Ministers to Review Commonwealth Action Programme for the Digital Divide

"You can't keep up in the information age unless you have the proper policy framework and infrastructure to take full advantage of ICT."

The Forum was set up under the auspices of the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don McKinnon, to look at ways of bridging the digital divide among member countries.

The CAPDD report to be presented to the ICT ministers was drafted by a Co-ordinating Committee comprising 25 representatives from Commonwealth organisations, governments and civil society at a meeting held at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, UK, on 11-12 August 2005.

The report recommends ways to capitalise on ICT for development and to narrow the digital divide in the Commonwealth. It is targeted at building policy and regulatory capacity; modernising education and skills development; entrepreneurship for poverty reduction; promoting local access and connectivity; and enhancing regional networking for development.

Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Winston Cox said at the opening of the two-day meeting of the Co-ordinating Committee on CAPDD: "No Commonwealth country should be left behind in the information age."

He emphasised that ICT serves as an important tool for development, particularly for developing countries in the Commonwealth.

"You can't keep up in the information age unless you have the proper policy framework and infrastructure to take full advantage of ICT," he pointed out.

Roderick Sanatan, Director of the Centre for International Services at the University of the West Indies, said the consultative process for the drafting of the CAPDD report brought in very disparate groups from developed and developing countries and institutions in the Commonwealth to discuss ICT policy and access, and ways to move forward through programmes and projects that will help Commonwealth developing countries in sustainable development.

Josanne Leonard, Executive Director of the Commonwealth Journalists Association, said the multi-stakeholder approach in the CAPDD consultation was a good initiative by the Secretariat as it benefits developing countries such as those in the Caribbean.  She said: "The Commonwealth has recognised the value of pushing this agenda because of its critical importance for the transformation of the global economy. Issues of local content and knowledge which are very important for developing regions, as well as accessibility, interconnectivity, infrastructure development, access to finance and the transfer of technology, have been addressed. These issues are important because every facet of life today is affected by the application of new technologies, which are critical tools for development."

CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 248, 17 August 2005