ICC's BASIS initiative [Business Action to Support the Information Society] and the ICC Commission on E-Business, IT and Telecoms (EBITT) at their meetings in Dubai in October 2007 (www.iccwbo.org/basis/ and www.iccwbo.org/basis/iccbghji/index.html), emphasized members' support for a real focus in future BASIS and EBITT activities on ICT education and skills training as essential elements of involving more people from around the world in Internet governance and ICT issues, and also on bringing the benefits of the Information Society to more people from around the world.

The BASIS activities outlined in the brochure for 2008 will all emphasize education and skills training as part of the advocacy efforts, and representation of business interests. This includes the activities and representation BASIS will provide at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in New Delhi (8-11 December 2008), in the UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID), and at the WSIS follow up and implementation of the action lines activities. Further, the preliminary BASIS agenda for the 10 March 2008 BASIS meeting in Paris, will include an agenda item on what BASIS activities can be envisioned that go beyond the post-WSIS activities that BASIS currently focuses on (an important discussion to re-emphasize the opportunities to bring e-Skills and ICT education/training into the discussion and ideas).

BASIS will again be involved in facilitating members' participation in conferences and events on the range of issues, including ICT skills training and education, at the IGF, GAID, and WSIS related events, but also beyond those activities as opportunities continue to present themselves to the BASIS secretariat.

For more details please visit the BASIS website.