The international congress "Confidence and security in the information society" was held in Tavricheskiy Palace in Saint Petersburg on 21-22 april 2003.

The congress was organised by the Interparliamentary Assembly of CIS Member Nations with assistance of the Ministry of Communications and Information of the Russian Federation and Regional Commonwealth in the Area of Communications.

The congress motto: "Towards the World Summit on Information Society".

The steering committee was headed by G.N. Seleznev, Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, member of the Council of the Interparliamentary Assembly of CIS Member Nations, and L.D. Reiman, minister of Communications and Information of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Board of the Heads of Administration of the Regional Commonwealth in the Area of Communications.

The main purpose of the congress was the realisation of a broad and representative discussion on urgent issues of creation of the atmosphere of confidence and information security in conditions of rapid development of information communication technologies and formation of an information society in the CIS countries.

Humanitarian and social aspects of security in the information society, questions of legal assistance to development of information communication technologies, security of information resources, systems, networks of fixed and mobile communications, illegal use of computer technologies, international aspects of information security maintenance were thoroughly discussed at plenary sessions and specialised round table discussions of the international congress.

It was expected that a uniform coordinated position of the CIS states in respect of increase of confidence and security of information communications will be developed during the congress, with a special attention to measures for further improvement of legislative basis in this area.

Deputies of parliaments of the CIS countries, heads of administrations of communication the CIS countries, a number of entities of the Russian Federation, representatives of the major international telecommunication unions and organisations, financial enterprises, leading scientific research institutes, directors of large companies working in the field of communications and information will take part in the work of the congress. Representatives of the largest domestic and foreign companies existing on the market of information communication technologies were invited to take part in the congress.

Working languages of the congress: russian, english.