Appendix 4_____________

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS' NII AND GII DOCUMENTS

FID'S TOKYO RESOLUTION
 

Creating a Strategic Alliance of Non Governmental Organizations in information, communication and knowledge to serve better the World Community.

As part of the 100th Anniversary Celebrations of the Federation, FID started an initiative to organize a Roundtable meeting of the leading international and regional associations and non- governmental organizations dealing with different aspects of information, communication and knowledge with the objective to come to closer cooperation on issues of common concern, to be able to "speak in one voice" on major international issues and to come to a shared vision of the future. Another major objective would be the relationship and cooperation with the Intergovernmental agencies active in our fields of competence.

The first step in this initiative was to prepare a joint and future oriented Resolution which constitutes a "manifesto" or reference document for future decades, well into the 21st century. The major objective of the resolution and the emerging Roundtable would be that it strengthens collaboration between the information oriented NGOs and associations in the information age. The preparatory work on the resolution was done by Mr. Jacques Tocatlian, Chairman of the FID Public Relations and Liaison Advice Group and former Director of the UNESCO General Information Programme.

The text of the "Resolution" was prepared as a collaborative effort between the invited NGOs. The text of the Resolution was finalized at a meeting in The Hague on 11 April 1994 where a number of the NGOs attended a drafting meeting. The text of the resolution addresses issues of common concern and with a joint outlook on the future. To date, the resolution was co-signed by 33 of the leading international Non Governmental Organizations and Associations in the information, communication and knowledge areas.

The "Tokyo Resolution" was first presented at the Opening Session of the 47th FID Conference and Congress in Omiya, Saitama, Japan to his Imperial Highness Prince Akishino at the start of the FID Centennial Celebrations. By offering it to His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino it has been presented to the general public as a joint initiative of the Non-Governmental Organizations. The 47th FID Conference and Congress in Omiya, Japan, saw a number of events in relation to the signature of the Resolution on a Strategic Alliance of International Information Organizations to Serve Better the World Community.

On 7 October 1994 two meetings were held in Japan to address the follow-up of the Resolution: A Roundtable of representatives of the signatories of the Tokyo Resolution and an open forum open to all attendees at the Congress and Conference to discuss strategies to implement the Tokyo Resolution.

Dr. Toni Carbo Bearman (Dean of the School for Library and Information Studies, University of Pittsburgh, USA and Member of the U.S. Advisory Council on the National Information Infrastructure), Chaired the Roundtable meeting in which the Resolution was briefly discussed. The representatives present developed the following seven point plan for the strategic alliance.

1. The Roundtable will identify other international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and invite them to endorse the Resolution and to join as partners in implementing the Resolution.

2. The Roundtable will work with the organizations they represent and their members, and FID will request its national members, to identify organizations within nations and within regions to endorse the resolution and to join as partners in implementing the Resolution.

3. The Roundtable will identify intergovernmental agencies to work as partners in implementing the Resolution. Among these agencies to be invited with be the United Nations and its pertinent organizations (especially UNESCO and UNIDO), the World Bank, the Organization of American States, the European Union, and others.

4. All the organizations identified in the three points above will be invited to identify their top priorities for the next five years and to describe their relationship to the Resolution.

5. As part of FID's Commemorative Event for its Centennial Celebration, a seminar will be held (in early November 1995, in The Hague, Netherlands). Representatives of the 34 organizations signing the Tokyo Resolution, representatives of organizations in points 1-3 above that respond to the request, and other invited guests will participate in the seminar to discuss the priorities identified, to review progress to date, and to further develop the action agenda for implementing the Resolution.

6. The Roundtable will design and implement a publicity program about the Resolution to include the following:

* FID will send a press release to all members of the Roundtable, FID members, and a list of publications in the library and information field;

* All organizations signing the Resolution will be encouraged to publicize the Resolution and plans for its implementation through their organizations' publications, meetings, and other mechanisms;

* As a first step in its implementation and in relation to the partnerships that are to be found the Roundtable will present the Resolution and plans for its implementation to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Council for the General Information Programme at its meeting November 28-30, 1994 and to the UNIDO Director General in an open meeting.

* All organizations invited to join as partners in implementing the resolution will be encouraged to help in publicizing the Resolution and its implementation.

  7. A brochure will be prepared to include an introduction providing background and summary of the Resolution, the text of the Resolution, a brief profile of each of the 34 organizations signing the Resolution, and a summary of the plan for implementing the Resolution. The brochure will be clearly described as a joint publication. As a first step in its implementation and in relation to the partnerships that are to be found with Intergovernmental organizations the Resolution and plans for its implementation where presented to the Representative of the Director General of UNESCO at the UNESCO Intergovernmental Council for the General Information Programme at its meeting 28-30 November 1994. Mr. Henrikas Yushkiavitshus, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Communication, Information and Informatics accepted the Resolution on behalf of the Director General.

As a second implementation step, the initial signatories have been invited to attend a "implementation meeting" in London on 25-27 January 1995 where the priority areas for attention for the different organizations will be presented, common issues of concern will be determined, possible areas for practical cooperation (including determination of projects) will be identified and the practical implementation will be discussed. The objective of the meeting will be the implementation of projects, deciding the follow-up steps for cooperation and a first draft of an action plan. A number of observers from intergovernmental organizations have also been invited to attend the meeting to see where cooperation may be initiated. The meeting is kindly hosted by the National Member for FID in the United Kingdom, the British Library Research and Development Department.

It is FID's great hope that the Resolution and "Strategic Alliance" will contribute to the intensive collaboration between Non Governmental, professional associations, and international governmental agencies on issues of common concern, strengthening the work of these organizations, avoiding possible overlap, and forming a joint "strong voice" on issues of information, communication and knowledge.