ICC BASIS ensures business voice is amplified at key meeting on the road to the WSIS +10 review

  • 21 May 2015
ICC digital growth

At the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD), ICC BASIS highlighted that the extraordinary social and economic gains delivered by the Internet have been possible through fruitful collaboration of all stakeholders.

At the 18th session of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) on 4-8 May, ICC BASIS joined representatives from civil society, academia and the technical community in highlighting that the extraordinary social and economic gains delivered by the Internet achieved in just ten years have been possible through fruitful collaboration of all stakeholders.

The 43 Member states of the CSTD convened, among other things, to agree on a submission for UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) that reviews the accomplishments of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) ten years after it took place. This CSTD meeting was of particular note as the Commission has been tasked with reporting its review of the WSIS to ECOSOC just as the preparatory process begins for the high level meeting of the UN General Assembly in December where decisions on a way forward post WSIS +10 will be taken.

“The private sector will continue to account for the vast majority of investment in R&D and innovation that will be indispensable to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  Global and national governance frameworks that foster innovation are critical,” said ICC Executive Director, Policy and Business Practices Stefano Bertasi during ICC’s high level statement. Regarding WSIS specifically, Mr Bertasi noted, “ICC BASIS considers that a clear lesson from the last ten years is that the best formula for success is for all stakeholders to work collaboratively toward common goals,” and he used the example of the Internet Governance Forum and the progress it has fostered through cooperation across the communities.

During the week long Geneva session, the ICC BASIS delegation was led by ICC Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, Louise Kantrow. Ms Kantrow is now even better placed to advise ICC BASIS as we seek to adapt outreach messages and methods from Geneva where the WSIS process was born, to New York where the General Assembly will deliberate its future.

For further information on the 18th session of the CSTD please see the meeting’s webpage here.