Resolutions

FINAL RESOLUTIONS

Preamble

The participants to the World Youth Congress in the Society of Information and Knowledge, jointly organised by AJST (Association Jeunes-Science de Tunisie / Youth Science Association of Tunisia) and MILSET / IMLAST (Mouvement International des Loisirs Scientifiques et Techniques / International Movement for Leisure in Science and Technology), 14th and 15 th of november 2005, around WSIS,

• hail the support they have enjoyed by the International Organisations – IUT, UNESCO, ISESCO, ALECSO,
• thank the WSIS Organisation Committee and Tunisian authorities for their support and the facilities they afforded them,
• express their full satisfaction as to the way their works were conduced and brought to fruition.

They convey their expectations as expressed in the Resolutions they have adopted, and wish for a World Youth Congress to be organised once every two years, in order to ensure the assessment of the implementation and the elaboration of plans of actions.

 I - Youth Expectations

We, the youth convening at the World Congress, Tunis, November 14-15, 2005,

• Fully subscribing to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and specifically emphasizing the right to education and the right to health,
• Expressing our satisfaction for the attendance, for the first time in such a tangible way, in the World Summit on the Information Society, of delegates from civil society, as an obvious and obligatory stakeholder in any decision-making and action at the world level,
• Taking cognizance of the existence of many international organizations and structures voicing youth concerns and coordinating youth programs all over the world, and deeming it necessary to coordinate all their activities within a common world structure, we, youth, expect the Chiefs of State and Government to :

1.1 Protect the major targets of human kind from an use of science, technology and ICTs incompatible with peace, stability and the harmonious development of human kind ;

1.2 Create national-level financing funds for :

• the eradication of analphabetism
• the eradication of the digital divide (international and inside each country),
• the development of scientific research.
  These fundings must reach three percent of GDP of each country by 2010.

1.3 Adopt a policy of  development and diffusion of scientific culture through :

• the creation of “Centres for Scientific Culture”,
• the setting of media devoted to science and adapted to all ages,
• the free circulation of scientific material through the exemption of any tax and tariff.

1.4 Take in account the necessity of creating non-government science associations  (NGOs) and give those associations a legislative and financial support.

1.5 Take in account the necessity of :

• ensuring the training of instructors,
• ensuring that youth receive an continuous and up-to-date training, leading them to knowledge and skills,
• creating specific high level training centres supporting the development of research and technology in all countries.

1.6 Take in account the necessity of reinforcing the health prevention programmes
 against transmissible illnesses, and particularly AIDS.

1.7 Besides, we call on the United Nations to :

• make 2015 a World Youth Year, an assessment opportunity to take positive stock of the recommandations of the present Congress ;
• establish inside UNO, by 2007, a World Consultative Youth Council, a structure to gather all the organ­izations representing the youth the world over ;
• organize every year on the 15th of November a World Youth Sciences Day.

1.8 We call last to a world solidarity of youth, without any distinction of color, gender,
  religion, nationality nor language.

II - Youth and the Declaration of the Millenium
 

We, the youth convening at the World Congress, Tunis, November 14-15,

• Acknowledging the Millennium Declaration adopted by the United Nations and its general orientations aimed at boosting world development and solidarity,
• Pledging to support its principles, by implementing and putting them into practice, through the development of the spirit of partnership and networking among our various national and international associations,
• Considering the provisions of the overall Declaration as being essential, take specific interest in the provisions spelled out herein:

2.1 Exhort all the partners concerned – governments, international organizations, civil society, private sector… – to see to their implementation and to follow up their concretization, leading to installation and development of ICTs.

2.2 Hail the establishment of the World Solidarity Fund adopted by the UN General Assembly and express the necessity to see it empowered with mechanisms for sustainability and efficiency.

2.3 Call for the need to identify and set up new bonds of partnership and solidarity between the states, especially South-South partnership, the private sector, the civil society and the international organizations, while guaranteeing fair, just and equitable development for all.

2.4 Call on governments and international organizations to ensure the follow up, through concrete actions, of the commitment they made to provide the poor – notably the youth living in the remote areas, as well as the marginalized rural or urban areas – with the appropriate means to become independent through better access to training programs – and notably in the fields of ICTs – leading them to enjoy more opportunities for education, culture, information,  citizenship, and especially employment of the youth.  Such a strategy should be duly carried out in full cooperation with all the partners belonging to national and international communities.

2.5 Call on governments and international organizations to ensure that primary education is mandatory for all, and exhort the international organizations and the rich countries to be further involved in long-term development strategies of the scientific and academic community in each country, which stands as a major pillar for any development process through better access to higher education, promotion of life-long learning, avoiding brain drain by better management of national human resources and involving other actors in education.

2.6 Call on governments, national and international organizations to empower women in their deep and full-fledged involvement in decision-making processes and all other spheres of life, notably those related to development, in order to help consecrate, by the same token, the principle of their equality within society.

2.7 Call on states and international organizations to operate in equal footing in full cooperation with a view to establishing an adequate and dynamic national and international environment that would be appropriate for sustainable development, investment, transfer of technology and international cooperation. A permanent and real peace, prevailing the world over and based on the reinforcement of the role of thoroughly reformed UN, would the sole wager for the achievement of these objectives.

2.8 Call on governments, national and international organizations to take specific interests in the improvement of health standards on the basis of the “right to a decent health” and the “right to health care,” as basic human rights.  This should be carried out through more efforts to enhance research in this field and through the struggle against the transforming of drugs into sheer market commodities and making them more affordable to the underprivileged, and notably those living in poor countries.

2.9 Call to the organisation of International Meetings every 2 years for the follow up of the implementation of these Resolutions.

III - Youth and the Information and Communication Technologies

We, the Youth convening at the World Congress, Tunis, November 14-15, 2005,

• Being aware of the importance and risks held by ITCs in modern societies and of their role in development,
• Hailing the initiative taken by the International Community to organize the World Summit on the Information Society,
• Pledging to actively implement the principles having led to its organization, we affirm taking a specific interest  in the provisions spelled out herein :

3.1 Exhort all the partners concerned – governments, international organizations, civil society, private sector – to see to the implementation of all the resolutions adopted by the W.S.I.S. and their follow-up

3.2 Consider that it is necessary to submit ITCs to a set of ethical values serving peace, and likely to enhance justice and equity, to safeguard human dignity, to protect most vulnerable persons and to condemn the spread of any form of discrimination, exclusion and racism.

3.3 Consider that the digital universe cannot accept any tutorship. United Nations and the civil society must be involved in its governance.

3.4 Consider that the information society must be based on the respect of cultural identity, cultural, religious and linguistic diversity, and must also enhance dialogue among all cultures and civilizations. However, it is necessary to see to the generalized access to ICTs.

3.5 Call on governments and international organizations to see to it that knowledge is duly shared by removing all obstacles impeding access to information, and notably by the exemption of IPRs for educational purposes, by the decrease of the costs of connection, equipments and software, and by the setting of financing facilities. Furthermore, we call on to support the development and use of free software.

3.6 Call on governments to generalize the use of ICTs in education and training, in higher education and research, as well as in the development of human resources.

3.7 Call on governments to struggle against digital divide, to alleviate the impact of exclusion, and to implement the ‘digital opportunities’ that are likely to enhance, in the developing countries and the regions and underprivileged areas of the developed countries, economic growth, job opportunities, better life standards as well as dialogue among people, nations and civilizations.

3.8 Remain deeply convinced that the outcome of research and new technologies, including ITCs, artificial intelligence and all its applications, biology, renewable energies, techniques of drinkable water etc, should be tapped first and foremost to contribute to socio-economic development and the welfare of human beings in the respect of human dignity.

3.9 Invite all society partners to tap all ITCs potentials in order to enhance job creation and create new occupations and job careers. This can help developping countries to become producers in the field of ICTs and help youngsters to carry out.

3.10 Consider that the governments and intergovernmental associations have the obligation to see together to the safeguard of our planet, the legacy inherited by youth, by approving and implementing the international agreements underway and to come. It is also their duty to initiate in this domain further policies setting more examples to be followed, like the ones geared towards sustainable development.

3.11 Call on all parties concerned – governments, international organizations, civil society and private sector – to enhance the use of ICTs for the upgrading of scientific, cultural and educational leisure programs for youth, who are the most active users of all these technologies, and to incitate them to exert their creativity, given that it is the wager of any development process.