The Intergovernmental Council for the General Information Programme at its Eleventh Session,

1. Recalling resolutions 28 C/15 "New Information and Communication Technologies", 150 EX/5.1 "Preliminary proposals concerning the Draft Programme and Budget for 1998 - 1999 (29 C/5)" and 150 EX/15 "The Challenges of the Information Superhighways: the role of UNESCO";
2. Having examined documents PGI-96/Council.XI/5 "Review of current activities of the General Information Programme" and PGI-96/Council.XI/6 "Entering the Cyber Era";
3. Recommends that the proposal put forward by the Secretariat to expand and develop the mandate of the General Information Programme in keeping with UNESCO's catalytic role be supported.
4. In addition, the Intergovernmental Council for the General Information Programme recommends that,
   1. emphasis should be put on the training of trainers and users;
   2. a framework to protect information, the freedom of access to information in all formats, and its fair use, be established;
   3. experiences from pilot projects concerning new information and communication technologies be gathered and transferred;
   4. the co-operation with intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations be intensified in the development and execution of the expanded mandate, as in the development and application of norms in the multi-media environment;
   5. UNESCO guidelines, methods and norms concerning archives, libraries and information management be implemented in the Secretariat and in the decentralized units of UNESCO; and following the Headquarters Committee recommendation the UNESCO archival service should be handled in accordance with ICA standards so as to secure its preservation and widest possible accessibility;
   6. the initiative to use permanent paper within UNESCO be supported;
   7. an appropriate balance between traditional and new areas of information and communication be ensured;
   8. the programmes of the Regional Offices be assessed and their activities be reinforced, as appropriate;
   9. the 1998-1999 budget duly reflects the expanded mandate of the General Information Programme.

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25 February 1997