UNESCO

Building Knowledge Societies
Knowledge and information can change the world provided they are shared. In 2015, UNESCO’s
continuing efforts to help achieve inclusive knowledge societies were framed by discussions
around the Post-2015 Sustainable Agenda and the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals.
The Organization supported its Member States in their endeavour to create knowledge environments
based notably on accessible new technologies, and the preservation and dissemination of
knowledge as key levers of development. While encouraging integration of information and
communication technology (ICT), the Organization continued to emphasize that its increased use
should be accompanied by high ethical and human rights standards.
In 2015, UNESCO
hosted several
high-level events
to empower people
with disabilities
by encouraging
enhanced use of
information and
communications
technology (ICT), in
line with the new
SDG agenda set by
UN Member States
to end poverty,
promote peace,
share wealth
and protect
the planet
by 2030.
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Enabling ICT for
sustainable development
Ahead of the adoption by Member
States of a new Sustainable Development
Agenda later in the year, the 2015 edition
of the World Summit on the Information
Society (WSIS), held in May, served as the
platform for establishing the links between
information and communication technology
(ICT) and the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). The WSIS Forum 2015 was
held in Geneva (Switzerland), with the
theme of ‘Innovating Together: Enabling
ICTs for Sustainable Development’. Deputy
Director-General of UNESCO Getachew
Engida used the opportunity to stress
that the transition to new SDGs requires
a move beyond ICT pilot projects, and
scaling up ICT integration throughout all
relevant activities. He also highlighted
the importance of multi-stakeholder
cooperation and collective action. During
the Forum, UNESCO convened a high-level
dialogue on ‘Making Empowerment a
Reality – Accessibility for All’ along with
five Action Line meetings on various related
topics such as free, independent and
pluralistic media, culture and ICT, ethical
dimensions of the information society, and
e-learning open solutions. The principles
agreed during the WSIS Forum 2015
provided a basis for international action
and helped to promote the use of ICT for
advancing the global development agenda.
In December, the UN General Assembly
(UNGA) held a WSIS+10 Review High-
Level Meeting on the implementation
of the WSIS recommendations to date.
The outcome document recognizes that
‘the same rights that people have offline
must also be protected online’, ‘call[s] on
States to take all appropriate measures
necessary to ensure the right to freedom