Richard Bourassa Director, International Policy Industry Canada

1. Public FTAA.ecom/inf/100 October 24, 2001 Original: English Industry Industrie Canada Canada XI Meeting of the Joint Government-Private Sector Committee of Experts on Electronic Commerce of the FTAAPanama, October 24-26, 2001 Digital Opportunities for All:Key International Initiatives Richard Bourassa Director, International Policy Industry Canada

2. ICTs Enable Societies • Basic access to knowledge and information is becoming a prerequisite for economic, social and civic development at all levels • ICTs offer great new opportunities in all areas of life: • Business and Trade • Government & Democracy • Culture & Human Values • Education • Health Care • Civil Rights …to achieve “core” development goals 2

3. Unlimited Opportunities for Limited Numbers The Information Haves and Have-Nots World Bank, income per capita “…this so-called digital divide is, in effect, a consequence of existing social and economic inequalities in both industrialized and developing countries, and is, moreover, exacerbating them” 3 Source: G-8 Dot force Report, 2001

4. The Digital Divide Takes Various Forms • Individuals: Age, Gender, Income, Education, household size and type, language, racial and ethnic divides. • Businesses: Gap growing between large businesses and small and mid-sized firms, particularly in small towns & rural areas. • Regions: Geographic divides / Rural vs Urban, Remote regions, Small Urban Centers vs Major Urban centers • Nations: Uneven Levels and Rates of Development 4

5. Dividing …Individual Citizens …And Businesses Internet Use, 2000 Internet Use (%) by Size of Business, 2000 77.9 Percentage of Householdsby Income 60.6 42.8 97.0 23.9 93.9 86.6 63.4 <$20,000 $20,001- $36,000- >$60,000 $35,999 $59,999 65.1 36.4 79.1 0 1-19- 20-49 Total 50-99 100-499 55.2 Number of employees 51.3 Percentage of Householdsby Education 22.4 Total Less than HighSchool University HighSchool Degree or Colleges Source: Statistics Canada SECT, 2001 Use is from any location(home, work, school, other locations). Source:Statistics Canada, Household Internet Use Survey, 2001 5

6. Internet Hosts per 1000 Inhabitants Dividing … Communities and Regions … And Countries Oct. 2000 North America Oceania Europe Central and South America Asia Africa 168.68 59.16 20.22 2.53 1.96 0.31 (%) 55.0 60 44.9 40 Urban Rural 20 0 % of Population (15+) Using Internet in the past 12 Months Source: Statistics Canada, 2000 Source:Netsizer (www.netsizer.com), in OECD “Understanding the Digital Divide” Jan. 2001 6

7. Conflicting Scenarios for the Global Information Society • DIGITAL DIVIDE • Where technology deepens and intensifies the socio-economic divisions among people and nations OR... • DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY • Where the means exist to broaden participation in the network-based economy and to share in its benefits 7

8. The Global Agenda for Digital Opportunity • Summit of the Americas • UN System (ICT Task Force, ITU, etc.) • World Bank • OECD • APEC • DOT Force • Commonwealth • GBDe (Digital Bridges Task Force) • WEF(Global Digital Divide Task Force) 10

9. Connectivity, Access, low-cost Priority to ICT for development Human Capacity Development National eStrategies Genoa Plan of Action Foster Entrepreneurship Local Content and Applications Global Participation ICT for Health Care Support for LDCs 11

10. Implementation of the DOT Force Action Plan • To further develop the 9 priority areas and design key initiatives • Open participation • Lead by former DOT Force members • Short timeframes • Linkages to other G8 initiatives • Linkages to other Groups Informal Implementation Teams 12

11. Montreal meeting (October 8-10, 2001) • Implementation Teams established • Leads and co-leads identified • Tripartite structure and open participation • Active participation of International institutions: World Bank Group, UNDP, ITU, UNESCO, UNCTAD, OECD, UN ICT Task Force Value-added of DOT Force: catalyst and more $, expertise, political commitment Result: ICT higher in international development agenda (ODAs, IFIs) 13

12. UN ICT Task Force • Inaugural Meeting on November 19-20, 2001, in New York City • Working Groups will be established • Action Plan similar to G8 DOT Force • Broad Membership among UN Members • 3 year Mandate • reports to the Secretary General 14

13. World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Digital Divide Initiative • Created in the context of G8 Okinawa Summit • Three Working Groups: • policies and strategies -- focus on e-readiness • education -- focus on 6 projects (use of ICT for education) • entrepreneurship -- focus on support model (facilitator) • Davos Annual Meeting: • will launch last phase • Session with Presidents of Brazil, Senegal, South Africa 15

14. Global Business Dialogue on Electronic Commerce (GBDe) Digital Bridges Working Group • Link with DOT Force, WEF, APEC, eASEAN • Knowledge network: compendium of existing initiatives at: http://knowledgenetwork.gbde.org • Best practices database to be developed in 2002 16

15. Institute for Connectivity in the Americas • Announced at the Quebec City Summit of the Americas • Canada’s contribution to strengthen democracy, create prosperity and realize human potential in the Western Hemisphere through the use of ICT • Coordinated by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) • Hemispheric Advisory Board will be made up of representatives from governments, NGOs, private sector and academic community • Contribution of $20 million by Canadian government …Closing the Information Gap 17

16. For Further Information Electronic Commerce www.e-com.ic.gc.ca www.weforum.org ICT Industry www.strategis.gc.ca/infotech www.strategis.gc.ca/SSG/sf01703e.html Global Business Dialogue on Electronic Commerce www.gbde.org G8 DOT Force www.dotforce.org