Compromise Quote by David Souter
“Kofi Annan described World Summit on the Information Society as the first summit to deal primarily with an opportunity. The range of issues and potential opportunities that might be included in the Information Society is enormous. Compromise texts are very poor at addressing these in any meaningful way, and many governments see little point in trying.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: World Summit on the Information Society, 2005
The quote highlights that the summit focused on opportunities within the Information Society, but the resulting compromises fail to address the vast range of issues meaningfully, leading to governmental disengagement.
In simple terms: The summit aimed at opportunities but the compromises were weak, causing governments to lose interest.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the need for substantive, not just symbolic, agreements.
Themes
technology
policy
governance
opportunity
compromise
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
policy-oriented
When to use this quote
- international conferences
- government negotiations
- technology policy drafting
Key Concepts
information society
global collaboration
policy design
Questions to Reflect On
- How can negotiations preserve core opportunities?
- What mechanisms ensure meaningful outcomes?
A Different Perspective
Compromises may dilute essential details, reducing effectiveness.
![“Summits [World Summit on the Information Society] are meant to help governments reach a global consensus on major issues which has proved elusive in established fora. They do so through the embarrassment associated with failing to sign a summit's final agreement.” quote by David Souter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fa7/david-souter-41559_agreement_summits-world-summit-on-the-information_748275.jpg)
