Lagos — THE need to declare the 'Cyberspace as a shared resource' for the global public god, was the consensus of about 1,250 respondents to a survey released at the weekend.

The survey which lasted for one mouth, between April 10 to May 10, 2004, was organized by the International Telecommuication Union (ITU), an organ of the United Nations (UN).

Champion Infotel recalled that at the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS 2003) last December in Geneva, Switzerland, a 10-point target was incorporated as Plan of Action to be achieved by the year 2015.

The summit also approved a Declaration of Principles, which jointly with the Plan of Action outlined a roadmap towards bringing the benefits of ICTs to under-developed economies.

The summit further believed that social and economic development which is increasingly driven by ICTs, would result in a more just, prosperous and equitable world.

According to the survey, overwhelming support was given on the belief that if the Information Society (IS) is to be one in which all citizens throughout the world could equally access and use information resources for sustainable economic and social development, "Cyberspace should be declared a resource to be shared by all for the global public good".

This opinion was held by more than 94 per cent respondents of survey with 5.78 per cent indifferent.

And these results were consistent across all the six regions surveyed globally, including Asia, Austral/Asia, Americas, Europe, Africa and Arab States.

The survey was released on World Telecommunication Day, May 17, which commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union in 1865.

ITU, the oldest multilateral organization in the world, chose to celebrate its 139th anniversary with the theme "ICTs: Leading the way to sustainable development".

Secretary-General of ITU, Mr. Yoshio Utsumi, noted that "ICTs alone may not feed the hungry, eradicate poverty or reduce child mortality, but they are an increasingly important catalyst that spurs economic growth and social equity".

He stressed that ICTs allow for more efficient agricultural production, diversity and distribution, as well as offer the possibility of delivering basic health services to those in dire need living in areas with little or no access to healthcare facilities and extension the reach of educators in allowing them to bring knowledge to the most remote corners of the planet.

Secretary General, United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, said that, "on World Telecommunication Day, let us resolve to do all we could to lead the way to a truly open, inclusive and prosperous telecommunications age".

However, the 10 targets in the WSIS Plan of Action for improving access and connectivity to ICTs by 2015, which were endorsed by 175 Member States, were all rated as very important to achieving an information society that would benefit all of humanity.

Again, these results were consistent regardless of region, gender, age or profession of those who responded to the survey.