It is one of those United Nations conferences that attempts to channel the whole world into acting to achieve a common goal.

This time, it’s a matter of making the new information technologies available to everyone, and especially the developing countries. A global dynamic must be created for the information society if the largest possible number of people are to benefit from it.

The WSIS is the result of an initiative by the ITU (International Telecommunications Union). The organization has been divided into two phases, the first conference being held in Geneva from 10 to 12 December, 2003 and the next in Tunis in 2005. The goal is to define a shared vision through a political declaration that will be binding upon heads of sate and to establish a concrete plan of action with the measures to be implemented. In order to do this, a joint plan of action is needed, involving all the governments on the planet.

Each region of the world needs to explain its vision so as to be able to define and create a shared framework, with new themes and new challenges. Naturally, not everyone has the same priorities; some may be concerned with cutting-edge technology, others with mere freedom of access to information, security, etc.

This summit also involves political matters, not merely technical ones. As a result, the points of view are often very divergent and it is complicated to find common ground because, in addition, the WSIS involves civilian society and the private sector in the process. The negotiations will thus be heated, but they have aroused considerable interest.

Nearly 7000 participants are expected. Anyone who produces content is also involved. The summit will be divided into two parts, formal meetings between heads of state and official conferences on the one hand, and informal discussions with exhibitions and colloquia on the other.

More than 200 events have been held and will be held in parallel. The media not only have a role to play as purveyors of information but also as content producers via the World Electronic Forum.

It is worth noting that there will be exhibitions of the new technologies destined to assist development as well as the opportunities and risks they engender. UNESCO or CERN will be deeply involved in the discussions. The meeting in Geneva is just the beginning of a process that will affect our future.