17/05/2023
WORLD INFORMATION SOCIETY DAY
World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (W.T.I.S.D.) is celebrated every year on May 17 to raise global awareness of the potential that the Internet and information and communication technology (I.C.T.) can bring to society and the economy. It’s also to help raise awareness of ways to bridge the digital divide. The Internet and I.C.T. have proven to be essential in facing the world’s challenges in the digital era. And global cooperation is required to decrease the digital divide so that all can access new technologies and connect.
HISTORY OF WORLD INFORMATION SOCIETY DAY
World Telecommunication Day was first celebrated on May 17, 1969. It’s to mark the founding of the International Telecommunication Union and the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865. In March 2006, the U.N. General Assembly proclaimed May 17 annual World Information Society Day. In November 2006, the I.T.U. Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey, decided to celebrate both telecommunication day and information society day on May 17 as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.
I.T.U. is a specialized agency of the United Nations in charge of things related to information and communication technology. Being the oldest U.N. agency, it was established as the International Telegraph Union. At first, I.T.U. was aimed at helping connect telegraphic networks between nations. I.T.U. later adopted the name International Telecommunication Union in 1934 due to its expanded responsibilities over radio and telephone. I.T.U. agreed with the United Nations to become a specialized agency in the United Nations System on November 15, 1947, which came into force on January 1, 1949.
I.T.U’s based in Geneva, Switzerland, and its global membership includes 193 Member States and around 900 international and regional organizations, companies, and universities. Its work involves allocating global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, developing technical standards, and improving access to I.C.T. for all underserved communities. Besides, I.T.U. does work for amateur radio, radio astronomy, broadband, wireless technologies, and next-generation networks. We are benefitting from I.T.U’s work, such as making phone calls via mobile, accessing the internet, and emailing.