CHAIR'S CONCLUSIONS Following the remit of G-7 leaders at their Naples Summit in July 1994, Ministers from G-7 countries and Members of the European Commission met in Brussels on 25 and 26 February 1995 in the G-7 Ministerial Conference on the Information Society. A SHARED VISION OF HUMAN ENRICHMENT Progress in information technologies and communication is changing the way we live: how we work and do business, how we educate our children, study and do research, train ourselves, and how we are entertained. The information society is not only affecting the way people interact but it is also requiring the traditional organisational structures to be more flexible, more participatory and more decentralised. A new revolution is carrying mankind forward into the Information Age. The smooth and effective transition towards the information society is one of the most important tasks that should be undertaken in the last decade of the 20th century. The outcome of this Conference shows that G-7 partners are committed to playing a leading role in the development of the Global Information Society. Our action must contribute to the integration of all countries into a global effort. Countries in transition and developing countries must be provided with the chance to fully participate in this process and it will open opportunities for them to leapfrog stages of technology development and to stimulate social and economic development. The rewards for all can be enticing. To succeed, governments must facilitate private initiatives and investments and ensure an appropriate regulatory framework aiming at stimulating private investment and usage for the benefit of all citizens. They should also create a favourable international environment by cooperating within the relevant international organizations such as WTO, ITU, WIPO, ISO, and OECD. OUR VISION CAN ONLY BE REALISED BY MEANS OF COLLABORATION G-7 partners are resolved to collaborate on the basis of the following eight core principles in order to realise their common vision of the Global Information Society. promoting dynamic competition; encouraging private investment; defining an adaptable regulatory framework; providing open access to networks; while ensuring universal provision of and access to services promoting equality of opportunity to the citizen promoting diversity of content, including cultural and linguistic diversity recognizing the necessity of worldwide cooperation with particular attention to less developed countries. These principles will be applied to the Global Information Infrastructure by means of: - promotion of interconnectivity and interoperability - developing global markets for networks, services and applications - ensuring privacy and data security - protecting intellectual property rights - cooperating in R&D and in the development of new applications - monitoring of the social and societal implications of the information society. AN INFORMATION SOCIETY DEVOTED TO THE PEOPLE Policies aimed at a rapid and successful transition to the information society must ensure the highest possible levels of participation and avoid the emergence of two classes of citizens. Universal service is an essential pillar in the development of such a policy strategy. The creation of jobs and improvement in of the quality of work are of paramount importance. The policy process must be backed up by collaborative research at an international level to investigate the impact of information and communication technologies and services on employment. The information society should serve cultural enrichment of all citizens reflecting the cultural and linguistic diversity of our peoples. The private sector should therefore develop and build information networks with abundant capacity to accommodate a wealth of information, both locally produced and that developed in other regions and nations. The knowledge-based economy demands greater openness and creativity in schools and universities, and the acquisition of new skills and adaptability through life-long training. An open approach to education that combines local and national cultures and promotes mutual understanding between our citizens is required. Access must therefore be tackled at its roots by providing citizens with the tools to learn in an information society. Advanced multimedia information services can meet such requirements whilst complementing and enriching the traditional education and training systems. The information society is a new, complex and abstract concept and as such it requires considerable effort in promoting public awareness and understanding. G-7 partners are determined to ensure that the information society addresses the needs of citizens. They committed themselves to: o Promote universal to service to ensure opportunities for all to participate By establishing universal service frameworks that are adaptable, they will ensure that all citizens will have access to new information services and thus be able to benefit from new opportunities. They will evaluate the impact of information services and technologies on society using existing organisational resources. Strategies to prevent marginalization and to avoid isolation will be developed. o Study the impact of the information society on jobs They will encourage the OECD to complete its study of the effects of information technology on employment. In addition, the OECD is invited to launch a complementary study on the employment impact of information services. Academia, government, and the private sector should expand their efforts to assess the impact of the information society on the economy, trade, and the workplace. Research on employment effects will provide valuable input for policy decisions. o Serve cultural enrichment for all citizens through diversity of content Citizens should be provided with access to all content, including a strong presence for indigenous cultural products and services. Diversity of content, including cultural and linguistic diversity, should be promoted. o Encourage private sector development of information networks and provision of new information-related services They will pursue worldwide cooperation in encouraging the development of a Global Information Infrastructure to stimulate the creation of an abundant capacity to accommodate and to enable a diverse mix of content for all citizens. o Pursue adequate education and training They will exchange information on new ways of educating, training and retraining. Information technology training should be integrated into the regular school system. The development of vocational training on information technologies will facilitate the adjustment of workers to structural and organisational changes throughout their lives. o Improve the understanding of effects on the quality of life They will encourage and monitor projects and joint actions, in particular to demonstrate the possibility of flexible and better quality of work, improvements in healthcare, educative leisure, urban development and greater participation of the disabled in society. o Foster public support by raising awareness and understanding They agree to exchange experiences on the best means to raise public awareness and sensitivity towards the Global Information Society. o Encourage the dialogue on worldwide cooperation They call on industrialised countries to work towards the participation of developing countries in the Global Information Society. CURRENT REGULATIONS NEED TO EVOLVE The regulatory framework should put the user first and meet a variety of complimentary societal objectives. It must be designed to allow choice, high quality services and affordable prices. It will therefore have to based on an environment that encourages dynamic competition, ensures the separation of operating and regulatory functions as well as promotes interconnectivity and interoperability. Such an environment will maximize consumer choice by stimulating the creation and flow of information and other content supplied by a wide range of service and content providers. Open access to networks for service and information suppliers and the mutual enrichment of the citizen through the promotion of diversity, including cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as the free expression of ideas, are essential for the creation of the Global Information Society. Competition rules need to be interpreted and applied in the light of the convergence of new technologies and services, market liberalisation and encouragement of new entrants, and growing global competition. Competition authorities should not prohibit the emergence of global players. Productive forms of cooperation to promote economic efficiency and consumer welfare should be allowed while shielding against risks of anti-competitive behaviour, in particular risks of abuse of market dominance. G-7 partners are therefore committed to: o Ensure citizens' access through universal service in the respective markets This will require consultation on both the scope and the means of providing universal service, especially with regard to its financing, whilst ensuring that the development of networks and the provision of services can be carried out without undue burden on any actors. o Open up markets to allow the development of global systems This is to be accomplished by pursuing liberalisation of services, infrastructure, equipment procurement and investment, within an appropriate framework. Special emphasis should be given to the negotiations in the WTO, notably on such sectors as basic telecommunications, which are important to see concluded successfully by April 1996. o Pursue the interconnectivity of networks and the interoperability of services This is to be achieved through the promotion of a consensual standardization process which is market-led and which encourages open interfaces. Cooperation amongst all actors should be built on private-sector- led dialogue aimed at identifying critical interfaces. This should be backed up by swift tests and trials to identify appropriate standards corresponding to the critical interfaces. Accelerating the standardization process conducted by international bodies will contribute to developing timely and market-responsive standards. Mutual recognition of test results should be pursued. This process will be backed up by developing global testbeds. o Provide open access to networks for service and information suppliers It is agreed that open access to the Global Information Infrastructure and the people that it serves is essential in order to encourage firms to provide services, create new jobs and provide mutual enrichment to the citizen through the promotion of diversity, including cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as free expression of ideas. This should take place in all countries within a framework which will prevent abuse by dominant actors. o Implement fair and effective licensing and frequency allocation For fair and effective allocation of scarce resources, transparency needs to be assured by means of promoting objective selection and awarding criteria. Further cooperation, notably under the auspices of the ITU, should be pursued in the field of frequency band harmonization, particularly for international mobile and personal phone services. International dialogue on the development and implementation of global mobile and personal systems is encouraged. o Allow for productive forms of cooperation while shielding against anticompetitive behaviour This will require that competition and regulatory authorities meet at regular intervals in international fora such as the OECD and other relevant bodies to exchange information and views about evolving regulatory process and the application of competition rules. Cooperation on the enforcement of competition rules should be encouraged whilst paying particular attention to the confidentiality of commercial data. Work towards a multilateral framework is welcomed. A first step in this process would be for competition and regulatory authorities to provide an accurate description of their regulatory framework. Protecting privacy and personal data alongside the safeguarding of plurality of opinion play an essential role in maintaining citizens' confidence in the information society and thereby encourage user participation and strengthen competition and market access. Only if security of information is effectively guaranteed will individuals or organizations take full advantage of information infrastructure. Citizens and society should be protected against criminal abuse of the developing networks. Providing high levels of legal and technical protection of creative content will be one of the essential conditions to ensure the necessary climate for the investment needed for the development of the Information Society. Thus, there is a need for internationally recognized protection for the creators and providers of materials that will be disseminated over the Global Information Infrastructure. G-7 partners will increase efforts to find creative, technological and policy solutions to: o Protect Privacy and Personal Data The protection of personal data requires that national as well as regional data protection provisions are defined and properly enforced and that international cooperation and dialogue are encouraged. o Increase Information Security Authorities should work collectively to increase the reliability and security of national and international networks. This will be achieved by developing security principles that are commensurate with the risk and magnitude of harm. o Protect creativity and content provision Measures will be developed through national, bilateral, regional and international efforts, including in the World Intellectual Property Organization, which will ensure that the framework for intellectual property and technical protection guarantees that the right holders enjoy the technical and legal means to control the use of their property over the Global Information Infrastructure. INTERACTIVE APPLICATIONS WILL CHANGE THE WAYS WE LIVE TOGETHER Information and communication technologies will present new opportunities and challenges in the way we access and disseminate information and content. Interactive multimedia services and applications are the most visible components of the information society. Their emergence and eventual penetration at all levels of society means rethinking and restructuring the traditional communications methods. This will create a change in our environments and the ways we live together. Sharing experiences on emerging applications would provide us with an understanding of their impact and benefits. Public authorities have an important catalytic role to play in the promotion of research, applications and generic services. They can also further initiatives in the development of applications in areas of common public interest. International cooperation on joint projects provides an opportunity to demonstrate the benefits and uses of the information society. G-7 partners recognize the impact interactive applications will have on society and are committed to: o Share experiences on emerging applications They will create an inventory of major applications could provide knowledge of new and emerging employment sectors. Information on impediments to the realisation and dissemination of new applications will be exchanged. o Act as a catalyst for the promotion of research, applications and generic services They will increase cooperation efforts in selected joint projects of common interest, especially on basic technology, including interconnectivity, interoperability, and human interface for universal services. Comparable opportunities for participation in projects will be offered. o Promote joint projects to demonstrate our commitments They use the opportunity of this ministerial Conference to launch eleven selected joint pilot project (ANNEX). Participation of other partners is encouraged. The projects selected aim at demonstrating the potential of the Information Society, at contributing to solve various important issues for realising the information society and at stimulating its growth, in particular in relation to job creation, while involving all actors concerned at all levels and in any country. They call on all interested parties to join as soon as possible so that wide cooperation and projects can be effectively initiated by the time of the Halifax Summit. ____________________________________________________________ _ DRAFT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY G-7 PILOT PROJECTS The G-7 members along with the European Commission decided to take the opportunity offered by the Ministerial Conference being held in BRUSSELS on February 25-26 to identify a number of selected projects where international cooperation could be an asset. These projects would aim at demonstrating the potential of the Information Society and stimulate its deployment. The projects will be initially undertaken by the G-7 partners but are meant to be open. The participation of other partners, including international organisations, is encouraged. Further refinement and investigative studies will be undertaken in order to define in further depth the project contents and their implementation framework. The work undertaken in the G-7 Pilot Projects thus far was based on joint deliberations and consensus on Theme Areas identified to be of common international interest for the Information Society. These selected themes were then rendered into more concrete project proposals through formal and informal discussions and meetings. Further refinement of the proposals and studies of implementation scenarios are still required for all the projects considered. It is expected that the consequences of the joint action this area will provide a concrete contribution to the requirements of the global information society and will demonstrate its potential for the well-being of all citizens. 1. OBJECTIVES OF THE ACTION The key objectives for the launching of Pilot Projects for the Information Society are to: o support the goal of international consensus on common principles governing the need of access to networks and applications and their interoperability o establish the groundwork for productive forms of co- operation amongst all G-7 partners in order to create a critical mass to address this global issue o create an opportunity for information exchange leading towards the further development of the information society o identify and select projects of an exemplary nature having tangible and clearly understandable social, economic and cultural benefits which will demonstrate to the public the potential of the information society o identify obstacles related to the implementation of practical applications serving the creation of a global information society o help create markets for new products and services, where appropriate. 2. PRINCIPLES The main principles guiding the selection and implementation of the theme projects are the following: o have clear added-value for the development of the Information Society by: - increasing the effectiveness of information exchange, - launching common actions - initiating co-operation at a global level o give meaning and content to the concept of the Information Society for the citizen, taking into account their cultural diversity o stimulate cooperation amongst different players: industry, academia, administrations, public authorities, etc. o avoid the creation of new bureaucracy or institutions o have as a general rule any expense covered by existing programs o have included open access as an integral part of its design o are open to non-G-7 countries as well as public and private organisations, including international organisations and standardisation bodies. 3. THE SELECTED THEME AREA PROJECTS The following are a description of the proposed themes selected for initial implementation. Other theme areas of common economic and social concern, such as applications for seniors and people with disabilities, are being pursued and opportunities for other cooperative projects studied. i. Global Inventory - to create and provide an electronically accessible multimedia inventory of information regarding major national and international projects and studies relevant to the promotion and to the development of the global information society. An assessment of social, economic and cultural factors impacting on its developments will also be undertaken. ii. Global Interoperability for Broadband Networks - to facilitate the establishment of international links between the various high speed networks and testbeds supporting advanced applications. iii. Cross-Cultural Training and Education - to provide innovative approaches to language learning in particular for students and SME's. iv. Electronic Libraries - to constitute from existing digitisation programs a large distributed virtual collection of knowledge of mankind, available to a large public, via networks. This includes a clear perspective toward the establishment of the global electronic library network which interconnects local electronic libraries. v. Electronic Museums and Galleries - to accelerate the multimedia digitisation of collections and to ensure their accessibility to the public and as a learning resource for schools and universities. vi. Environment and Natural Resources Management - to increase the electronic linkage and integration of distributed databases of information relevant to the environment. vii. Global Emergency Management - to encourage the development of a global management information network to enhance the management of emergency response situations, risks and knowledge. viii. Global Healthcare Management - to demonstrate the potential of telematics technologies in the field of telemedicine in the fight against major health scourges: to promote joint approaches to issues such as the use of data cards, standards and other enabling mechanisms. ix. Government On-line - to exchange experience and best practice on the use of on-line information technology by administrations on the establishment of procedures for conducting electronic administrative business between governments, companies and citizens. x. Global Marketplace for SME's - to contribute to the development of an environment for open and non- discriminatory exchange of information and to demonstrate, particularly through EDI, the interoperability of electronic and information co-operation and trading services on a global scale, for the benefits of SME's. xi. Maritime Information Systems - to integrate and enhance environmental protection and industrial competitiveness for all maritime activities by means of information and communication technologies including applications in the area of safety and the environment, intelligent manufacturing and logistics networks.