World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

May 17th is celebrated the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is celebrated annually on May 17th to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can bring to our societies and economies as well as of ways to connect the digital divide.

History

In November 2006, the ITU Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey, decided to celebrate both events on 17 May as World Telecommunications and Information Society Day. Updated Resolution 68 invites Member States and Sector Members to celebrate this day annually by organizing appropriate national programs to:

• Stimulate reflection and exchange of ideas on topics adopted by the Council
• Debate different aspects of the topic with all partners in society
• Develop a report reflecting national discussions on the underlying issues of the topic, which will be passed on to the ITU and the rest of its members

Celebrating World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day promotes people's awareness of the power of information and communication to build societies in which they can create, access, use and share information and knowledge to achieve their goals. Organizations such as UNESCO actively participate in this day by inviting people to participate in various activities to promote campaigns centered on the event.