New tools and frameworks to monitor information societies and critical issues in the field of culture.

The UIS is taking a multi-faceted approach to monitoring information and knowledge societies. The press and broadcast surveys, which were re-launched in 2005 and 2006, focus on traditional and on-line media. In addition, the UIS has launched a survey on the use of ICTs (information and communication technologies) in education.

In collaboration with UNESCO’s Communication and Information Sector, the UIS is helping to develop a new framework to define key indicators and instruments to measure information literacy skills.

By pursuing these directions, the UIS contributes to UNESCO’s Information for All Programme and is an active member of the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development, established through the World Summit on Information Society. 

In the field of culture, the UIS is revising the 1986 framework for the collection of statistics to better reflect the needs and conditions of developing countries.

The challenge also lies in developing new surveys to monitor issues such as those identified by the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. In this context, the UIS has launched a global survey on cinema to track trends in the production and distribution of feature films. 

Quick links:
• Culture and communication statistics in the Data Centre

• UIS surveys on culture and communication

• Towards a new framework for cultural statistics

• Key publications:
     o International Flows of Selected Cultural Goods and  Services, 1994-2003
     o Monitoring Linguistic Diversity on the Internet
     o Measuring and Monitoring the Information and Knowledge Societies:
       A Statistical Challenge 

• Expert Group on Measuring Cultural Diversity