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The  European  International  Model  United  Nations  2014  

UNESCO  Intergovernmental  Committee  

 

Universalising  Access  to  Information    

via  ICTs  and  the  Internet  

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Introduction  At the core of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO) ethos are peace, cooperation, sustainable development and

democracy. As the “intellectual” agency of the United Nations, UNESCO aims to

advance the notion that “it is in the minds of men and women that the defences

of peace and the conditions for sustainable development must be built” 1, and

believes that access to information is a fundamental component for the

realisation of such an ethos. Therefore UNESCO seeks to foster an environment

in which individuals have universal access to information and knowledge, as well

as the promotion of standards, awareness and monitoring.

UNESCO places great emphasis on the importance of traditional channels of

information such as libraries and archives. In recent decades access to

information has been revolutionized by advances in information and

communication technologies (ICT). The Internet, in particular, has meant that

some 2.7 billion people2 now have access to endless resources and colossal

volumes of information at their fingertips. ICTs also allows for new avenues of

expression and participation in civil society and enables governments to collect

data, measure progress and target resources where they are needed the most.

Access to information has the ability to have extremely positive effects on the

three main pillars of UNESCO – education, science and culture – as well as

sustainable development, peace, human dignity and the promotion of democracy

worldwide3. Much attention has also been paid to the positive effect access to

information and ICTs can have on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),

especially those addressing poverty and hunger and universal education.

Unfortunately, there remain vast inequalities in the levels and standards of

access to information between the developed and developing world and the goal

1 UNESCO .UNESCO Constitution, 1945 [online] Available at: 2  UN  News  Centre.  UN  projects  40%  of  world  will  be  online  by  year  end,  4.4  billion  will  remain  unconnected.[online].  Available  at:  http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=46207&Cr=internet&Cr1#.UxoMU_l_t8E 3 UNESCO. Introducing UNESCO. N.D.[online]. Available at: http://en.unesco.org/about-us/introducing-unesco

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of “Internet Universality”4 is a long way from being achieved. Barriers such as

low levels of internet penetration and unaffordability of ICT services means that

much of the developing world is being left behind whilst the developed world

strides towards almost universal levels of access to information. There are also

many countries in the world that do not have any policies or plans in place to

implement access to information via internet broadband despite the recorded

benefits to national economies and development5.

Given that access to information is seen to be conducive has the ability to

positively affect the realisation of many of the norms and values that compose

the cornerstone of UNESCO’s mandate, as well as many of the MDGs, the

organisation sees the overcoming of obstacles and the creation of an

environment that encourages and facilitates sustainable, universal access to

information as an absolute necessity in this age of ICTs.

History  –  UNESCO  and  Access  to  Information  • 1945 – UNESCO’s Constitution was signed and acknowledges that the

Organization will “Collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual

knowledge and understanding of peoples, through all means of mass

communication and to that end recommend such international agreements

as may be necessary to promote the free flow of ideas by word and

image” 6(Article 1.2(a))

• Late 1980s – early 1990s – Commercial Internet providers began to

expand throughout Europe, Australia and Asia

4 International Telecommunications Union.2013. Open Consultation on UNESCO’s new concept “Internet Universality” [online]. Available at: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/sis/newslog/2013/09/07/OpenConsultationOnUNESCOsNewConceptInternetUniversality.aspx 5 Broadband Commission. 2013. The State of Broadband 2013: Universalizing Broadband.[online]. Available at: http://www.broadbandcommission.org/Documents/bb-annualreport2013.pdf 6 UNESCO .UNESCO Constitution, 1945 [online] Available at: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=15244&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

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• 1990 – Communication and Information Sector (CI) of UNESCO

established and is made up of the Freedom of Expression and Media

Development Division and Knowledge Society Division7

o Main purposes were to promote free flow of ideas, universal access

to information, expression of pluralism and cultural diversity in

media and world information networks and access for all to ICTs

• 1995 – The Internet becomes fully commercialised in the United States of

America

• 2000 - UNESCO Information for All Programme (IFAP) established8

• 2003 – First Phase of the World Summit on the Information Society

(WSIS) held in Geneva, in which UNESCO played a vital role 9

• 2003 – UNESCO Recommendation Concerning the Promotion and Use of

Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace adopted10

• 2005 – Second Phase of the WSIS held in Tunis, again UNESCO actively

participates11

• 2010 – The International Telecommunication Union and UNESCO

establish the Broadband Commission for Digital Development in response

to UNSG Ban Ki Moons calls to improve efforts to meet the 2015 target for

the MDGs12

7 Communication and Information Sector. UNESCO. N.D. About Us [online] Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/about-us/ 8 Information For All Programme. UNESCO. About Us [online]. Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/intergovernmental-programmes/information-for-all-programme-ifap/about-ifap/ 9 UNESCO and WSIS. N.D. About [online]. Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/flagship-project-activities/unesco-and-wsis/about/ 10 Communication and Information Sector. UNESCO. N.D. Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace [online] Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/about-us/how-we-work/strategy-and-programme/promotion-and-use-of-multilingualism-and-universal-access-to-cyberspace/ 11 UNESCO and WSIS. N.D. About [online]. Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/flagship-project-activities/unesco-and-wsis/about/ 12 Broadband Commission. N.D. Overview [online] Available at: http://www.broadbandcommission.org/about/overview.aspx

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• 2013 (February) – UNESCO hosted the first WSIS+10 Review meeting

“Towards Inclusive Knowledge Societies for Peace and Sustainable

Development”13

• 2013 (July) – UNESCO makes its online publications available to users

free of charge as part of the Open Access Initiative14

The  Importance  of  Access  to  Information  

UNESCO’s  Mandate   Access to Information and ICTs has special relevance to the core

components of UNESCO15. In today’s digital world, education and technology are

inseparable. The advent of ICTs and the Internet has increased the

interconnectedness of the world and has given students in the developing world

the opportunity to benefit from the resource of world class institutions

throughout the world. ICTs allows for the ways in which children are taught to be

innovative and to broaden their horizons and knowledge to incorporate foreign

languages and cultures. Teaching children the skills to properly use these

technologies also increases their chances of being successful in this technology-

driven global economy, which further benefits local communities and societies in

a number of ways.16

Access to information and ICTs play an important role in the advancement

of science. There is potential within the Internet and ICTs to allow for flows of

13 UNESCO and WSIS. N.D. About [online]. Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/flagship-project-activities/unesco-and-wsis/about/ 14 UNESCO. 2013. Open Access Policy concerning UNESCO Publications [online]. Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/ERI/pdf/oa_policy_rev2.pdf 15 UNESCO. N.D. ICT in Education. E-learning[ online]. Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/themes/icts/e-learning/ 16 UNESCO. N.D. UNESCO and the use of ICTS in its Domains of Competence. [online] Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/ED/ICT/pdf/useinternetdomains.pdf

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information between researchers, professionals, teachers and students17. This

free flowing information could lead to a great deal of scientific discoveries and

innovations. Not only will the world of science benefit from access to information

and ICTs, but so too will national and local communities as scientific progress

will attract economic investments, which will have broader socio-economic

impacts for citizens18.

The numerous cultures of the world can also benefit from access to

information and ICTs, allowing citizens on one side of the global to engage with

and learn about citizens and their culture on the other side of the world. Access

to such information and technologies can allow for cultural exchanges, creating a

richer more diverse world. Furthermore, UNESCO firmly believes that by learning

about different cultures and history and by understanding how and why different

people behave the way they do, respect can flourish which in turn allows for an

environment in which peace can foster19.

Wider  Importance   Access to Information and ICTs also has great importance for numerous

socio-economic factors, including the UN MDGs20. Providing citizens with access

to information and ICTs, and the skills required to use such technologies, can, as

previously mentioned, have a very significant impact on education. This in turn

has a knock-on effect on levels of poverty and hunger because the better

educated a nation is the more likely it is that there will be direct foreign

investment in said country, boosting employment opportunities and overall

economic development21. ICT is especially important to governments, NGOs and

businesses as they allow for the collection of data that can be used to find out

where the vulnerable citizens, on the margins of society, actually are22. Such

data can then be used to target resources effectively, which will also lead to 17 UNESCO. N.D. Open Access to Scientific Information.[online]. Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/access-to-knowledge/open-access-to-scientific-information/ 18 Ibid 19 World Summit for the Information Society.2003. Plan of Action. 20 UNGIS. 2013. UNGIS Joint Statement on the Post-2015 Development Agenda [online] Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/wsis/ungis_joint_statement_wsis_2013.pdf pg.1 21 Ibid pg.1 22 Broadband Commission. 2013. The State of Broadband 2013:Universalizing Broadband . pg.27. Geneva:Switzerland

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greater levels of socio-economic development and in fact greater availability of

resources. Gender equality can also benefit from increased access to information

and ICTs23. Not only will women be able to access information allowing them to

make informed decisions about their lives, but those who are trained in how to

use ICTs will have improved job prospects, which again will impact positively on

the overall socio-economic status of a country. Furthermore access to

information provides citizens with the opportunity to participate in decision

making processes and have greater control over their daily lives. This increased

participation is likely to lead to increased levels of accountability and reduced

corruption, and in general a more peaceful society24.

ICTs  and  Internet  –  not  enough?   In May of 2013, the United Nations Group on the Information Society

(UNGIS) released a joint statement on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Whilst stating the importance of ICTs, the statement also noted that ICTs alone

are not enough to meet the millennium development goals25. Many countries do

not have the infrastructure required to support an expansive ICT and Internet

network. For those states experiencing the most extreme levels of poverty it

may be too premature to speak of the benefits of ICTs and the Internet.

Therefore, is it even possible to think of universal access to ICTs and the

internet when there is not even universal access to basic living standards and

basic education? Furthermore, the Internet has the potential to be exploited for

criminal activities .In countries with weak public institutions the ability of the

government to effectively monitor behaviour on the Internet may be diminished,

leading to greater crime levels and diversion of resources away from socio-

economic initiatives.

23 UNESCO. N.D. Gender and ICT [online] Available at: http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=1475&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html 24 UNGIS. 2013. UNGIS Joint Statement on the Post-2015 Development Agenda [online] Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/wsis/ungis_joint_statement_wsis_2013.pdf pg.1 25 Ibid. pg. 2

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Current  Situation  Following the conclusion of the First WSIS+10 Review Meeting (February 2013)

195 member states endorsed the Final Statement which stated that “Global ICT

connectivity and affordability are experiencing positive trends, although two

thirds of the world’s population still lack access to Internet. Accessibility remains

an important challenge”26. The inequalities that remain in terms of ICT also have

negative impacts upon access to information due to the fact that in this highly

digitised age, most of the information we receive comes via the Internet. Access

to Information and ICTs are multifaceted meaning that the disparities, primarily

between developed and developing nations, are also multifaceted.

Access  to  ICTs  A 2013 report by the Broadband Commission Working Group on Education stated

that in countries within the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and

Development (OECD) 93% of fifteen year olds have access to a computer at

school and 92.6% have computer access both at home and at school27. Access

levels in developing nations are much lower, with only 25% owning a home

computer28. The ratios of children to computers are also greatly disproportionate

between developed and developing nations. In 2011, the OECD reported ratios

eight children per computer in schools, whereas in Africa, it has been reported

that there are as many as 150 children per computer in schools where

computers are actually available29.

Internet  Penetration  At the end of 2013 the global internet penetration rate was 39%, followed by

31% in developing countries and only 10% in less developed countries (LDCs)30

(see Figure One). Although the gap between global internet penetration and

26 UNESCO. 2013. Towards Knowledge Societies for Peace and Sustainable Development- First WSIS+10 Review Event: Outcomes. Pg. 5 Paris: France. 27 Broadband Commission Working Group for Education.2013.Technology, Broadband and Education: Advancing the Education for All Agenda. Pg. 12. Paris: France. 28 Ibid. pg. 12 29 cited in Broadband Commission Working Group for Education.2013.Technology, Broadband and Education: Advancing the Education for All Agenda. Pg. 12. Paris: France 30 Broadband Commission. 2013. The State of Broadband 2013:Universalizing Broadband . pg. 40. Geneva:Switzerland

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penetration in developing countries is not that large, the top ten countries with

the highest levels of internet penetration are all developed countries, whereas

the bottom ten are all LDCs.31 In fact, the bottom 100 countries of the 200

countries measured by the Broadband Commission are more or less all

developing or lesser developed countries.32

Access  to  Internet  It is extremely important to note that although a country may have decent levels

of internet penetration this does not translate into their citizens having access to

the internet due to factors such as requiring ICTs and affordability etc. By the

end of 2013 78% of households in the developed world were connected to the

Internet33. This is a stark contrast to the much lower figure of 28% for homes in

developing states34. Another alarming statistic is that of the 1.1 billion

households that do not have access to the internet, 90% of them are in the

developing world35.

Mobile  Broadband  Mobile phones have further revolutionised the ways in which people can access

information and the internet. For many countries in the developing world

mobiles phones, and in particular mobile broadband, are often the only methods

available for accessing the internet. Africa is currently the fastest growing

market for mobile phones, with subscriptions growing dramatically from 600,000

in 1995 to an estimated 735 million in 201236. However, access to mobile

broadband is spread unevenly, with citizens in some countries and areas within

some countries, only being able to carry out basic functions such as voice calls

and sending and receiving SMS. Despite the steadily growing mobile phone

market in Africa there are still huge inequalities between developed regions,

such as Europe, and Africa, as figure two appropriately demonstrates.

31 Ibid pg. 99. Annex 5 32 Ibid. pg. 99. Annex 5 33 Ibid pg. 46 34 Ibid. pg.46 35 Ibid. pg.46 36 Broadband Commission Working Group for Education.2013.Technology, Broadband and Education: Advancing the Education for All Agenda. Pg. 13. Paris: France

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Affordability  of  Broadband  and  Mobile  Broadband  The cost of broadband and mobile broadband is a crucial factor in determining

the levels of access to the internet and in turn information. In order for access

levels to be high, costs of broadband and mobile broadband need to be

affordable. However, what is deemed affordable in one part of the world will be

deemed massively expensive in other parts of the world. As of 2012, the cost of

broadband accounted for 30% of average incomes in the developing world. This

figure falls dramatically in the developed world, where broadband costs account

for only 1.7% of the average monthly income37. According to the Broadband

Commission, fixed broadband is unaffordable for 3.9 billion people and mobile

broadband is unaffordable for 2.6 billion people. Again, an overwhelming

majority of the people who cannot afford either broadband service are found in

the developing world.

Gender  Equity  As with many sectors there are inequalities between men and women and access

to information via the internet is no different. Like all of the previously

mentioned dimensions of access to information, ICTs and the internet there is a

pronounced difference between the developed and the developing world. In the

developed world, the number of women using the internet is two percent less

than the number of men using the internet. In the developing world, however,

this gap jumps to 16% fewer women using the internet38. In regions such as

Sub-Saharan Africa, this gender gap is even more protracted, increasing to 45%

fewer female than male internet users39. Furthermore, it is estimated that in

developing countries approximately 300 million more men than women are

mobile phone owners40.

37 Broadband Commission. 2013. The State of Broadband 2013:Universalizing Broadband . pg. 44. Geneva:Switzerland 38 Ibid. pg. 52 39 Cited in Broadband Commission Working Group for Education.2013.Technology, Broadband and Education: Advancing the Education for All Agenda. Pg. 23. Paris: France 40 Ibid. Pg. 23

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Education  Having the provisions to access information is only beneficial when citizens are

aware how to use the technologies required access such information. For

example, two 2012 studies of the poorest citizens in South Africa and Kenya

found that it was not internet penetration or access to ICTs but in fact

knowledge of these technologies and how they should best be used that was

blocking people’s access to information. For example, in South Africa, 86%

percent of those surveyed were unaware of how to use the Internet and of those

who did not use the Internet, 65% did not even know what it was.41 The survey

in Kenya found that 60% of the surveyed owned a mobile phone but only 1% of

them were aware of internet services available through their mobile phones42.

Furthermore, only 16% percent were aware of the various applications available

on their mobile phones. The true potential of ICTs and the Internet, and their

ability to be used to access information is severely inhibited when users are

unaware of how to use them properly.

National  Action  Plans  The Broadband Commission reported that by mid-2013 69% of all states had a

national plan, strategy or policy in place to promote broadband43. However, forty

seven, almost a quarter of all countries had no policy, strategy or plan in place

regarding broadband. Growth has slowed in recent years, with only one country

introducing a national plan between 2012 and 2013, as figure three shows. The

Broadband Commission predicts that even in countries that have national plans,

implementation may be difficult and slow.

Conclusions  In this era of technology, access to information is heavily dependent upon access

to ICTs and the Internet. The benefits of having access to such technologies can

not only further advance the fundamental values of UNESCO but they can also

provide better socio-economic opportunities for millions of people worldwide. The

41 Mansell, Robin and Tremblay, Gaëtan. 2013. Renewing the Knowledge Societies Vision for Peace and Sustainable Development. UNESCO. Pg. 18. Paris: France. 42 Ibid. pg. 19 43 Broadband Commission. 2013. The State of Broadband 2013:Universalizing Broadband . pg. 41. Geneva:Switzerland

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universalisation of access to ICTs and the Internet could greatly improve the

quality of life for many people in the developing world, lifting overall standards

of human dignity, peace and democracy. However, the international community

must find ways to bridge the gaps in access levels between the developed and

developing world in order for access to information to become truly universal.

Questions  a  Resolution  Should  Answer  • What steps can be taken to increase overall access to information via ICTs

and the Internet in the developing world?

• Which areas should take priority in achieving “Internet Universality”?

• How should initiative, programmes and national plans be funded in order

to ensure the sustainability of universal access to information?

• How can the implementation of internet penetration and national action

plans in the developing world be quickened to ensure that the gap

between the developed and developing world does not continue to widen?

• What can be done to reduce the cost of broadband and mobile broadband,

in order for it to be affordable for citizens in the developing world?

• How best can the international community, NGOs and national

governments educate individuals on how to use ICTs and the Internet to

access information?

• What steps can be taken to improve gender equity in the realm of access

to information and ICTs?

• How can information, ICTs and the Internet best be used by governments

in order to improve the standing of various socio-economic conditions,

and in particular the MDGs, and in particular the post-2015 agenda?

• Are ICTs and the Internet appropriate mechanisms for development in

countries with extreme levels of poverty?

• Is universal access to ICTs and Internet possible?

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Bibliography  and  Further  Reading  • UNESCO. 1945. UNESCO Constitution. Available online at:

http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-

URL_ID=15244&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

• UNESCO. 2013. Towards Knowledge Societies for Peace and Sustainable

Development- First WSIS+10 Review Event: Outcomes.

http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/wsis/W

SIS_10_Event/wsis10_outcomes_en.pdf

• Broadband Commission. 2013. The State of Broadband

2013:Universalizing Broadband..

http://www.broadbandcommission.org/Documents/bb-

annualreport2013.pdf

• UNESCO.N.D. UNESCO and the Use of the Internet in its Domains of

Competence [online]. Available at:

http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/ED/ICT/pdf/usein

ternetdomains.pdf

• Mansell, Robin and Tremblay, Gaëtan. 2013. Renewing the Knowledge

Societies Vision for Peace and Sustainable Development. UNESCO.

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002245/224531E.pdf

• Internet World Stats. 2013. http://www.internetworldstats.com/ • Broadband Commission Working Group for Education.2013.Technology,

Broadband and Education: Advancing the Education for All Agenda .http://www.broadbandcommission.org/work/working-groups/education/BD_bbcomm-education_2013.pdf

• UNESCO. 2011. Freedom of Connection, Freedom of Expression. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001915/191594e.pdf

• UNESCO. 2013. UNESCO and WSIS http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/flagship-project-activities/unesco-and-wsis/homepage/

• UNESCO. N.D. Communication and Information. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/

•

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Figure One: Internet User Penetration, 2000-2015 Source : Broadband

Commission http://www.broadbandcommission.org/documents/bb-

annualreport2013.pdf

Figure Two: Active Mobile-Broadband Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, 2013.

Source: ITU Global ICT Developments (http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-

D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx)

67.5  

48.0   46.0  

29.5  22.4   18.9  

10.9  

0  

10  

20  

30  

40  

50  

60  

70  

Europe   The  Americas  

CIS**   World   Asia  &  Pacific  

Arab  States  

Africa  

Appendix  

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Figure Three: Growth in National Broadband Plans, 2005-2013. Source:

Broadband Commission (http://www.broadbandcommission.org/Documents/bb-

annualreport2013.pdf)