GENEVA, Dec 10 (Hina) - The information society has to become available to all and everywhere equally, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said in Geneva on Wednesday at the plenary session of the World Summit on the Information
Society.
GENEVA, Dec 10 (Hina) - The information society has to become
available to all and everywhere equally, Croatian President
Stjepan Mesic said in Geneva on Wednesday at the plenary session of
the World Summit on the Information Society. #L#
In his address Mesic drew attention to the economic benefits
countries entering the information society have, assessing that it
offered great prospects to less developed countries.
"Only by investing in information resources can less developed
countries keep up with developed countries, which is an ideal
opportunity to reduce the differences between developed and
undeveloped countries."
Mesic said it was necessary to reallocate funds in order to
eliminate the danger of the information society benefiting only
developed countries.
The Croatian president also spoke of the role the government and the
international community have in the spreading of the information
society.
"States and the international community have to define and adjust
legal provisions for the protection of the individual from abuse of
information. One also has to envisage the prevention of
unacceptable manifestations such as racism and hate speeches from
spreading."
Mesic also said that Croatia was proposing projects of interest to
smaller countries, such as the recognition of smaller countries'
languages, the advantages of the information society for citizens
with special needs, and a model for drawing up a strategy of
information society development in less developed countries.
(hina) ha sb