C5. Building Confidence and Security in the Use ICTs: A Vital Component of the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda

In the information age, individuals, organizations, and countries must learn to live within a digital landscape that offers both untold opportunities and new dangers.

In 2003 and 2005, WSIS provided a global platform to have a comprehensive discussion on building trust and confidence in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), including the Internet.

We are at the 10-year anniversary of WSIS, which - coincidentally - is also the year of the review of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the elaboration of the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While it is indisputable that the access to secure and trustworthy ICTs is essential tool for the global community to collectively work towards achieving sustainable development, many stakeholders have pointed out that this importance of ICTs may not be appropriately recognized and reflected in the current draft of the SDGs. This may perhaps be because of the growing recognition of ICTs (and its security) as being mainstreamed, and therefore considered a fundamental component of the implementation of most - if not all - of the SDGs; thereby making a separate/specific mention redundant.

Taking into account the priorities identified by the multistakeholder community for Action Line C5 beyond 2015 during the 2014 WSIS+10 High Level Event, this session will bring together key stakeholders to deliberate on building confidence and security in the use of ICTs as a means for sustainable development. The panelists will bring their unique perspectives, supported by experiences gained through on-going initiatives, as well as provide recommendations on future actions.