Promoting Information Society in the BSR

The UBC Commission on Information Society, chaired by St. Petersburg and coordinated by the Baltic Institute of Finland, aims at promoting and accelerating development of information society in the UBC member cities by facilitating exchange and dissemination of experiences, information, best practices and successful applications of technical innovations acquired in local information society activities. The goal is to enhance knowledge and capacities of the local authorities responsible for information society issues to design, develop and manage innovative information society policies and activities.

IS COM activities will follow and support the guidelines, strategies and general objectives set out in eEurope, eRussia, Northern eDimension and various national e-initiatives promoting the Information Society development in the BSR.

IS COM has a full agenda for the next couple of years. The coming IS COM activities will include e.g. a questionnaire to the UBC member cities concerning local information society development activities, preparation of a database/Internet portal for Baltic best practices on local information society development, preparation of an Interreg III C project proposal "Promoting eGovernment Actions in the Baltic Sea Region" and a seminar on local information society development in the Baltic Sea Region. The Action Plan 2004-2005 was presented in the UBC Executive Board Meeting in Vaasa on 6 March 2004.

The IS COM chairman Mr Sergey Zhdanov, St. Petersburg, and the IS COM coordinator Mr Esa Kokkonen, Tampere, were also invited to present the IS COM in the CBSS SOIS meeting in Riga on 23 April 2004.