The Cultural Diversity Working
Group respectfully requests the following changes to the Political
Chapeau/Tunis Commitment in paragraphs 2,5,6, 7, and 11, with
insertions indicated by bolded words in brackets, and deletions
indicated by underlined italicized words:
2.
The Tunis Summit represents a unique opportunity
for us to strengthen the confidence in the future while its core
subjects concerning the Information Society shift world attention
away from narrowly-defined concepts to global ones, which [can]
transform peoples’ activities and interactions in ways that
challenge [all] traditional assumptions. The
implementation of the commitments undertaken in the Geneva Summit is
taking place amidst accelerating development of ICTs, which impact
policies, human, economic, social and cultural development, [and
linguistic diversity as common heritage of the world], bringing
about profound changes in society.
5.
We reaffirm our resolution in the quest to ensure that everyone
can benefit from the opportunities that ICTs can offer, by recalling
that governments, as well as private sector, civil society and the
United Nations and other international organizations, should work
together to: [establish and] improve access [and active
contribution] to [information and knowledge] as well as to
[information and communication infrastructure and technologies];
build capacity; increase confidence and security in the use of ICTs;
create an enabling environment at all levels; develop and widen ICT
applications; [preserve, promote and protect] foster and
respect cultural diversity; recognize the role of the media;
address the ethical dimensions of the Information Society; and
encourage international and regional cooperation. We confirm that
these are the key principles for building an inclusive Information
society, the elaboration of which is found in the Geneva Declaration
of Principles.
6.
We recognise that [access and active contribution to]
knowledge is [a fundamental human right] vital to human
existence and that strengthening diffusion and exchange of
knowledge would contribute to economic, social and cultural
[and linguistic] development, and help all countries reach the
internationally-agreed development goals, including those contained
in the Millennium Declaration.

7.
Furthermore, ICTs have made it possible for a vastly larger
population than at any time in the past to join in sharing and
expanding the base of human knowledge, and contributing to its
further growth and application to education, health and science. ICTs
have enormous potential to expand access to quality education, to
boost literacy and universal primary education, and to facilitate the
learning process itself and thus lay the groundwork for a
fully-inclusive and open information and knowledge society [which
respects cultural differences].
Replace
#11 with # 11B as amended:
11.
To that end, we shall pay special
attention to the roles and particular needs of all countries and
all segments of society, and reaffirm the commitments taken in this
regard in the Geneva Declaration.
Alternate 11B. To
that end, we shall pay special attention to the role and particular
needs of the youth, women and older people and to the special
situation of indigenous peoples. We also recognize the role and
special needs of marginalized and vulnerable groups of society
including the disabled, migrants, internally displaced persons,
refugees, underprivileged and poor people and of people of countries
facing adverse economic situations, geographic isolation, occupation,
conflicts or natural disasters [as well as Small Island Developing
States, Landlocked Developing Countries, Highly