Expert Panel:

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Information ecologies: Social transformation, ethics and policy

The Information Society is not a separate, technical, or purely cyber-related issue, rather it is constitutive of our world and also a dynamic shaper of social realities across all fields of endeavor. Information networks, the content they transmit and the wide range of actors they connect gives rise to rich, diverse and constantly evolving dynamic virtual spaces that span the planet. The information ecosystem is now the platform for all human development activities. Within the dynamic processes of creating and consuming information and knowledge, the meaning and direction of social processes and societies’ transformation – both online and off-line - are being defined and negotiated. Managing these processes on the basis of norms and principles that are universal and grounded in human rights is essential if we are to move to a more desirable future in which the internationally agreed development goals are realized. Questions of information ethics and the sustainable management of the information ecosystem is as urgent for policy makers as questions of environmental ethics and bioethics.

The session will therefore reflect on:
What are the major trends in the information ecosystems and what are their implications for social transformation? How can the opportunities and challenges of these emerging trends be better managed? How can the awareness of information ethics be enhanced? What capabilities and resources might policy-makers and other stakeholders need to support collaborative and effective interventions that address ethical issues in this space?

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This session will build on the stream of work that UNESCO has been undertaking in this area, the study presented during the WSIS+10 Review and the Handbook on IE.