Access to knowledge (A2K) is essential for promoting human rights, economic and cultural development, innovation, individual freedom and creativity. The Third Access to Knowledge conference (A2K3) will bring together scholars, policymakers, industry, and civil society to discuss key issues in global knowledge policy.

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All human development is based on the acquisition, spread and use of knowledge.

Whether it is the know-how to produce life-saving medicines or the latest innovation in farm technology, access to knowledge can bring power and profitable returns. Unequal access, on the other hand, can create injustice - particularly when based on economic disparity.

The next phase of telecom growth will be driven by broadband paradigm, said Mr. R R Shah, Member Secretary, Planning Commission at a conference on ‘Connecting the Next 500 Million: Telecom Roadmap for the 11th Five Year Plan 2007 – 12’, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), here on Thursday.

The UNESCO International Conference and Exhibition on Knowledge Parks provides a platform for key players around the world to help translate the concept of knowledge societies into concrete solutions for development.
It sensitizes policy makers to the value of specialized knowledge parks and knowledge hubs to support and drive economic development and capacity building. It creates opportunities for establishing regional cooperation towards building knowledge parks in developing countries, with a special focus on Africa, Arab States and Asia.

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The public sector has been the major force behind most ICT policy and national ICT strategy initiatives in Africa over the last decade. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the success of ICT in development cannot be met without the active participation of civil society, the media and the private sector.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is Switzerland's international cooperation agency within the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). In operating with other federal offices concerned, SDC is responsible for the overall coordination of development activities and cooperation with Eastern Europe, as well as for humanitarian aid.

The Library of Congress and UNESCO will cooperate to develop a digital library of works from around the world, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization said on Wednesday.

"The World Digital Library initiative will digitize unique and rare materials from libraries and other cultural institutions around the world and make them available free of charge on the Internet," Paris-based UNESCO said in a statement.

Africa recognises that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) offers significant opportunities to address current demands whilst simultaneously redressing historical legacies and repositioning the continent for a better future. There are concurrently a multitude of initiatives, including e-government, free open source software (FOSS), ICT policy harmonisation and building bandwidth infrastructure, being researched and implemented across Africa.

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Learning and sharing best ICT practices among Commonwealth countries could help them close digital divides, an expert has said.

The Executive officer for Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation (CTO), Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah said this could, however, only be achieved by having points of contact which will help member countries take stock of each country's needs, what is available and what needs to be done to improve the situation.

The IDRC Digital Library provides the international research community with access to a current and comprehensive collection of research results and documents generated by IDRC-funded projects, IDRC funding recipients, and IDRC staff about a wide range of subjects related to international development.