahr Bou-Ghanem
Research Assistant
ICT Division, ESCWA
P.O. Box 11-8575, Beirut, Lebanon
Email: bou-ghanem@un.org
Tel: +961-1-978544
Fax: +961-1-981510
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