United Nations information policy
Among the main directions of the modern information policy of the United Nations, the following can be distinguished:
infrastructure: its financing, development and sustainability;
identifying and overcoming barriers to the creation of an information society;
the role of Governments, business and civil society in promoting ICT for the development of the information society;
education, human resource development and training;
access to information and communication technologies;
information security in a network environment;
policy and regulatory framework development;
types of ICT applications (education, health, culture, poverty eradication, public administration, employment, business) It should be noted that the active work of the United Nations in promoting and developing the information society in as many countries as possible began in 1996 with the adoption of the concept document "UNESCO and the Information Society for All", in which the strategic positions of this organization are defined as follows: "United Nations Educational Organization, UNESCO is authorized by its 185 member States, in particular, to promote the free dissemination of ideas through verbal and visual means and to promote international cooperation in the field of communication, information and informatics in order to reduce the existing gap in these areas between developed and developing countries."
Thus, according to UNESCO experts, society faces a number of problems that primarily concern:
the right to communication, which also provides access to telecommunications facilities at low prices for intellectual sectors (education, science, culture, mass media, libraries and archives), which play a crucial role in the development of national information infrastructures;
support for linguistic and cultural diversity. Globalization, driven by the development of information and communication technologies, is perceived by many as a threat to local customs, values and beliefs;
The proliferation of access to interconnected networks and databases raises serious ethical and legal issues, such as the confidentiality of information and the right of everyone to verify data that concerns them. Regulation of the content of information disseminated by information highways (information of an intolerant, racist, violent or pornographic nature and, especially, its accessibility to children), computer piracy and other crimes in the field of computer science, copyright, etc.
The influence of computer technology on personality and its behavior is also contradictory: even today, a person has huge opportunities for access to various branches of knowledge. This may unduly overestimate the importance of the human-machine relationship to the detriment of understanding, independence and the development of personal abilities.
Since 2000, the attention of the international community has been increasingly focused on issues of promoting the development of the information society. Key issues: digital inequality and the experience of overcoming it in different countries of the world, the impact and importance of ICT for all spheres of public life, the introduction of e-government, the development of freedom of speech and pluralism through both traditional and new media.
The Okinawan Charter of the Global Information Society.
The Okinawa Charter for the Global Information Society (adopted by the leaders of the G8 countries in Okinawa, Japan, in 2000) notes that the potential benefits of information and communication technologies, which are to stimulate competition, promote production expansion, create and support economic growth and increase employment, open up significant prospects. The task of countries is not only to encourage and facilitate the transition to the information society, but also to realize its economic, social and cultural preferences as fully as possible.
To achieve these goals, it is necessary to work in the following key areas:
economic and structural reforms in order to create an environment of openness, efficiency, competition and innovation, which would be complemented by measures to adapt labor markets, develop human resources and ensure social harmony;
macroeconomics management will help businesses and consumers make more accurate plans, be confident in the future, and effectively take advantage of new information technologies; - development of information networks that provide fast, reliable and secure cost-effective access through a competitive market, relevant innovations in network technologies, services and applications;
the development of human resources capable of meeting the requirements of the information age, ready for lifelong learning and able to meet the growing demand for information and communication technology specialists in many sectors of our economy;
the active use of information and communication technologies by the public sector, facilitating the provision of real-time services necessary to ensure increased access to power for all communities.
The Charter also notes that the private sector plays a leading role in the development of information and communication systems in the information society. However, the task of creating predictable, transparent and non-discriminatory policies and regulatory frameworks necessary for the information society rests with Governments. It is important to avoid inappropriate regulatory interventions that hinder the identification of private sector initiatives to create an environment conducive to the introduction of information and communication technologies.
Governments must ensure that the rules and procedures of information and communication technologies meet the revolutionary changes in economic activity, take into account the principles of effective partnership between the public and private sectors, and are transparent and technologically neutral.
In order to maximize the social and economic benefits of the information society, the leaders of the G8 countries agreed on such key principles and approaches and recommended them to others:
Continue to promote competition in open markets in the field of information technology and telecommunications products and services, including discrimination and cost-only connectivity to basic telecommunications;
The protection of intellectual property rights in the field of information technology is vital for the introduction of information and communication technologies and innovations, the development of competition and the dissemination of new technologies;
It is also important to restore the obligations of Governments to use software in accordance with the principles of intellectual property protection;
services such as telecommunications, transport and mail are extremely important for the economy of the information society - increasing their efficiency is able to maximize the benefits of information and communication technologies; customs and other trade-related procedures are also important to create conditions favorable for their development;
to simplify international e-commerce by further liberalizing and improving networks, related services and procedures in the context of the strict framework of the World Trade Organization, etc.;
to develop effective and efficient mechanisms for protecting consumer privacy, as well as protecting the secrecy of personal data processing while maintaining free information flow;
further develop and ensure the effective functioning of electronic identification, electronic signature, cryptography and other means of security and reliability of operations.
The efforts of the international community aimed at developing a Global Information Society must be coordinated in order to ensure a safe and crime-free cyberspace. States must ensure that effective measures are taken - as outlined in the OECD Information Systems Security Guidelines - to combat computer crime. Pressing security issues such as hacking and computer viruses also require effective policy solutions.
The strategy for the development of the information society should be supported by the development of human resources capable of responding to the demands of the information age. The G8 countries strive to ensure that all their citizens have the opportunity to acquire and improve information and communication technology literacy and skills through lifelong education and training. For this purpose, schools, classrooms and libraries are equipped with computers with an Internet connection, and teachers are trained in information and communication technologies.
