The Opening Ceremony officially inaugurated the WSIS Forum 2012 and set the tone for structured, inclusive dialogues and workshops to address a range of issues within the global Information Society during the 5 days of the Forum.

The High-Level Opening Session of the WSIS Forum 2012, which followed the Opening Ceremony, provided the perfect platform for governments, private sector, international organizations and civil society to learn and benefit from each other’s varied experiences of utilizing ICT as a tool for sustainable development.

The Ministerial Round Table provided the opportunity for all Ministers to share their experiences with reference to activities carried out in line with the implementation of the WSIS outcomes. It also offered an opportunity to discuss, in a high-level setup, their vision regarding the WSIS process in particular, with reference to the challenges to be addressed beyond 2015. Inputs provided by participants of this round table provided strategic guidance and paved the way for further discussions during the WSIS Forum 2012, including the two WSIS+10 Plenary Sessions.

The High-Level Dialogues provide an interesting blend of an expert panel and audience interaction on specific topics identified as relevant and crucial within the mandate of the WSIS.

The Tunis Agenda for the Information Society states that the WSIS implementation mechanism at the international level should be organized based on the themes and action lines in the Geneva Plan of Action and moderated or facilitated by UN agencies when appropriate. It also states that ITU, UNESCO and UNDP should play a leading facilitating role in the implementation of the Geneva Plan of Action.

Interactive sessions provide workshop style interaction amongst the participants and panellists. The panellists provide an introduction to the framework of the session and act as moderators, while the participants are encouraged to drive the session discussion.

The seventh WSIS Action line Facilitators meeting provided an opportunity to assess, evaluate and focus on WSIS+10 issues.

Countries provide updates and report on implementation of the WSIS Action Lines in their respective countries. This session provides an opportunity for all participants to learn and share their country level experiences on the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines.

Thematic Workshops are interactive sessions based on the requests received from stakeholders during the Open Consultation Process. These workshops are organized and designed by the stakeholders who submit requests for Thematic Workshops. Thematic workshops provide the perfect platform for dialogue and debate on issues concerning Information Societies.

Knowledge Exchanges provide an opportunity for exchanging knowledge and developing win- win partnerships.

ITU Telecom World 2012 is the leading platform for high-level networking, strategic debate and knowledge-sharing for the global ICT community. Key stakeholders from across the entire industry ecosystem actively engaged in conference discussions and workshops in a collective drive for meaningful ICT solutions to the world’s most pressing economic and societal challenges. ITU Telecom events are unique in that they attract significant numbers of participants from both the public and private sectors, providing a strategic opportunity for building relationships and mutual understanding.

WSIS Exhibition 2012 was an important component of the WSIS Forum 2012 and took place at ILO Premises, R2 and R3 floors, May 14-18. This year we were very happy to welcome exhibitors from 13 countries, including the 2 Strategic Partners and 5 Partners for Specific Activities. Different conceptions, innovative ideas and new developments in the area of ICTs were represented for the Exhibition attendees. Variety of literature, promotional materials and video, provided by the exhibitors, supported better information exchange.

The purpose of this meeting was to hold open consultations on the programme and schedule of the Seventh Annual IGF Meeting, which will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 6-9 November 2012 and whose main theme will be “Internet Governance for Sustainable Human, Economic and Social Development”. The consultation focused on the selection of workshops for this year’s IGF.

The closing ceremony brough the 5 day event to a close.