World Summit on the Information Society

On 21 December 2001, the UN General Assembly adopted a Resolution endorsing the organisation of a World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) under the patronage of the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan. The Summit took placein two phases: in Geneva in December 2003 and in Tunis in November 2005.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU)played the lead role in organising the Summit along with interested UN organisations and the host countries, Switzerland and Tunisia.
The Summit addressed the broad range of questions concerning the Information Society with the aim of moving towards a common vision and understanding of this societal transformation. It brought together representatives from the highest levels of government, the private sector, civil society and NGOs. It offered a unique opportunity for the world community to discuss and give shape to the Information Society.

Importance of the World Summit to the scientific community and the role of ICSU

Scientific research is one of the key factors underpinning the development of the Information Society. Publicly funded science led to the initial development of many of the new information technologies, such as the World Wide Web. The scientific community is also one of the main actors within the Information Society. Data and information are at the very centre of the scientific endeavour.

ICSU, as a representative body of the international science community, played an important role in the preparations for the first phase of the Summit and was also well represented in Tunis.

As part of this process, ICSU and its Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) prepared a "Science in the Information Society Agenda for Action". This event had a substantive influence in ensuring the recognition of science in the formal declaration and plan of action that were endorsed by governments.

• Science in the Information Society – an Agenda for Action
• Archived WSIS information

The timing of WSIS coincided with the development of the ICSU Strategic Plan 2006-2011 and the WSIS outcomes are reflected in ICSU’s own strategic priorities for data and information.