International Cooperation and Outreach in ICT for Development

Within this strategic area, the Division promote inter-institutional collaboration aimed at leveraging the Bank and the Region's available technical and financial resources toward the development of the knowledge economy in Latin America and Caribbean. Concrete collaborative actions took place in 2006 with various organizations including:

Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID)

On April 17, 2006, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan approved the launch of the Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Development (GAID)an open multi-stakeholder platform that will promote effective use of ICT in activities aimed at achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.The Alliance will link the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society with the broader United Nations development agenda.

The inaugural meeting of the Global Alliance took place on 19-20 June, 2006 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was hosted by the Government of Malaysia, and organized by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and the secretariat of the Global Alliance. More the 700 participants from around the world met to launch this new initiative.

Mr. Craig Barrett, Chairman of the Board of Intel Corporation, and the first Chairman of the Alliance has stated that: "It is time to turn the spirit of UN WSIS into action. The ICT industry has an opportunity to build from its history of creativity and innovation to further contribute to economic and social development. The Global Alliance for ICT and Development has an exciting challenge to define solutions that will bring technology access, economic growth, and educational opportunity to people around the world".

Mr. Luis Alberto Moreno, President, Inter American Development Bank (IDB) will serve as a co-chair of the Steering Committee. Danilo Piaggesi, Chief, Information and Communication Technology for Development Division, IDB, participated in the meeting as Mr Moreno alternate.

Outcome of GAID Kuala Lumpur Inaugural Meeting

All the participants agreed that the time has come to translate declarations and commitments made at the WSIS into action that would indeed make a tangible and sustained difference in the lives of billions of people who currently do not share in the benefits of the information revolution. The irony of the present situation is that those who are currently with the least access to technology are precisely the ones who would benefit the most if wonders of modern information and communication technologies become indeed accessible and relevant to all of humanity. The Alliance will strive to overcome the social and digital divides by promoting policies and partnerships that can help create an "arc of digital opportunity".

The Alliance will help put the problems and needs of the majority of humanity onto the "radar screens" of thinkers, business executives and government decision-makers, supporting ICT for development activities. GAID will promote end-to-end solutions and develop programs for early harvest through multi-stakeholder cooperation.

E-government Effectiveness Inter Agency Task Force

The E-government Effectiveness Inter-Agency Task Force (EgE IA TF) has emerged as a response to the recognition by the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean that more systematic dialogue and collaboration among themselves and with international development organizations is needed in order to improve the effectiveness of their individual and collective efforts to use information and communication technology in the institutional transformation of public administration at the all levels. Task Force members include: the Development Gateway Foundation, the Information and Communication Technology for Development Division (SDS/ICT) of the IDB, the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) of the Organization of American States, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) of the United Nations and the World Bank.
On June 29, 2005, the parties in the Task Force approved and began the implementation of an Action Plan.

Contact: Guillermo Castillo

Declaration of Santo Domingo

The Division cooperated with the Government of the Dominican Republic in the preparation of reference documents and the Declaration "Governance and Development in the Knowledge Society", approved by the OAS General Assembly on June 4-6.

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Implementantion of the Millennium Development :

MDGs Country Reports: Vehicles for action

Thec MDGs and the United Nation Role

In September 2000, at the United Nations Millennium Summit, world leaders agreed to a set of timebound and measurable goals and targets for combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women. Placed at the heart of the global agenda, they are now called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Summit's Millennium Declaration also outlined a wide range of commitments in human rights, good governance and democracy.

Goals:

Source : millennium project

1. The Millennium Project analyzes policy options and will develop a plan of implementation for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Project is directed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs who is also a Special Advisor to the Secretary General on the MDGs.

2. The Millennium Campaign mobilizes political support for the Millennium Declaration among developed and developing countries. The campaign is led by Evelyn Herfkens, the Secretary-General's Executive Coordinator for the MDG Campaign.

3. Country-level monitoring - monitoring of the progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. This initiative is led by the UN Development Group.

4. Operational country-level activities coordinated across agencies through the UN Development Group, which help individual countries implement policies necessary for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Documents:

Resources and Links

UNITED NATION ICT TASK FORCE

In March 2001, the Economic and Social Council requested the Secretary-General to establish an Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Task Force. This initiative is intended to lend a truly global dimension to the multitude of efforts to bridge the global digital divide, foster digital opportunity and thus firmly put ICT at the service of development for all. The Task Force is supported by the Heads of State and Government of all UN Member States who endorsed the ECOSOC Ministerial Declaration at the Millennium Summit in September 2000. The objective of the Task Force is to provide overall leadership in helping to formulate strategies for the development of information and communication technologies and putting those technologies at the service of development and, on the basis of consultations with all stakeholders and Member States, forging a strategic partnership between the Intergovernamental Organizations, the private industry and financing trusts and foundations, donors, programme countries and other relevant stakeholders. President Enrique Iglesia has been in the Panel of Advisors of the Task Force since 2001, the IDB became a full-fledged Member of the Task Force in October 2003.

Last updated: 02/28/07

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