Today, 21 June, Norway – the official site, won the World Summit Award Norge for the best government web portal in the e-Government category.
24/04/2006 :: “It is very gratifying that the Ministry’s communication with the public through the Internet has been noticed and appreciated,” said Foreign Minister Jan Petersen in response to the news that Norway – the official site, which won the Norwegian Design Council’s Award for Design Excellence last year, has now received the World Summit Award Norge in the e-Government category.
“The web portal is an excellent showcase, which presents Norway and the Ministry to the rest of the world and helps us communicate with Norwegian citizens more effectively,” said the Minister.
The World Summit Award is a global contest whose purpose is to identify and promote the world’s best digital information systems, and the overall objective is to reduce the digital divide in the world today. The award is being held within the framework of the World Summit on the Information Society. The European Academy of Digital Media and the International Center for New Media took the initiative to set up the contest.
Norway – the official site came first in the e-Government category in Norway. The category is for projects that aid the state in serving its citizens more effectively using the new media. The projects are judged on whether they have high-quality content and design, provide easy access to public information and services, contribute to the efficiency of the government administration, and improve the ability of the public at large to participate in decision-making processes.
The winners of the Norwegian contest will go forward to the global contest, whose winners will be announced at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis in November 2005. Norway is actively involved in the WSIS and has been a driving force in efforts to ensure that not just technology but also content, especially freedom of expression, in relation to the information society is high on the Summit’s agenda.