The Geneva Declaration of Principles (§44) emphasized that:
‘Standardization is one of the essential building blocks of the
Information Society. There should be particular emphasis on the
development and adoption of international standards. The
development and use of open, interoperable, non-discriminatory
and demand-driven standards that take into account needs of
users and consumers is a basic element for the development and
greater diffusion of ICTs and more affordable access to them,
particularly in developing countries. International standards
aim to create an environment where consumers can access services
worldwide regardless of underlying technology.’ The Geneva
Declaration of Principles (§64) recognizes, inter alia, that
ITU’s core competence in standards development is of crucial
importance in building the Information Society. All the Action
Lines of the Geneva Plan of Action require the development of
standards in order to meet the expectations of WSIS stakeholders
for successful implementation. Th