Information for All Programme

1

Caribbean 0ffice

• Information for All Programme
• And
• The Caribbean Information/Knowledge Society

2

• Summary of Presentation
• Profile of Caribbean Information Society
• 7 Basic Indicators
• Institutional Framework
• Challenges to WSIS POA in Caribbean
• International Players/Initiatives
• Regional Programme/Intiatives
• General
• CARICOM, towards the CSME
• Strategic Principles for attention
• Caribbean Forum on Information Society
• UNESCO IFAP in the Caribbean Information Society
• A Way Forward and Proposals
• Major Documents for further reading

Caribbean 0ffice
3

• Basic I. Society Profile of the Caribbean
• Seven Basic Indicators
• Institutions and Strategies
• Access to telecom and technologies
• Awareness and understanding
• Regulation and Legislations
• Human Resource
• ICT industry and services
• Commerce Governance

Caribbean 0ffice
4

• Institutional Frameworks
• Of 19 Countries covered by UNESCO Cluster office,
  4 at acceptable stages of ICT policy and
  formulation - national ICT vision, strategies,
  and action plans
• 3 countries have IS/ICTs coordination units eg
  CITO, Jamaica.
• Few have multi-stakeholder consultation or
  participation
• No regional mechanism for coordination no one
  is in charge
• Low participation in international negotiations
  and forums (WTO, ITU etc)

5
WSIS POA and the CaribbeanChallenges

• The absence of an accurate analysis of the status
  of Caribbean with respect to the Information
  Society
• The basic economic and social conditions
  unfavourable
• IS not integrated in the national or sectoral
  development agendas
• The absence of technocratic expertise and
  negotiating mechanisms
• Competition among actors, overlapping projects
• Inadequate integration of ICTs pursuits and
  social and economic challenges

6

• International Programmes
• World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)
  (www.itu.int.wsis)
• UNICT Task Force www.unicttaskforce.org
• Established by the UN Social and Economic
  Council, 2001
• provide overall leadership to the United Nations
  role in helping to formulate strategies for the
  development of information and communication
  technologies and putting those technologies at
  the service of development
• The UN ICT Task Force Latin American and
  Caribbean Regional Network was created to support
  and strengthen the UN ICT Task Force efforts in
  favor of reducing the digital gap in the region.

7

• International Telecommunication Union
  (http//www.unitu.int)
• The ITU, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland is
  an international organization within the United
  Nations System where governments and the private
  sector coordinate global telecom networks and
  services.
• Inter-American Telecommunications Commission
  (CITEL)
• developed a strategy document entitled Agenda
  for Connectivity in the Americas Plan of Action
• This addresses the fundamental issues related to
  connectivity

8
Interl Organ. Cont.

• infoDEV - Information for Development Programme
  of the World Bank.
• (www.infodev.org)
• World Bank Funded grant programme
• Innovative project in use of ICT4D
• 2 Approved projects in the Caribbean

9

• Digital Opportunity Task Force (http//www.dotforc
  e.org)
• Established by G8 Heads of State, 2000
• Included governmental, private sector, NGOs and
  international organizations
• Identify the way in which the digital revolution
  could be applied to socio-economic development of
  the worlds poorest and most underserved groups.
• Has joined forces with UNICt Task Force

10

• BELLANET (http//www.bellanet.org)
• Internationally funded initiative, UNDP IDRC,
  CIDA, Sida
• Focused on application of ICT IN Development

11

• CARICOM
• Strategic Level
• Head of Government approved regional strategic
  approach to ICT developments
• Two broad headings, ICT Technology Development
  and ICT Business and Trade Services
• Operational Level
• Regional discussion through preparation of
  Regional Connectivity Agenda
• Defined number of strategic principles for
  attention

12

• Defined number of strategic principles for
  attention
• The major principles being addressed are
• A comprehensive and dynamic Regional ICT Policy
• Collaborative public and private sector action
• Security requirements
• Access to information services and technologies
• Human Resource development
• Enabling legal and regulatory frameworks

13

• Regional and international dialogue on ICTs in
  development
• For a such as ITU, WTO, WIPO, FTAA, CITEL
• Caribbean Forum on the Information Society, 2004
• Intergovernmental Agencies CARICOM, OECS
• International Agencies, UNESCO, ITU, WIPO,
• International Development Agencies, , WB, IDRC,
• EU, IDB, USAID
• Research and academic institutions, UWI, UoG
  

14

• Regional Programmes and Initiatives
• The UN ICT Task Force Latin American and
  Caribbean Regional Network
• Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU)
• Caribbean Information Action Group (CARINFO)

15
Regional Programmes and Initiatives

• Caribbean ICT Virtual Community (CIVIC)
• Caribbean Information Society Network (CARISNET)
• CARICOM Connectivity agenda
• CARICAD / UNDESA / government of Italy
  Ministerial meetings
• Telecom CTU telecom - weak
• ECTEL sub regional telecom regulation
• OECS / looking to ICTs, some other areas as
  e-education Culture

16

Regional Programmes and
Initiatives

• Economic Commission for Latin America and the
  Caribbean (ECLAC)
• Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee
  (CDCC)
• Education CKLN (tertiary education) in
  development distance learning association
• Regulators OCCUR
• CROSQ (norms)

17

• UNESCO IFAP in the Caribbean Information Society
• preservation of information and universal access
  to it
• Regional Audio-visual Policy
• Global and regional Portal
• CAVIC
• MOW
• CMC
• CDERA
• participation of all in the emerging global
  information society
• WSIS, UNECLAC Caribbean Participation

18

• UNESCO IFAP in the Caribbean Information Society
• ethical, legal and societal consequences of ICT
  developments.
• training, continuing education and lifelong
  learning in the fields ICTs
• This Workshop
• CARIMAC
• Caribbean Centre of Excellence in ICT
• training and development
• Caribbean adult literacy software (FOSS)
• Information Literacy training
• E-local Governance

19

• UNESCO IFAP in the Caribbean Information Society
• Production of local content and foster the
  availability of indigenous knowledge
• CMC
• Digital Libraries
• Initiative Babel
• Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean
• International standards and best practices in
  ICTs
• Community Database on Best Practices in
• Conflict Resolution
• Community Database on Best Practices in
• disaster areas
• Guide on the development of Public
• Domain Information
• Guideline on ICT in Education

20

• A Way Forward
• Role of National Commissions in Collaboration
  with UNESCO Caribbean Office
• Establishment and strengthening of National
• Information Committees
• Elect representatives to form Regional IFAP
  Committee
• Seek partnership with CARINFO Programme (CDB,
  CARICOM,
• UNECLAC)
• CARINFO collaboration with UNESCO National
• Commission give guide to Information
  Committees
• Information gathering and dissemination

21

• Way Forward and Proposals
• Strategic approach focusing on YOUTH 6-13 years
  and ADULTS 60-up
• Ensure gender balance
• Engendering the development of Information
• Culture in the Caribbean
• Guide line for proposal
• Joint Regional PP of NATCOMs in the Caribbean
• Information clubs in schools (Formal and informal
  Education)
• NATCOMs are strategically placed to spearhead
• Partnership with Ministries of Education, UNESCO
  ASPNET, SIV, YOUTH Organisation in the Caribbean
• Information and Youth Regional Policy
• Develop Plan of Action at next regional meeting
  of NATCOMs
• Establish Links with other regions

22
IFAP Special Fund

• New call for proposals end 2004 to be submitted
  by February 2005
• National Projects, 25,000usd
• Regional Projects, 35,000
• One or two regional projects for the Caribbean
• Application will be done on-line
• Priority areas 2005

23
Priorities 2004/5

• Promoting information literacy, through capacity
  building particularly for information
  professionals
• Strengthening awareness about the importance of
  preservation of information of all kinds
• Promoting a better understanding of the ethical,
  legal and societal implications of ICTs

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• Major Documents for further reading
• UNESCO, Caribbean IFAP Report, Maritza Hee Houng
• UNESCO Recommendation on Multiligualism and
  Access to Cyberspace
• UNESCO Guideline on Access to Government Public
  Domain Information
• UNESCO Digital Heritage Charter
• WSIS Declaration of Principles
• WSIS Plan of Action
• UNICT Task Force POA, also LAC Chapter

25
Major Documents for further reading

• Caricom Connectivity Agenda
• America Connectivity Agenda
• CITEL action plan
• The Information Society from the Caribbean
  Perspective/CDCC 20th Session
• Bavaro Declaration
• CIVIC inputs to WSIS