CDS/ISIS-W2: Welcome!
This meeting will provide an excellent opportunity to bring together the international CDS/ISIS community again, convening information and IT professionals, national and regional distributors, end users, funding organizations and all those people interested in the “Family of Programs” CDS/ISIS” which has contributed, over time, to democratic and equitable access to the information produced or gathered in thousands of institutions around the world.
In the year 1985 UNESCO scored a success in the information processing scenario with the launch of the CDS/ISIS program for personal computers. CDS/ISIS soon became one of the most widespread programs for the organization and recovery of information, mainly in developing countries. In 1995, the “1er. International Congress of CSD/ISIS” http://library.wur.nl/isis/declspa.html
This year 2005, on the occasion of the 9th World Congress on Health Information and Libraries (ICML9) and the 7th Regional Congress on Health Sciences Information (CRICS7), sponsored by BIREME/PAHO/WHO, a suitable framework is available to celebrate the 2nd World Congress of CDS/ISIS, because this regional agency is, historically, the main partner of UNESCO in the development and support of CDS/ISIS.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the first World Congress, and 20 years since the launch of the CDS/ISIS, and adhering to the ICML9/CRICS7 motto “Commitment to Equity”, it is understood that this is the right moment to exchange experiences, present new developments , meet new colleagues from different parts of the world, evaluate the CDS/ISIS transit and build a shared vision for the future, continuing, with the help of information technologies, human development.
The 400 participants in the 1st International Congress of CDS/ISIS from 40 countries of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe gathered in Plenary Assembly, commemorating the 50th anniversary of UNESCO and the 10th anniversary of MicroISIS,
WE CONSIDER
FIRST: That UNESCO is the United Nations Organization with the specific mandate in charge of promoting the development of information systems and services, the preservation of the written and audiovisual memory of humanity and the exchange of information between peoples as a contribution to its constitutive objective of replacing in the minds of men the ideas of war by the ideas of peace.
SECOND: That UNESCO, with the adaptation ten years ago of the CDS-ISIS system for its use in microcomputers (MicroISIS), favored the development of national information systems, allowed thousands of information units and users, as well as other international organizations will benefit from the automation of information services, and that in turn a standardization will be achieved that has greatly favored the mission of exchanging information across the borders of its Member States.
THIRD: That the use of MicroISIS has made it possible to reduce the gap that in relation to the use of new information technologies separates developed countries from developing countries.
FOURTH: That it is recognized that MicroISIS is a system of a high professional level that in these ten years has demonstrated its effectiveness against other systems and has reached an important level of development.
FIFTH: That UNESCO, faced with the challenge of new technologies, has recognized the need to implement a new dimension for the MicroISIS system, which requires significantly greater resources for its implementation than the current ones and the support of all Member States and from other international organizations.
SIXTH: That the structure created by UNESCO for the development and distribution of the system has guaranteed a considerable worldwide network of distributors, the training of thousands of programmers and users, and the constitution of various national associations, based on the principle of free distribution and cooperative action.
WE RECOMMEND:
FIRST: That the Colombian National Commission for UNESCO, the host country of the event, promote this declaration among the other National Commissions of the Member States, thereby making an essential contribution to the objectives pursued for the benefit of the international community.
SECOND: That the Delegations of the Member States attending the next General Conference of UNESCO, propose for consideration in that great event the urgent implementation of a MicroISIS development program for the adaptation of the system to the current demands of the new technologies and the globalization of information systems.
THIRD: That the Delegations of the Member States attending the next UNESCO General Conference propose strengthening the Unit that is in charge of the System at UNESCO headquarters, as well as the current structure of its development and distribution, in which the coordination of work between the National Commissions of UNESCO and the National and Regional Distributors must play a vital role.
FOURTH: That the Member States guarantee that the institutions designated as National and Regional Distributors have the necessary resources to face the tasks implied by the new developments of the System, organize update course programs, and offer the required consultancies.
FIFTH: That the role of the national associations of MicroISIS users be recognized as an important complement to the present UNESCO structure for the development and distribution of the System and that the creation of new national associations be encouraged as a complement and support for this activity.
SIXTH: That UNESCO guarantee the necessary resources to achieve the attendance of the Distributors of the Member States to the Annual Update Seminars.
SEVENTH: That UNESCO promote the continuation of the biannual realization of the MicroISIS International Congresses, as a privileged instance for the evaluation of the System, its projection towards the future and the exchange of experiences.
EIGHTH: That UNESCO guarantee, through its Regional Office of the General Information Program for Latin America and the Caribbean, the continuity in the edition of the CD-ROM MicroISIS Clearing-House and that a server dedicated to this function be implemented on the network Internet.
NINTH: That UNESCO requests the Distributing Institutions, the National Associations of MicroISIS Users, and other International Organizations, to participate in the development and diffusion of the System, the necessary collaboration for the preparation of propaganda materials, instructions and manuals.
TENTH: That the User Associations study innovative coordination and cooperation mechanisms at the regional and international levels with the particular objective of raising funds and generating resources to strengthen the development and promotion of the System.
ELEVENTH: That UNESCO continue and strengthen the recently established policy to carry out the development of the system in association with institutions of the Member States selected on the basis of their commitment to MicroISIS and their technical competence, as well as coordinate their efforts.
TWELFTH: That UNESCO preserve the principle of free distribution and cooperative action that has characterized the ten years of existence of MicroISIS.
Given in the City of Santafe de Bogota on the 26th day of May 1995
Ms elizabeth longworth Director Information Society Division, Communication and information Sector, UNESCO, Paris.
Gustavo Lopez Ospina Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Communication and Information for Latin America and the Caribbean (ORCILAC)
Mr George Wertheim Director of the UNESCO Office in Brasilia
Mr Daniel Malbert IFAP President
President: Gustavo Lopez Ospina Unesco. Information For All Program (IFA)
Vice President: Isidro Fernández-Aballí Advisor of Communication and Information. Regional Office of Communication and Information for Latin America and the Caribbean. UNESCO-Quito
Vice President: Günther Cyranek Advisor of Communication and Information. Regional Office of Science and Technology for Latin America and the Caribbean. UNESCO-Montevideo
Africa: Mr. T.G. Bhowa ZIMISIS (Zimbabwe Users' Group)
Asia/Pacific: Mr. M. Watson Natural Science Foundation, Sri Lanka
Arab States: Mr Sherif Hassen Fouad League of Arab States
Europe/North America: Mr. Andrew Buxton University of Sussex. UK
Latin America and the Caribbean: Mr. Atilio Bustos Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, Chile
Rapporteur: Mr Alan Hopkinson University of Sussex. UK
Rapporteur: Raúl Torricella Cuba
Secretary: Ernesto Spinak Uruguay
President: Mr. Davide Storti Unesco. Information Society Division
Vice President: Mr. Egbert de Smet University of Antwerp, Belgium
Africa: Mr Abous Moussa Ndongo Senegal
Asia/Pacific: Mr Cao Minh Kiem National Center for S&T; Information (NACESTI), Vietnam
Arab States: Mr Sherif Hassen Fouad League of Arab States
Europe/North America: Gian Luigi Betti DBA, Italy
Latin America and the Caribbean: Guilda Ascencio Venezuela
Secretariat: Mr. Ernesto Spinak Uruguay
Coordinator: Paulo Cattelan Brazil
Coordinator: Egbert de Smet University of Antwerp, Belgium
ICML 9/CRICS 7: Elenice de Castro BIREME, Brazil
CDS/ISIS-W2: Ernesto Spinak Uruguay