Communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri left for Geneva this weekend to attend the World Summit on the Information Society`s (WSIS) extraordinary session, which will seek ways of bridging the digital divide.
According to a Government Communications and Information Services announcement, the three-day summit is due to start on Wednesday and the minister will address an all-general debate on Thursday.
The WSIS is a forum of all stakeholders in telecommunications, broadcasting, multimedia and information and communications technology (ICT), to develop a better understanding of the impact of the convergence of such technologies on the international community.
The meeting will address a broad range of issues concerning the information society as well as enable delegates to move towards a common vision and understanding of the information society.
The summit is expected to adopt a declaration of principles and an action plan to facilitate the effective growth of the information society and help to bridge the digital divide.
"The summit will enable delegates to discuss a variety of critical issues, while at the same time focusing on concrete applications, exchanging first-hand experience and finding new ways to improve day-to-day life through the use of ICT," the Department of Communications says.
Other items on the agenda include cultural and linguistic diversity in knowledge societies, solutions to bridging the digital divide, e-learning solutions, cultural and social impact of mobile technologies, development of infrastructure, role of the media, e-governance challenges and developments, and impact of ICT on work and employment.
Matsepe-Casaburri recently briefed president Thabo Mbeki and his Presidential International Advisory Committee in Cape Town on the aims and objectives of the WSIS.
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