Public Policy to Bridge the Digital Divide

The purpose of the public policy framework is to identifiy opportunities to enhance the Bank's capacity to strengthen knowledge economy-policy and regulation in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Digital divide can be bridged through efficient, equitable and timely economic policy-making. The technology development in ICT today allows countries to enter directly to the latest phase of technology. Countries need support in developing policies and regulations to meet timely the challenges of the digital divide. These policies need to integrate development in all sectors of society.

At stake in the deployment of information and communications technology is the capacity of a country to transform itself according to its own values, conditions, needs, resources and aspirations. Decision-making and implementation depend on access to information to build and apply knowledge. Since economic growth depends increasingly on access to information and the tools to use it, countries are challenged to formulate comprehensive policies and regulatory structures that provide incentives to ensure that these technologies contribute to a democratic process of efficient, equitable and sustainable development.

Need for Regulatory Framework

The Inter-American development Bank, SDS/ICT, supports to strengthen the capacity of governments to work with the private sector and civil society organizations (NGOs) to identify issues, formulate and make decisions to implement policies, in a timely and effective manner, and design regulatory framework so that the growth of the knowledge economy contributes to efficient, equitable, and sustainable development.

The Public Policy Areas

• Economic Policy
• Human Resource Development Policy
• Information Sector
• Regulatory Policy