CARICOM

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CARICOM ICT4D

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Heads of Govt Recognition

• ICT sector is important for CARICOMs economy and
  the realisation of the CSME
• ICT key enabler for productivity growth
• ICT facilitate more efficient public services
• ICT provide tools for solving societal challenges
• Discourse on ICT has shifted from mainly
  technological issues to human and development
  dimensions
• International imperatives
• ICT should be viewed as an enabling platform for
  building an equitable global information society

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ICT Positioning

• Prime Ministerial responsibility
• Grenada Science and Technology
• Antigua Barbuda Services (incl.
  Telecommunications)
• Reports to the COTED COHSOD
• CARICOM Sect. mandate from Ministers (Oct. 2004)

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Challenges / Constraints

• Infrastructure electricity, telephony, network
  connectivity
• Policy constraints
• Resource Mobilisation (incl. Funding)
• Capacity development
• Social exclusion
• Diminishing of cultural diversity

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CARICOM Policy Documents

• Georgetown Declaration (universal service,
  application, content)
• Growing CSME (Chapter III)
• Removal of restrictions
• Increasing competitiveness
• Supporting micro-business
• Encouraging new business applications incl.
  E-Commerce
• Charter of Civil Society
• Social gender transformation/cohesion/integration
• Poverty reduction/wealth creation
• Preservation promotion of culture
• Minimising digital divide building capacity
• HRD secure infrastructure

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CARICOM ICT Policy Documents

• CARICOM Connectivity Agenda 2003
• ICT for Development Agenda Platform for Action
  2004
• eLAC Strategy
• WSIS Documents 2003 2005

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Connectivity Agenda 2003 Platform for Action -

• ROADMAP FOR REGIONAL ACTION
• Assessment Planning
• Execution including
• Infrastructure
• Utilisation
• Content
• Legal regulatory frameworks
• Financing/investment
• Evaluation including
• Performance indicators
• Role of the CARICOM Agencies and CARICOM
  Secretariat

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ICT for Development Agenda

• Endorsed by Ministers of ICT (October 2004)
• Six (6) Flagship programmes
• ICC Cricket World Cup 2007
• ICT and Disaster Management
• ICT and CSME Trade Facilitation
• (ICT enabled) Cultural Entrepreneurship skills
  development
• Participatory e-governance
• Wireless access connectivity

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ICT for Development Agenda

• Capture the imagination, hearts and minds of
  Caribbean people
• Serve as a platform for promote awareness and
  achieve concrete benefits
• Multi-stakeholder approach in the execution of
  these flagship projects

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Other initiatives

• Reports to the DSG
• Repositioning CARICOM Sect. programmes (IC,
  Sustainable development)
• In preparation for the inclusion of the DR over
  80 staff members doing Spanish immersion classes
• Roles responsibilities of CARICOM Institutions
• Maximising the membership opportunites (CARICOM,
  Commwealth)

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Key areas for regional effort

• Affordable Access
• Policy Development
• Telecoms
• ICT
• Internet Management / Governance
• Human Resource Development
• Trade (incl. issues relating to investments)
• Content Management
• Frameworks
• Legal and regulatory framework
• IPRs (content issues)
• Dispute resolution
• Investment Statistical
• Collaborative partnerships

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Key areas for regional effort

• Funding intitiatives
• EU
• UNDP
• Japan
• Italy
• Collaborative partnerships engagements
• All regions
• Diaspora
• Communities of development
• Civil society
• Private sector

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Where do we want to go?

• Creation a single, regional economic space and
  market -CSME
• ICTs strategically integrated into the
  development Agenda of the Region
• Efficient Governments with Online Services
• Enhancement of the regions competitiveness
  its participation in global economic activities
• Knowledge-based economy focused on extending
  Internet Connectivity to all CARICOM people
• Critical mass of highly skilled/trained citizens

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How do we advance ?

• Awareness-raising, public education, data
  collection and documentation
• Radically improved institutional arrangements
• Attitudinal shift of official organisations
  (policy makers, regulatory bodies, government
  ministries)
• Fast-track execution of projects
• Improve engagement with global ICT community
• Regular consultation with Caribbean stakeholders

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Thank YouEmail address jbritton_at_caricom.org