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

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?