WSIS Side- and Preparatory Events

The Indigenous participants to WSIS were also organizing side- and preparatory events as part of their involvement in the WSIS process. Indigenous Peoples in cooperation with the Government of Canada, the Aboriginal Canada Portal, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UN PFII) and other UN Agencies, a number of member states, City of Geneva and the Swiss hosts organized the Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society (GFIPIS) in December 2003. The Secretariat of the UN PFII prepared a report on the Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society.

From GFIPIS came the Declaration and Plan of Action of the Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society. Together with WSIS Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action it provides guidance to states, Indigenous peoples, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and academics interested in using new technologies to improve communications and the quality of life for Indigenous peoples around the world.

Another parallel event called "Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society: Towards an International Indigenous Portal" was organized during the WSIS Tunis Summit 2005 in order to:

review actions to date in relation to international Indigenous connectivity, to share regional experiences regarding the same, including best practices and challenges , to explore the viability of, and issues regarding, an International Indigenous Portal, and to allow participants the opportunity to craft an International Indigenous e-Strategy in the post-WSIS environment, with particular attention to the Second International Decade of the Worlds' Indigenous People and the Millennium Development Goals.

Without such constant presence of Indigenous Caucus there would most likely not have been many mentions of Indigenous Peoples in the Tunis documents. For example, during the PrepCom3, just before the Tunis Summit, many governments wanted to delete almost all the Indigenous related paragraphs from the end text. Fortunately the Indigenous Caucus members could prevent this by major lobbying effort.

And now, after the Tunis Summit? The work is not over. During the Tunis Summit the Indigenous representatives taking part in the work of the Indigenous Caucus decided to create their own independent information society organ Indigenous ICT Taskforce (IITF) in order to create coherent indigenous ICT strategies for the future and secure the representation of Indigenous Peoples in the forming of the Information Society. The terms of reference for the IITF have been completed and the first ever secretariat headed by Malia Nobrega is coordinating the next steps. WSIS process itself is not over but rather only beginning. In February 2007 consultations on the next meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, that will be advising in the creation of new regulations for Internet governance, were held. Ann-Kristin Håkansson represented the IITF in these consultations to make sure that Indigenous Peoples will continue as stakeholders.

For more information contact the IITF Secretariat: uctp_ny@yahoo.com