Switzerland's contribution towards a fairer digital world
Biel/Bienne, 16.12.2015 - Switzerland is committed to closing digital divides - between different countries, but also between genders. Philipp Metzger, Director of the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) and head of the Swiss delegation, emphasized this at the high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly on the continuing implementation of the results of the World Summit on the Information Society which concludes today in New York. The international city of Geneva will also continue to play an important part in this process.
About ten years after the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva and Tunis, the UN General Assembly, within the framework of a high-level meeting in New York, decided on the ongoing course of action in relation to a development-orientated information society which includes all humankind. The Swiss delegation, headed by Philipp Metzger, Director of the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM), committed itself to making the possibilities of information and communication technologies (ICT) accessible to all, regardless of gender, age or nationality. In particular, the digital divide between developing countries and the developed world must be reduced and opportunities for women to also benefit from these technologies must be improved. Thus Switzerland is supporting the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and UN Women, a United Nations entity, in the launching of their joint plan of action.
Switzerland welcomes the final document adopted by the UN General Assembly. This underlines the central role of ICT in the implementation of the sustainable development goals (Agenda 2030) adopted in September. The universality of human rights and basic freedoms, as well as the central role of freedom of expression in relation to the information society, are reaffirmed. In addition, it is expressly stated that those rights which apply offline should also be protected online. The Geneva location is also being strengthened: the UN agencies which are based there will continue to coordinate the implementation of the WSIS results, with the involvement of all stakeholders. "The extension of the mandate of the UNO Internet Governance Forum for a further ten years contributes substantially to the strengthening of the multi-stakeholder approach", explained Philipp Metzger. It gives the international community a solid platform for informal discussions on internet-related topics.
Role of Switzerland in the WSIS
Ten years ago, at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), a common vision for an information society was developed and a series of goals and measures was adopted. Their implementation has now been reviewed, after a period of 10 years. Switzerland was the host state for the first phase of WSIS (2003 in Geneva; second phase 2005 in Tunis) and has since then been actively committed to the implementation of its results.
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