Lyon, at the heart of international digital solidarity

Following the success of the “Lyon Summit”, which from 4-5 December 2003 brought together more than 300 elected officials from the around the globe to debate the critical role of the Information Society of the 21st century, the cities of Lyon and Geneva, together with the Republic of Senegal, took a historic initiative, on the occasion of the World Summit on the Information Society, 10-12 December 2003 in Geneva, in deciding to create the Global Fund for Digital Solidarity which is being inaugurated today.

This solidarity Fund responds to an urgent need: to bridge the digital divide, which continues to widen. To respond to this Millennium challenge, we should agree to an effort of shared solidarity, foster decentralized cooperation, mobilize all stakeholders of the Information Society (institutions, corporations, civil society) and commit to sustainable development.