Our Common Humanity in the Information Age
Principles and Values for Development
New York, 29 November 2006
In September 2000, the heads of the Member States of the United
Nations gathered in New York for a historic meeting. Unanimously, they
signed on to a document called The Millennium Declaration, which
outlined a common set of values and principles, including solidarity,
tolerance, respect for nature and shared responsibility. In the context
of these fundamental values essential to international relations in the
twenty-first century, the Declaration called for "broad and sustained
efforts to create a shared future, based upon our common humanity
in all its diversity". The Millennium Declaration was also the source
document for the Millennium Development Goals, eight benchmarks aimed
at halving global poverty by 2015.
Against this backdrop, a global, multi-stakeholder forum was
organized at the United Nations in the framework of the Global Alliance
for Information and Communication Technologies and Development (GAID),
in partnership with interested UN departments, agencies and NGOs, on
the promotion and inculcation of these values and principles and
lending them practical expressions in the actions of governments, civil
society, the private sector and individuals across the globe.
People all over the world were invited to take ownership of the summit, in affirmation of our common humanity.
Our Objectives
The meeting aimed at reviving the spirit of cooperation through:
- Sending a message that the global community is one family with
common values and promoting the concept of equity and fairness through
ICT.
- Strengthening the United Nations as a positive force for good, based on inclusion and partnership.
- Sharing global public goods, especially ICT, whose benefits reach across borders, generations and populations.
- Promoting equity, eradication of diseases, environmental sustainability and peace and security.
- Building awareness that the ecological balance of the planet is
fragile and is easily compromised by common threats to mankind, such as
poverty, climate change, global warming, natural disasters, famine and
conflicts, and, if there is no effort to deal with these threats, our
common destiny is at stake.
Participants
The summit featured prominent leaders and individuals in
governments, private sector, entertainment, sports, science and
technology and media from the five regions; Nobel Laureates and other
prestigious awards winners from the five regions. These dynamic
speakers engaged in a series of interactive roundtable discussions
based around the values affirmed in the Millennium Declaration.
List of confirmed participants
Our Partners
Division for ECOSOC Support and Coordination (UNDESA), Foreign
Policy Association, Friends of the UN, Global Compact, UNDP, UNFIP,
UNESCO, UN Millennium Project, The World Bank, WFUNA, ICCC, Alliance of
Civilizations, CORE, UNGO-IRENE, World Peace Prayer Society, Institute
for a Culture of Peace
If you have any questions, you may wish to contact Ms. Enrica Murmura at murmura AT un DOT org or by telephone (212) 963-5913.
One UN Plaza, 14th Floor,
New York, NY 10017