Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division (IDD) organized the Expert Group Meeting on Regional Cooperation towards Building an Information Society in Asia and the Pacific from 20 to 22 July 2009 at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC), Bangkok. The meeting was organized as a follow up to the First Session of the Committee on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) held in Bangkok in November 2008, and the sixty-fifth Commission Session held in Bangkok in April 2009 .

The Expert Group Meeting reviewed the progress in the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) including WSIS goals and targets as contained in section B of the Plan of Action of WSIS in Geneva and discussed the necessity of streamlining the implementation of the Regional Action Plan towards the Information Society in Asia and the Pacific. Experts prepared recommendations for actions towards attaining the goals and targets of the WSIS by 2015 in Asia and the Pacific.

The three day meeting was attended by experts from several Asia-Pacific countries including Bangladesh, China , India , Indonesia , Malaysia , Nepal , Pakistan, Sri Lanka , Thailand , and three sub-regional organizations including ASEAN, PIFS, SAARC as well as international/regional organizations such as APT, ITU, UNESCO.

Related documents :

•  Agenda

•  Programme

• Meeting Report

•  Presentation Materials:

• Objective and Expected Outcome of the Meeting, by Mr. Ram Tiwaree, ESCAP Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division (IDD)

• Status Paper on Progress towards Information Society in Asia and the Pacific Region, by Mr. Shailendra Hajela, Consultant, ESCAP
• International/regional organizations' roles/experiences in implementing action plans, including relevant action lines towards building information society in Asia and the Pacific, and conclusions and recommendations:

  • APT's Role in Implementing Action Plans, by Stuart Davies, APT

  •  WSIS Action Lines C2, C5 & C6: Communication Infrastructure, Security & Enabling Environment, by Jason Goldstein, Project Officer, ITU Regional Office for Asia-Pacific

•  ICT in Education, by UNESCO

• Status of action plan towards building an information society in and progress made by each sub-region; constraints, requirements, and conclusions and recommendations:

  •  ASEAN ICT Cooperation in Relevance with the WSIS Plan of Action, Mr. Nguyen Ky Anh, Infrastructure Division (ICT), Department of ASEAN Economic Community, The ASEAN Secretariat

  •  A Pacific View on Regional Cooperation Supporting an Information Society, by John Budden, Pacific Island Forum Secretariat

  •   Status of Information Society in SAARC, by Swoyambhu Man Amatya, SAARC

• Sharing national experiences on national action plan and progress towards building information society, and conclusions and recommendations:

•  Situation of Information Society in Bangladesh, by Sasm Taifur, ICT Advisor, Infrastructure Investment Facilitation Center (IIFC)

•  Cambodia, Vat Chun, National ICT Development Authority , Cambodia

•  Information Society in China : A Prospective, by Sun Mengxin, Deputy Director-General, International Department , China Association for Science and Technology (CAST)

•  Status of WSIS Goals & Action Plan Implementation: India ICT sector 2009, by Shailendra K. Hajela

•  Strategy and Policy toward the Indonesian Information Society, Sardjoeni Moedjiono, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology Republic of Indonesia

•  ICT Development in Lao PDR, by Somlouay Kittignavong, Acting Director General, Department of Informatic, National Authority for Sience and Technology (NAST)

•  MSC Malaysia : Paving the Way, by Muhammad Aziph Dato' Mustapha, Senior Manager, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC)

•  Nepal, by Purushottam Ghimire, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment (MOE)

•  Action Plan & Recommendations, by M. Tariq Badsha, Member (IT), Ministry of Information Technology, Government of Pakistan

•  Philippines ' National Action Plan & Progress towards Building Information Society, by Douglas Michael N. Mallilin, Deputy Commissioner, National Telecommunications Commission, Republic of the Philippines

•  WSIS, IDI and Implications for Regional Cooperation, by Sang-yirl Nam , KISDI

•  Sri Lanka , by Lalith Weeratunga

•  Thailand's Experiences on National Plans and Progress Towards Building Information Society, by Areewan Haorangsi, Ministry of Information and Communication Technology

•  Enhancing Digital Opportunities in Thailand : The Role of ICT R&D, by Pansak Sirirutchatapong, Executive Director, NECTEC (Thailand)

Background documents :

•  Background Information on World Summit on the Information Society, 2003 and 2005

•  Regional Action Plan towards Building an Information Society in Asia and the Pacific