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THE INFORMATION SOCIETY 139
the policy process and the sense of decisions being made behind closed
doors as well as its first output. The most apparent difference between
stakeholders’ positions is the fact that the former tends to view ICTs and
equitable access to them as an end in itself, while the latter views it as
a means to achieving global equity. Previous, unsuccessful attempts for
an international communications policy with a progressive agenda, such
as the NWICO, left UNESCO in a weak negotiating position. At the
elite political level, it also marginalized international demands for social
justice expressed through UNESCO, as these were discredited as ‘political’
positions that have no place in the ‘neutral’ zone of technology and
policy. As we have seen throughout our discussion of the developments
in international systems of communication, technology is still presented
as a ‘neutral’ good and policy is still promoted as an apolitical activity.
The socially conscious tone promoted in the set of principles that
defines the agenda at the first phase of the WSIS is in direct contrast to the
policy pursued by the most dominant parties of the ‘partnership’ between
stakeholders with its emphasis on the creation of markets for ICT use and
the expansion of e-commerce. Reflecting on this first phase summit, Zhao
(2004) and Hamelink (2004) observe a lack of political economic context
to the discourse of the WSIS. WSIS was initially perceived by the civil
society sector as an unique opportunity to provide space for the debate
related to long-standing claims for communication rights protected as
human rights. The priorities given by the WSIS are clearly stated in the
Declaration of Principles:
b) The commitment of the private sector is important in developing
and diffusing information and communication technologies (ICTs),
for infrastructure, content and applications. The private sector is not
only a market player but also plays a role in a wider sustainable development
context.
c) The commitment and involvement of civil society is equally important
in creating an equitable Information Society, and in implementing
ICT–related initiatives for development. (Declaration of Principles;
World Summit on the Information Society 2003)
Although the aim of this discussion is not to emphasize semantics over
praxis, it is important to be attuned to the role of language and presentation
in legitimizing policy normative frameworks. Although the role of
the actors within civil society seems enhanced in this particular summit,
the role ‘officially’ recognized for civil society appears to be that of a secondary,
assisting agent, behind the private sector upon which the whole
project of IS rests. The WSIS principles echo the decisions made at the