UNO-Dokumente nur für Internet Explorer Nutzer

Die Vereinten Nationen haben eine riesige Dokumentendatenbank, in der mehr als 800000 Dokumente seit der Entstehungszeit archiviert werden:

The United Nations Official Document System (ODS) is a system for storing and retrieving United Nations documents that allows users to search for and retrieve documents via high-speed networks and the Internet, and permits high-speed transmission of documents through telecommunications links. They include pre-session, in-session and post-session documentation for meetings of the General Assembly and its subsidiary bodies, the Security Council and its subsidiary bodies, the Economic and Social Council and its subsidiary bodies and the Trusteeship Council, and for global conferences convened by the United Nations as well as for other meetings included in the Calendar of Conferences and Meetings authorized by the General Assembly. The documents and official records are stored in the official languages of the United Nations: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

Letztes Jahr fand auch der World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) statt und in der Abschlusserklärung bekannte sich die UNO zu „Access“, wie hier nachlesbar:

Declaration of Principles

Building the Information Society: a global challenge in the new Millennium

B. An Information Society for All: Key Principles
(…)
3) Access to information and knowledge
24. The ability for all to access and contribute information, ideas and knowledge is essential in an inclusive Information Society.
25. The sharing and strengthening of global knowledge for development can be enhanced by removing barriers to equitable access to information for economic, social, political, health, cultural, educational, and scientific activities and by facilitating access to public domain
information, including by universal design and the use of assistive technologies.
26. A rich public domain is an essential element for the growth of the Information Society, creating multiple benefits such as an educated public, new jobs, innovation, business opportunities, and the advancement of sciences. Information in the public domain should be
easily accessible to support the Information Society, and protected from misappropriation. Public institutions such as libraries and archives, museums, cultural collections and other community-based access points should be strengthened so as to promote the preservation of documentary records and free and equitable access to information.
27. Access to information and knowledge can be promoted by increasing awareness among all stakeholders of the possibilities offered by different software models, including proprietary, open-source and free software, in order to increase competition, access by users, diversity
of choice, and to enable all users to develop solutions which best meet their requirements. Affordable access to software should be considered as an important component of a truly inclusive Information Society.

Wer allerdings denkt, „Access“ mit einem Browser ausser dem Internet Explorer zu bekommen, hat sich geirrt. Suchen geht, aber ein Anschauen der Dokumente ist nur mit dem IE möglich. Schuld ist eine Javascript-Funktion auf der Microsoft ASP-Seite. Vermutlich auch noch von Microsoft gesponsert? Vielleicht werden jetzt im Laufe des WSIS2-Prozesses mal mehr Leute wach und erkennen die Bedeutung von offenen Standards für eine „inklusive Wissensgesellschaft“.

Update:

Mittlerweile haben es die UNO-Techniker hinbekommen. Firefox & Mozilla werden jetzt auch unterstützt. Wieso nicht gleich so?