Global Information Society Watch 2009 Report

Global Information Society Watch 2009 Report (GISWatch) is the third in a series of yearly reports critically covering the state of the information society from the perspectives of civil society organisations across the world. It is assembled to support the building of a people-centred information society. Its purpose is to stimulate a collaborative approach to policy advocacy and to create a common platform where disparate experiences can be shared and progress - or lack of progress - assessed. Ultimately, it hopes to impact on policy development processes in countries, regions, and at a global level.

Each year the report focuses on a particular theme. GISWatch 2009 focuses on "access to online information and knowledge - advancing human rights and democracy". It includes several thematic reports dealing with key issues in the field, as well as an institutional overview and a reflection on indicators that track access to information and knowledge. There is also a section on visual mapping of global rights and political crises.

GISWatch is both a publication and a process. While producing an annual report which is published in print and online, it also aims to build networking and advocacy capacity among civil society organisations whoch work for a just and inclusive information society. The participating organisations for this edition produced 48 country reports analysing the status of information access. Besides thematic reports dealing with key issues affecting access, GISWatch includes 6 regional overviews.