INFOLAC Statutes

8th INFOLAC General Assembly
Port of Spain, Trinidad
14 June 2001

Resolution No. 2: INFOLAC Statute Reform

CONSIDERING:

a) That the Regional Programme for Strengthening the Cooperation between Networks and National Information Systems for the Development of Latin America and the Caribbean (INFOLAC) was created in 1986 and from then, has experienced profound, qualitative and quantitative changes in the information area, specified as the Information Society.

b) That in Resolution No. 1, which was approved by this 8th Assembly, a change in the INFOLAC goal was agreed in terms of the following: “To drive the development of the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean” and to denominate INFOLAC now as the “Information Society Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean (INFOLAC)”.

c) That it is necessary to take advantage of what the Information Society offers in order to favor the integral development of Latin-American and Caribbean countries.

d) That the changes of the goal and denomination of INFOLAC demands a revision of the current statutes in order to adjust them to the new situation.

RESOLVING:

2. To approve the STATUTES of the “Information Society Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean” in the following manner:

THE CONCEPT

Article 1

INFOLAC is an intergovernmental forum to drive the development of the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean.

THE GOAL

Article 2

INFOLAC has as its goal to:

· Foster collaboration and exchange of knowledge and experiences on policies, technologies, services and information contents among countries in the Region.
· Promote the regional development and drive integration and cultural diversity.
· Serve as a regional advising organ for governments, UNESCO, and other international organizations related to information area.
· Drive the development of the information society in the Region.
· Encourage greater regional and international cooperation in the information area.

MEMBERS

Article 3

INFOLAC members include:
· Primary members: represent designated organisms such as National Focal Points by competent authorities from each country in the information area. Such designations will communicate with the Permanent Secretary through the UNESCO National Cooperation Commissions.
· Associate members: represent countries with which Latin American and Caribbean countries have traditionally been linked historically, politically, economically and socially (Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands).
· Observers: represent regional, governmental and non-governmental organizations linked to the information area.