| |
An
InterActive Forum
While most conferences simply dump data on participants,
perhaps generating a few ideas that quickly fade once they
return to their daily lives, this conference is designed to
stimulate action. It brings diverse experts in policy, information
and communications technology (ICT), standardization, trade,
and law to the discussion table in an environment that encourages
frank interaction and cooperation. By doing this, it is intended
to expand decision makers’ thinking processes about standardization
issues and to present viable, practical solutions for stimulating
and capitalizing on innovation. Attendance is limited to provide
participants ample opportunities to exchange ideas with each
other and conference speakers.
Conference Topics
There will be four conference sessions. These sessions will
feature short presentations by each panelist followed by an interactive
discussion. Audience participation in these discussions is strongly
encouraged.
Conference Schedule
Digital inclusion and literacy are crucial to every aspect of
social and economic growth. As business, education, governance,
and even social networks become more dependent on digital means,
countries that use ICT standards effectively to facilitate information
access will thrive and prosper. ICT standards may be “just technology,”
but they can also regulate how one can use that technology in
ways that impact society and the economy. Because of the increasing
importance of ICT standards to the networked world, there is
a rising global debate about the value of “openness” in ICT standards.
Regardless of one's view on this issue, there is no doubt that
“open” ICT standards require national and regional policies that
support their use in a way that benefits a country’s citizens
and businesses. This panel will examine the government and NGO
policies and principles around ICT standardization that are essential
for maximizing digital inclusion and literacy, with an emphasis
on the needs of developing economies. Topics may include:
- Ensuring access and digital inclusion
- Benefits of open standards: consumers, competition, and costs
- Policies and principles for leveraging open standardization
- Promises, failures and lessons learned from current debates
around digital television and digital document formats
- Impact of policies and practices on digital access, participation,
and growth
As governments seek to increase the capabilities and social
well-being of their citizens and promote growth through a better
functioning society, they are turning to digital information
and services. Governments can easily leverage these when basic
network infrastructures, such as for cellular services, are available.
To increase general prosperity, all of a country’s citizens must
be able to take advantage of what is being offered. Social, technical,
health, economic, and political infrastructures all depend on
citizen access. Access can be broadened by governmental policies
that encourage the use of open ICT standardization. This panel
will examine the government strategies, methods, and policies
necessary to increase the adoption of open ICT standardization
and, thus, widen access to government services. Topics may include:
- Policies for encouraging the use of open ICT standardization
- Open standards as an effective means for capturing, storing,
and distributing information
- Providing government services to any user, on any device,
at any time
- Standardization as a means for innovative localization and
the creation of local knowledge
- Digital information and service models for governments and
NGOs
- Accessibility community leadership: experiences and lessons
learned
ICT standardization impacts consumers, small businesses, and
the nature of competition. Yet, there is very little representation
in this system from the majority of stakeholders, many of whom
will increasingly be from developing economies. These countries
are not only leading the world in economic growth rates, they
will be responsible for approximately 50% of the rise in global
trade by 2030. Standardization has suffered as a result, becoming
more a dictator of consumer and government needs than a responder
and innovator. As ICT standardization takes on a greater role
in digital inclusion and in the global economy, what can be done
to increase truly representative stakeholder involvement? How
can consumers, SMEs, and developing economies participate and
influence this system? How would standardization benefit from
broader representation? This panel will examine how governments
and NGOs can help to create more balanced representation and
participation in local and international standardization systems.
Topics may include:
- Creating a user-centric standardization system
- Increasing the influence of developing economies
- Government policies to encourage SME and academic involvement
in standardization
- Structuring standardization for global participation
- Facilitating participation through digital inclusion
Accessing and participating in the digital world are
critical. But once those are attained, how can governments and
their citizens ensure that they have influence in the international
economy? By using international organizations, the standardization
system, and local practices, governments can help create the
future technological, social, economic, and legal infrastructures
that will shape the winners and losers of the 21st century. This
panel will explore the means and realities of influencing the
international policies, practices, and processes that determine
how our global economy and technological advancements are governed.
Topics may include:
- Achieving broader representation in standardization governance
- National strategies for international impact
- Using standardization to influence global trade
- Intellectual property practices: international organizations
vs. free trade agreements
- WIPO Development Agenda: Strategy, impact, and lessons
learned
|
