The
Netherlands are glad of the presence of civil society in the World
Summit. ICTs are important for the growth of productivity and to improve the
quality of life. The management of internet should be appropriate : “A
failure of the internet could result in an enormous chaos in public life”.
Therefore, a mechanism of efficient protection is essential. Solidarity is
necessary to help other countries in development. For this purpose,
Netherlands has participated to an ICT Trust Fund, has provided financial
and technical assistance through NGOs like HIVOS, the International
Institute for Communication and Development, and OneWorld International. The
Netherlands emphasizes that the WSIS is also about Human rights : freedom of
expression and of information are keystones for the information society.
