[Year 12 IT Apps] The Seoul Declaration for the Future of the Internet Economy

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Fwd: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/49/28/40839436.pdf


'THE SEOUL DECLARATION FOR THE FUTURE OF THE INTERNET ECONOMY'

 18th. June 2008

WE, the Ministers and representatives of Australia, Austria, Belgium,
Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland,
Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Luxembourg, Mexico, the
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Senegal, the
Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the
United Kingdom, the United States of America and the European
Community, assembled in Seoul, Korea, on 17 and 18 June 2008 to
discuss the future of the Internet Economy. 


WE STATE our common desire to promote the Internet Economy and
stimulate  sustainable  economic growth and prosperity by means
of policy and regulatory environments that support innovation,
investment, and competition in the information and communications
technology (ICT) sector. We will work with the private sector, civil
society and the Internet community to secure the ICT nets that underpin
the Internet Economy as well as to take measures to protect the users of
the Internet Economy, including the necessary cross-border co-operation.


WE ARE DETERMINED to work together to promote ubiquitous access to ICT
networks and services enabling widespread participation in the
Internet Economy. The further expansion of the Internet Economy will
bolster the free flow of information, freedom of expression, and
protection of individual liberties, as critical components of a
democratic society and cultural diversity. We will also work to use
the tools of the Internet Economy to address global challenges, such
as climate change. In moving forward, we recognise the significant
foundation that the 1998 OECD Ministerial Conference on electronic
commerce provided to the nascent Internet Economy and take note of the
outcomes of the 2003 and 2005 World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS). (snip)

 ====================================================

"The further expansion of the Internet Economy will bolster the free
flow of information, freedom of expression, and protection of individual
liberties, as critical components of a democratic society and cultural 
diversity."

 =====================================================

 The Internet Industry Association has welcomed the declaration.

http://www.iia.net.au/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=651&Itemid=32

Thursday, 19 June 2008 

"Representing Australia, the Minister for Broadband, Communications
and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy is to be applauded for
his personal contribution to the discussions which lead to the
Declaration. While aspirational and non-binding, the Declaration
offers an informed survey of the main challenges for the Internet and
to press policy makers, industry and the broader community to seize
the many opportunities afforded by the changes."

 ---------------------------------------------

Cheers, Bob
Stephen Loosley
Victoria,
Australia

Message sent using MelbPC WebMail Server