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International & national information policies

Seminar 3

BSIM0003 Information Policy

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Content

• The rationale for international & national information policy

• Developments in international information policy

• Multinational information policy making bodies

• Developments in national information policy

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Rationale for international & national information policies

Information has become the most important factor of production & wealth creation in the information society. The ability of individuals & organisations to effectively use information will ultimately decide their ability to generate economic growth & enhance quality of life for all

There is a need for proper co-ordination of initiatives & the avoidance of duplication

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• Industrial & commercial competitiveness• Employment & the creation of job

opportunities; • Balanced regional development• Government efficiency & effectiveness• Protection of intellectual rights• Lifelong learning• Social inclusion • Participation in the democratic process

Impacts of international & national information policies

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‘To this end we must ensure that IT serves the mutually supportive goals of creating sustainable economic growth, enhancing the public welfare, & fostering social cohesion, & work to fully realise its potential to strengthen democracy, increase transparency & accountability in governance, promote human rights, enhance cultural diversity, & to foster international peace & stability. Meeting these goals & addressing emerging challenges will require effective national & international strategies’ Okinawa Charter, 2002

Impacts of international & national information policies

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International information policies : History

1865 Telegraph Union (ITU) established1885 International legislation governing telephony1906 International Radiotelegraph Convention1924 International Telephone Consultative

Committee (CCIF) established1925 International Telegraph Consultative

Committee (CCIT) established1927 International Radio Consultative Committee

(CCIR) established1959 Space radio communication study group

ITU, 2007 http://www.itu.int/aboutitu/overview/history.html

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Information & technology

Type Nature Complexity Scale

Tool Made by individual Simple Local

Technology Group collaboration Complex Global

Meta-technology

Group & individual Highly complex Global/

localBraman, 2006

The increasing sophistication & complexity of technology, esp ICT poses implications for information policy making

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Information & technology

List some challenges/problems that recent & future developments in ICT & other technologies pose for information policy makers

Consider especially the international arena

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International information policies: the ‘control crisis’

‘Information policy made in one nation will have effects elsewhere…This desire to control the world beyond our local communities has developed alongside our ability to extend our influence beyond our local communities in the economic & social spheres’ Burger,1993

This concept is known as the ‘control crisis’

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Information policies: the ‘information policy regime’

Driven by the ‘commodification’ of information & the related desires to reduce transaction costs & uncertainty relating to informational products

Policy relating to information may support or come into conflict with other policies. This has led to a need to integrate information policies with other existing & emerging policies

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Information policies: the ‘information policy regime’

‘Historically distinct policy matters pertaining to global flows of information, communication & culture are coming together into a single emergent global information policy regime. This regime is global because it involves non-state as well as state actors’ Braman, 2004

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The information policy regime : Early example

Universal Bibliographic Control (UBC) – ‘to make universally & promptly available, in a form which is internationally acceptable, basic bibliographic data on all publications issued in all countries’

Anderson, 1974

Universal Availability of Publications (UAP) – ‘each country should have, besides a national bibliography, a national centre…which will arrange to provide to other national centres on request a loan or photocopy of any item published in the country’ Line & Vickers, 1983

What other policies are related to these policies?

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International information policies : the ‘control crisis’

What aspects of human activity related to information flows & ICT do governments want to control outside their own national borders? Why?

Is it reasonable & practical to implement international policies? Consider the dramatic differences between rich & poor countries

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Multinational information policy making bodies

• United Nations & its agencies, eg UNESCO http://portal.unesco.org/en/

• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) http://www.wipo.int/portal/index.html.en

• IFLA http://www.ifla.org/ • International Telecommunication Union

(ITU) http://www.itu.int/home/index.html

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ICT plays a key role in supporting many government policies eg :

• To facilitate better distribution of wealth & opportunity to citizens

• To facilitate equal opportunities to personal & corporate development, healthcare & other public services

National information policies : Roles

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• In many countries telecommunications services are not spread evenly through society due to :– Physical remoteness– Ability to pay

• If policy mandates some minimum standards to apply there are cost implications eg :– It costs much more to invest in ICT

infrastructure in remote areas– Underprivileged/remote areas generate less

direct revenue than affluent/urban areas

National information policies : Challenges

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Key areas :

• Connectivity - information networks, access & interoperability

• Content - creation & delivery of core content, protection of the citizen, & cost of access

• Competencies - information literacy, supply of information specialists & creation of information strategies for organizations

National information policy

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Information policy challenges

International & national information policies (& laws, rules & regulations) should directly & indirectly maximise the benefits of the Information Society, while minimising the negative & constraining forces that act as barriers to these potential gains

Ideally they should not adversely affect any identifiable groups within society, ie the gains & pain should be shared evenly

Do you agree with these views? Why or why not?

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Information policy in HK

1. What information policies do we encounter in HK?

2. Is there evidence of an effective information policy regime in HK?

3. As HK is part of China, should HK’s information policies conform the China’s?

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References

Anderson, D. 1974. Universal bibliographic control: A long term policy: A plan for action. Verlag, Munich.

Braman, S. 2004. The emergent global information policy regime. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.

Braman, S. 2006. Change of state: Information, policy, and power. MIT, Cambridge, Mass.

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References

Burger, R. 1993. Information policy : A framework for evaluation & policy research. Ablex, Norwood, NJ.

Japan. 2000. Okinawa Charter on global information society . http://www.g7.utoronto.ca/summit/2000okinawa/gis.htm

Line, M. & Vickers, S. 1983. Universal availability of publications (UAB): A programme to improve the national and international; provision and supply of documents, IFLA Publications no. 25. Saur, Munich.