World Information Society Day
World
Information Society Day is celebrated each year on 17 May to remind the world
of the vision of the World Summit on the Information Society to build “a
people-centered, inclusive and development-oriented information society” based
on fundamental human rights
World Information Society
Day promotes people’s awareness of the power of information and communication
to build societies in which they can create, access, use and share information
and knowledge to achieve their full potential. Organizations such as UNESCO
actively take part in the day by inviting people to engage in various
activities to promote campaigns centred on this event.
Background
he
annual observance of World Telecommunication Day, which marks the founding of
the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on May 17, 1865, drew attention
to the work of ITU and the challenges of global communication. In March
2006, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 17 as World
Information Society Day to recognize the efforts made to advance communication
and ITU’s role in helping people connect around the world. The UN’s first World
Information Society Day took place on Wednesday, 17 May 2006.
Prior
to World Information Society Day, World Telecommunication Day, which was first
held in 1969, was celebrated on May 17 by people and organizations such as ITU.
Many now refer to this day as World Telecommunication and Information Society
Day, taking into account the UN’s observance of World Information Society Day.
The purpose of this observance is to help raise awareness of the possibilities
that the internet and other information and communication technologies could
bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide.
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