The Memorandum of Understanding on the Unified Broadband Initiative for Southeastern Europe (bSEE) has been signed at the Ministerial Conference in Thessalonica. The participants have also agreed about a joint regional input to the second World Summit on Information Society, that will be held in Tunisia in November. Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in a Conference which gathers Communication Ministers from South-eastern Europe in Thessalonica, Greece from 30 June to 1 July.
The aim of the South Eastern Europe Ministerial Conference was to take stock and review the progress achieved so far under auspices of Stability Pact eSEE Initiative and to discuss continuation of the eSEE Agenda as a joint action plan for development of information society in this region, as a prerequisite for more profound integration of SEE region in European technological and developmental currents.
The plan was to provide input for the review of eSEE Agenda, as the key regional action plan for development of Information Society in Southeastern Europe. It presents an opportunity to synchronize the priorities of eSEE Agenda to the changed reality in order to increase effectiveness and continued relevance of this document for the signatory countries and to the EU-wide mainstream developments.
The South Eastern Europe Ministerial Conference on the Information Society has been held at the invitation of the Hellenic Ministry of Transport and Communications, Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the United Nations Development Programme and INA Research Institute, Ministers and representatives from the eSEE Initiative member states (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro, Kosovo, Greece, Romania and representatives from private sector and research organizations.
In the context of this Ministerial Conference, countries of the region have acknowledged the importance of the eSEE Initiative and reaffirmed their commitment to the eSEE Agenda – a plan for development of Information Society in the region – particularly to the need to align national policies for the development of Information Society and to establish the legal framework for the development of Information Society harmonised with the EU Acquis Communitaire.
Conference have also provided the platform to present UNDP RBEC Bratislava funded Interim impact assessment of eSEE Agenda in the Western Balkans, which points to significant progress in information society development in the eSEE Initiative member countries.
From 2002, UNDP has been backing eSEE Initiative through Sarajevo based eSEE Secretariat. Assessment affirms that eSEE Secretariat championed in providing regional identity and visibility to the Initiative, thus acting as an anchorage, knowledge base and key focal point for regional cooperation.
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