Theme of round tables
The round tables are organized around the overarching theme: "From
Commitment to Action: Implementation after Tunis".
The cluster of issues associated with the overarching theme is meant to
provide guidance for participants, thereby ensuring focus and coherence in
each session.
The following is an indicative list of topics, which the moderators will use to
help guide discussions:
· E strategies and national priorities: Developing countries wish to
harness and utilise the benefits of ICT for development, but must balance
this against other pressing needs and concerns. How can countries best
devise sustainable strategies for ICT development, in light of limited
financial, technological and trained human resources?

· International cooperation: Many countries are already formulating
and implementing national e-strategies as a powerful tool to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals. What is the role for regional and global
organizations in harnessing international cooperation that fits the needs of
countries in the information society?

· Empowering citizens: Development and Democracy are intrinsically
linked. Democracy demands transparency and an effective involvement of
citizens in the decision-making processes. What are some potential public
strategies to build governance of the 21st century?

· Social inclusion: How best can the benefits of ICTs be extended to
the poor particularly those living in remote, rural and marginalized urban
areas? How can youth and women groups be encouraged to participate in
the Information Society and be closely involved in its evolution? What more
needs to be done to ensure social inclusion of vulnerable groups and
achieve Sustainable Development?

· Growth and job creation: Many argue that the Digital Divide is an
integral part of a much broader and more intractable Development Divide.
Can ICTs enable countries to leap frog into a Digital Economy and help
narrow the Development Gap?

· Cultural diversity and common heritage: How can an inclusive
Information Society avoid the top-down approach and instead facilitate the
cross-flow of information and knowledge with local content to ensure that
traditional knowledge and information are a part of the global exchange?

· Multi stakeholder partnership: To what extent are the multi
stakeholder partnerships a viable mechanism through which to address ICT
development goals? How can the private and public sectors, civil society
and local communities engage to actively contribute in this social and
economic processes of building an Information Society? What effective
mechanisms can be used to strengthen multi stakeholder partnerships?
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