ICT for Development Community meets in Geneva

FCT and the tutelage participated in the 2016 edition of the WSIS - World Summit on Information Societytaking place until May 6 in Geneva, Switzerland. This global platform brings together stakeholders every year - governments, the private sector, the technical and academic communities, civil society and international organizations - to share best practices and discuss policies related to information and communication technologies, the digital economy and society. On the agenda is the discussion for the implementation of the lines of action of the UN World Summit for the Information Society, in favor of the sustainable development of nations.

Portugal's position in the international context of the Information Society was presented by the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor, during the High Level Political Session, held on May 3, dedicated to the themes of Knowledge Societies, Capacity Building and Digital Learning.

The Minister reaffirmed that Portugal is committed to increasing investment in science, to investing in training and developing the digital skills of its human capital and to strengthening international academic cooperation.

In addition to the High-Level Political Sessions, the Agenda included a series of thematic workshops focusing on digital empowerment and skills, the protection of children online, gender equality, local innovation, ICT and sustainable development, Internet fragmentation and security, among others.

The organization of the World Forum on the Information Society 2016 (WSIS 2016) is the responsibility of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Image credits: ©ITU/I.Wood