The World Summit on the Information Society has passed and has been followed up by the Internet Governance Forum. The pages here are kept for archiving purposes.

World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was a two-summit UN conference organised by the ITU at which important cornerstones for the information and knowledge society should be laid. After the summits in Geneva and Tunis, the WSIS is now in its implementation phase.

FSFE has been participating for many years along with other civil societies to make sure that principles of freedom, human rights, sharing of knowledge and access to information will be upheld.

Followup-Activities

• Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
  One of the most controversial undertakings of the second phase of the WSIS was the UN WGIG. Unable to discuss and find consensus on substantive issues, in particular the issues around monopolisation of knowledge and Free Software, the second summit in Tunisia agreed to create an international discussion forum on all issues internet related, the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).

Documents

• WSIS and the Software Challenge
  Article by Georg Greve about the role of Free Software in the digital world and FSFE's involvement in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).


• Statement: FSFE statement on behalf of the WSIS Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks (PCT) Working Group of Civil Society at the third Inter-Sessional, Inter-Governmental Meeting (IIM) on a Development Agenda, 21 July 2005


• Towards a "World Intellectual Wealth Organisation".
  Supporting the Geneva Decleration.


• On "Intellectual Property" and Indigenous Peoples
  Essay by Georg Greve about questions raised for Indigenous Peoples by the "intellectual property" ideology.


• Fighting intellectual poverty
  (Who owns and controls the information societies?)
  Article by Georg Greve for a publication of the Heinrich Böll Foundation on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).


• CS Essential Benchmarks for WSIS
  Civil Society essential benchmarks (previously non-negotiables) for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).


• Free Software and WSIS
  Civil Society reference paper on Free Software and its impact on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).


• Civil Society Statement for WSIS Plenary (Geneva, September 23rd 2003)
  Georg C. F. Greve on behalf of Patents, Copyright, Trademarks (PCT) Working Group

Debriefings

• Debriefing for the Summit in Geneva (Geneva, December 10-12 2003)
  
  by Georg C. F. Greve, president of the FSF Europe, who took part as co-coordinator of the Civil Society working group on Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks (PCT), chair of European Caucus and Civil Society representative of German CS coordination circle in the German governmental delegation.


• Debriefing for the intersessional meeting (Paris, July 15-18 2003)
  
  by Georg C. F. Greve, president of the FSF Europe, who attended this meeting as the representative of the WSIS coordination circle of the German civil society as part of the German governmental delegation.


• Past Event: "Free Software, Free Society"
  (December 10th, 2003, 17:00 - 20:00)
  Event of the Patents, Copyright, Trademarks (PCT) Working Group: Listen to and meet leading global experts on what is an essential building block for an empowering, sustainable and inclusive information society.

Mailing Lists

• Civil Societies WSIS European Caucus Coordination List
  Coordination list of the European Civil Societies Caucus for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
  Open to all civil societies/people interested in creating and maintaining an interface with the European governments/governance and specifically the EU that will allow information exchange and better cooperation.
• Civil Societies WSIS Patents, Copyright and Trademarks (PCT) Working Group Coordination List
  Coordination list for civil societies involved/interested in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) process.
  Open to all civil societies/people interested in working on issues related to the questions around Patents, Copyright and Trademarks (PCTs).

More Information

• Official WSIS homepage


• Civil Society Caucuses, working groups and coordination spaces


• General information by other civil societies:
  Worldsummit 2003
  WSIS Civil Society Meeting Point
  Prepcom
  


• Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks Working Group web page