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International, Regional and National ICT Policy Highlights of organisations and key policy areas

International, Regional and National ICT Policy Highlights of organisations and key policy areas. “ ICT Policy for Civil society ”. Session outcomes. Participants will be able to identify: key international and regional policy institutions And define: Issues addressed by national policy.

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International, Regional and National ICT Policy Highlights of organisations and key policy areas

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  1. International, Regional and National ICT PolicyHighlights of organisations and key policy areas “ICT Policy for Civil society”

  2. Session outcomes • Participants will be able to identify: • key international and regional policy institutions • And define: • Issues addressed by national policy.

  3. International ICT Policy • Largely led by a number of key international organisations • National governments interact with these organisations • They define current thinking on policy and technology • Forum for discussion • Often dominated by developed countries

  4. Key international organisations • CTO – credible reports, often representing developed country interests, open to ground level input • G8– high-level policy formation, each year covers a critical issue • DOT Force, digital divide focus in 2000-2002

  5. International orgs (2) • G8 Digital Opportunity Task Force (DOT Force) • unprecedented participation of developing countries, private sector and civil society • Action plan outlined nine focus areas: e-strategy, access, education, enterprise, governance, LDCs, health, content, development • Agenda transferred to UN ICT Task Force

  6. International orgs (3) • ICANN– nonprofit corporation, technical admin of domain name system, criticised for lack of due process and transparency, under reform • ITU– UN organisation tasked with telecommunications issues, very technical, driving force behind WSIS • OECD – developed government thinktank, newly open to civil society

  7. International orgs (4) • UNCTAD – forum encouraging consensus building for policy reform; bureaucratic and removed from grassroots • UNESCO – support international collaboration on education, science, culture; personnel and expenditure overly centralised • UN ICT Task Force – carries on DOT Force work, “too much talk”, offers promise as home for digital divide issues

  8. International orgs (5) • World Bank – development assistance, widely criticised for developed country control over developing country economies • WIPO – intellectual property law and enforcement, new challenges in information society, criticised for imposing developed country views • WTO – harmonisation of trade law and dispute resoultion, criticised for promoting globalisation

  9. Regional ICT policy • Mainly aimed at helping groups of countries join forces to solve problems that they cannot solve on their own • Pull up weaker neighbors • Enhance international profile • Address cross-border issues

  10. Regional organisations • ATU – succeeded PATU, formulate policies and strategies to improve ICT access, mandated by ITU to harmonise African position to WSIS • AfriNIC – proposed regional Internet registry, slowed by lack of consensus, Africans should govern their IP name space • AU – Successor of OAU, 53 members, EU model, cooperation focused on good governance and economic progress, criticised as continuation of the old dictator’s club

  11. Regional orgs (2) • COMESA – regional cooperation focus particularly on forming economic and trading unit • EARPTO – aim to harmonise regulations, share experiences, and support training for post and telecommunications sector in East Africa • ECOWAS – West African cooperation on economic integration, and regional security

  12. Regional orgs (3) • NEPAD – strategic framework for socio-economic development in Africa, criticised for lack of transparency and failure to include stakeholders, e-Africa Commission leads on ICT focus • ISPAD – not yet formed, will be mechanism for private sector participation in e-Africa Commission

  13. Regional orgs (4) • SADC – Southern African regional cooperation on range of issues, free trade focus • SATCC – SADC arm to support transport and communications sectors, private sector focus • TRASA – regulators of SADC states, coordination on telecommunications issues

  14. Regional orgs (5) • UNECA – UN agency with Africa economic focus, Ministerial level, led AISI initiative • AISI – ICT infrastructure development and connectivity, collaborative initiative with international partners • WATRA –regulators of West African states, coordination on telecommunications issues

  15. World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) • Bring stakeholders together to discuss information society • Expected result is concrete plan of action • Focus on collaboration and partnership • Civil society has a seat at the table • Bamako Declaration represents African views

  16. National ICT policy • Developments happen around key policy areas rather than institutions • Key agencies lead, with various participants • Policies and emphasis vary from country to country, but main topics emerge overall

  17. National ICT policy areas • National e-strategy • Human resource development • Infrastructure • Universal service and universal access • SMME support • Departmental coordination • Domain name administration • Taxation • Electronic transactions • Legal requirements for data messages • Interception and monitoring • Consumer protection • Security and cryptography • Electronic signatures

  18. National ICT policy areas (2) • E-government • Electronic filing and issuing • Change management • Protection of citizen information • Infrastructure • Telecommunications liberalisations and/or privatisation • Technological neutrality • Telecommunications management • Rural development • Content • ISP liability • Local content quotas and language • Communications regulation

  19. Summary Questions • Which international and regional organisation do you think are most influential with respect to ICT policy – why? • What are most important national policy issues for your organisation?

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