creatures of influence information society

We had to start to learn how to develop alliances, how to formulate arguments which would gain wide support, how to be influential in that international forum.įrom that meeting, the World Summit on the Information Society – WSIS as we came to call it, or SMSI (Sommet Mondial de la Société d’Information) among the francophones – dominated my life for the next four years. Despite that long and close relationship, the two IFLA representatives found ourselves in an unfamiliar place, as representatives of one organisation among many, in a cacophony of voices raising their issues, all seeking to make sure that their issues got on the agenda. IFLA had worked closely with UNESCO since that body had been established and had the highest level of accreditation with it as a non government organisation. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions had been established in 1927 and had developed close relations with the International Office for Intellectual Cooperation, UNESCO’s predecessor in the League of Nations system. IFLA was well placed to advance its issues. For IFLA, that meant the issues relating to information access for all, intellectual property and bridging the digital divide. Most of us had barely heard of the Summit but we knew that we wanted to ensure that our issues would be on UNESCO’s agenda.

We came to assist UNESCO to develop its agenda for the World Summit on the Information Society. The meeting brought together representatives from a great variety of organisations including UNESCO and its sister organisations in the United Nations family, professional bodies such as IFLA (the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions which I have the honour to lead) and many activist bodies concerned with a tremendous range of issues such as gender, disability, education and the environment.

In February 2002, a meeting was convened by UNESCO at its Paris headquarters. “Can International Organizations Deliver the Information Society?”

Creatures of influence information society