UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2021 – Call for Submissions

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) on behalf of the WSIS Stakeholders announces the launch of the 10th edition of the WSIS prizes and calls for submission through the  http://itu.int/go/JON9 by the February 1st, 2021.

The WSIS Prizes 2021 is an exceptional international recognition of the WSIS Stakeholders as Winners and Champions for their excellence in supporting the implementation of the WSIS outcomes, in particular WSIS Action Lines supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

During the period from 1 November 2020 to 1st of February 2021, all WSIS stakeholders are invited to submit WSIS related projects to the WSIS Prize 2021 contest.

Five Phases of the Contest  : There are five phases to the WSIS Prizes 2021:

  • The first phase : Submission phase (1 November 2019 to 25 January 2021)
  • The second phase : Nomination phase. Revision of submitted projects that will result with a list of 360 nominated projects, twenty (20) projects per Action Line Category (18)  (1 February 2021 to 26 February 2021)
  • The third phase : Public online voting  (1 March to 31 March 2021)
  • The fourth phase : Selection of winning proects by the ITU Expert Group that will result with a list of winning projects (1 April 2021 – 12 April 2021)
  • The fifth phase : Announcement of winners to the public during the WSIS Prize 2021 Ceremony at WSIS Forum 2021, and the release of publication “WSIS Stocktaking; Success Stories 2021” (Announced at the WSIS Forum 17-21 May 2021)
About the WSIS Prizes: 
The WSIS Prizes contest was developed in response to requests from the WSIS stakeholders to create an effective mechanism to evaluate projects and activities that leverage the power of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to advance sustainable development.Since its inception, the contest of WSIS Prizes has attracted more than 300,000 stakeholders.

Following the outcomes of the United Nations General Assembly Overall Review on WSIS (Res. A/70/125) that called for a close alignment between the WSIS Process and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Res. A/70/1), the WSIS Prizes is the unique global platform to identify and showcase success stories in the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines and SDGs.

About the WSIS : 

The UN General Assembly Resolution 56/183 (21 December 2001) endorsed the holding of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in two phases. The first phase took place in Geneva from 10 to 12 December 2003 and the second phase took place in Tunis, from 16 to 18 November 2005.

Geneva Phase: 10-12 December 2003

The objective of the first phase was to develop and foster a clear statement of political will and take concrete steps to establish the foundations for an Information Society for all, reflecting all the different interests at stake.

Nearly 50 Heads of state/government and Vice-Presidents, 82 Ministers, and 26 Vice-Ministers from 175 countries as well as high-level representatives from international organizations, private sector, and civil society attended the Geneva Phase of WSIS and gave political support to the Geneva Declaration of Principles and Geneva Plan of Action that were adopted on 12 December 2003. More than 11,000 participants from 175 countries attended the Summit and related events.

Tunis Phase: 16-18 November 2005

The objective of the second phase was to put Geneva’s Plan of Action into motion as well as to find solutions and reach agreements in the fields of Internet governance, financing mechanisms, and follow-up and implementation of the Geneva and Tunis documents.

Nearly 50 Heads of state/government and Vice-Presidents and 197 Ministers, Vice Ministers and Deputy Ministers from 174 countries as well as high-level representatives from international organizations, private sector, and civil society attended the Tunis Phase of WSIS and gave political support to the Tunis Commitment and Tunis Agenda for the Information Society that were adopted on 18 November 2005. More than 19,000 participants from 174 countries attended the Summit and related events.

More information: https://www.itu.int/net4/wsis/stocktaking/Prizes/2021/

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By bnnrc

AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR is Chief Executive Officer and founder Secretary of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC). He has more than 20 years experience in leveraging community media and right to communication to create successful policy advocacy in Bangladesh in line with community media development. His areas of expertise straddle community media policy advocacy, training, project management especially in the area of community media. He founded Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC). BNNRC Devoted Entirely to Promote Community Media for Development (CM4D). BNNRC Leads Supports and Advocates for the Initiators to actively provide independent community broadcasting in Bangladesh since 2000. BNNRC represent the community electronic media sector to Government, Industry, Regulatory Bodies, Media, Academia and Development Partners from 2000. The BNNRC provides leadership and support for rural initiators to facilitate independent electronic community broadcasting services and to build and strengthen rural communities. He actively works to improve recognition of the community electronic media sector [Community Radio | Community TV | Community Film] & its work in and involvement with the communities it seeks to serve. BNNRC's outreach extends to local, national and international forums for communicating Knowledge for Development (KM4D). In this backdrop, communication is recognized as an essential human need and, therefore, as a basic human right. Our working strategies are: 1. Communicating on the Public Sphere: The role of communication and media in exercising democratic political participation in society 2. Communicating Knowledge: The terms and means by which knowledge generated by society is communicated, or blocked, for use by different groups. 3. Civil Rights in Communication: The exercise of civil rights relating to the processes of communication in society & 4. Cultural Rights in Communication: The communication of diverse cultures, cultural forms and identities at the individual and social levels. BNNRC now strives for the following core interventions to contribute in achieving 6th five Years Plan, UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) Action Plan and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through: Right to Information- RTI for ensuring improved livelihood of the marginalized ICT for Development- ICT4D for Bridging the Digital Divide in rural areas & Community Radio/Community TV/ Community Film for amplifying voices for the voiceless and Amateur Radio for Disaster Risk Reduction He graduated from University of Dhaka and Post graduated from Asian University of Bangladesh in the field of Social Science (MSS) in Government & Politics and Participated in certificate course on Development Management by Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) New Delhi, India He currently founder member of Bangladesh Working Group on UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) headed by Bangladesh Government, Community Radio Monitoring Committee of Ministry of Information, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, founder member of Bangladesh UN Internet Governance Forum( UN IGF) Headed by Minister, Ministry of Information, Multi-stakeholder Steering Group Members of Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (AP-RIGF) & Distinguish Fellow, Center for e-Parliament Research. Contact: ceo@bnnrc.net www.bnnrc.net