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At the launch of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva in December 2003, the
world community strongly affirmed the central role of science in developing an information society and
affirmed the principle of “universal access with equal opportunities for all scientific knowledge and the
creation and dissemination of scientific and technical information.”
The WSIS Declaration of Principles
recognized the essential role of the public domain and public institutions such as libraries, archives, and
museums in supporting the growth of the Information Society and providing free and equitable access
to information. The WSIS Plan of Action suggested numerous approaches to implement these principles, including
“e-science” as a key application of information and communication technologies in support of sustainable development.
In their Editorial, Drs. Iwata and Chen encourage scientists to improve the accessibility of information and communication technologies and to establish mechanisms to increase access to scientific information. They then cite GBIF as a noteworthy example of the creative ideas and outcomes that they urge the scientific community to generate.
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