Information and Communications Technologies for Development

A/RES/66/184No PDF available

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 16Information and communications technologies for development, published in 2012.

What other versions does this mandate have?

7 versions · 2011–2017

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/71/212

2017A/RES/71/212Information and communications technologies for developmentLatestCompare with previous version
2016A/RES/70/184Information and communications technologies for developmentCompare with previous version
2015A/RES/69/204Information and communications technologies for developmentCompare with previous version
2014A/RES/68/198Information and communications technologies for developmentCompare with previous version
2013A/RES/67/195Information and communications technologies for developmentCompare with previous version

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

What subjects does this mandate have?

15 topics

Access to Information Broadband Capacity Building Communication Technology Developing Countries Development Digital Divide Government Policy Information Technology Internet Least Developed Countries Programme Evaluation Programme Implementation Technology Transfer Women

What does this mandate say?

21 operative paragraphs

Recognizes that information and communications technologies have the potential to provide new solutions to development challenges, particularly in the context of globalization, and can foster sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth and sustainable development, competitiveness, access to information and knowledge, poverty eradication and social inclusion that will help to expedite the integration of all countries, especially developing countries, in particular the least developed countries, into the global economy;

Expresses concern regarding the digital divide in access to information and communications technologies and broadband connectivity between countries at different levels of development, which affects many economically and socially relevant applications in such areas as government, business, health and education, and further expresses concern with regard to the special challenges faced in the area of broadband connectivity by developing countries, including the least developed countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries;

Acknowledges that a gender divide exists as part of the digital divide, and encourages all stakeholders to ensure the full participation of women in the information society and women’s access to and use of information and communications technologies for their overall empowerment and benefit;

Stresses that, for the majority of the poor, the development promise of science and technology, including information and communications technologies, remains unfulfilled, and emphasizes the need to effectively harness technology, including information and communications technologies, to bridge the digital divide;

Also stresses the important role of Governments in the design of their national public policies and in the provision of public services responsive to national needs and priorities through, inter alia, the effective use of information and communications technologies, including on the basis of a multi-stakeholder approach, to support national development efforts;

Recognizes that, in addition to financing by the public sector, financing of information and communications technologies infrastructure by the private sector has come to play an important role in many countries and that domestic financing is being augmented by North-South flows and complemented by South-South cooperation, and also recognizes that South-South and triangular cooperation can be useful tools for promoting the development of information and communications technologies;

Also recognizes that information and communications technologies present new opportunities and challenges and that there is a pressing need to address the major impediments that developing countries face in accessing the new technologies, such as insufficient resources, infrastructure, education, capacity, investment, connectivity and issues related to technology ownership, standards and flows, and in this regard calls upon all stakeholders to provide adequate resources, enhanced capacity-building and technology transfer, on mutually agreed terms, to developing countries, particularly the least developed countries;

Further recognizes the immense potential that information and communications technologies have in promoting the transfer of technologies in a wide spectrum of socio-economic activity;

Encourages strengthened and continuing cooperation between and among stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of the outcomes of the Geneva1 and Tunis3 phases of the World Summit on the Information Society through, inter alia, the promotion of national, regional and international multi-stakeholder partnerships, including public-private partnerships, and the promotion of national and regional multi-stakeholder thematic platforms in a joint effort and dialogue with developing countries, including the least developed countries, development partners and actors in the information and communications technologies sector;

Reaffirms the role of the General Assembly in the overall review of the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society, to be held by the end of 2015, as recognized in paragraph 111 of the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, and further decides to consider the modalities for this review process at its sixty-seventh session;

Welcomes the efforts undertaken by Tunisia, host of the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the International Telecommunication Union and other relevant international and regional organizations, for organizing annually the ICT 4 All Forum and technological exhibition as a platform within the framework of the follow-up to the Summit to promote a dynamic business environment for the information and communications technologies sector worldwide;

Notes the progress that has been made by United Nations entities in cooperation with national Governments, regional commissions and other stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector, in the implementation of the action lines contained in the outcome documents of the World Summit on the Information Society, and encourages the use of those action lines for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals;

Also notes the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society at the regional level, facilitated by the regional commissions, as observed in the report of the Secretary-General on progress made in the implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit at the regional and international levels;7

Encourages the United Nations funds and programmes and the specialized agencies, within their respective mandates and strategic plans, to contribute to the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society, and emphasizes the need for resources in this regard;

Recognizes the urgent need to harness the potential of knowledge and technology, and in this regard encourages the United Nations development system to continue its effort to promote the use of information and communications technologies as a critical enabler of development and a catalyst for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals;

Also recognizes the role of the United Nations Group on the Information Society as an inter-agency mechanism of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination designed to coordinate United Nations implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society;

Notes the report of the Chair of the Working Group on Improvements to the Internet Governance Forum, and takes note of the decision of the Economic and Social Council, in paragraphs 27 to 29 of its resolution 2011/16, to extend the mandate of the Working Group until the fifteenth session of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development in order for it to complete its task in accordance with its mandate, and urges the Working Group to submit its recommendations to the Commission at its fifteenth session, which shall constitute an input from the Commission to the General Assembly, through the Economic and Social Council;

Stresses the need for the enhanced participation of all developing countries, in particular the least developed countries, in all Internet Governance Forum meetings, and in this regard invites Member States, as well as other stakeholders, to support the participation of Governments and all other stakeholders from developing countries in the Forum itself, as well as in the preparatory meetings;

Recalls paragraph 22 of its resolution 65/141, takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on enhanced cooperation on public policy issues pertaining to the Internet, in particular of the consultations convened by the Secretary-General through the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the Secretariat, including the meeting held in New York on 14 December 2010, invites the Chair of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development to convene, in conjunction with the fifteenth session of the Commission, a one-day open, inclusive and interactive meeting involving all Member States and other stakeholders, particularly those from developing countries, including the private sector, civil society and international organizations, with a view to identifying a shared understanding of enhanced cooperation on public policy issues pertaining to the Internet, in accordance with paragraphs 34 and 35 of the Tunis Agenda, and requests the Secretary-General to include information on the outcome of the meeting when preparing his report on the status of the implementation of and follow-up to the present resolution;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session, through the Commission on Science and Technology for Development and the Economic and Social Council, a report on the status of the implementation of and follow-up to the present resolution, as part of his annual reporting on the progress made in the implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society at the regional and international levels;

Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-seventh session the item entitled “Information and communications technologies for development”.

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