Contribution from the Director of the BDT
Introduction and background
Council 2004 Resolution 1222, resolves to instructs the Secretary-General and the Directors of the Bureaux to implement those results of Phase I that relate directly to the ITU mandate and its core competencies, including reporting on activities that pertain thereto in their respective operational plans.
In accordance with the above-mentioned Council Resolution, this document gives an overview of the ITU-D contribution to the implementation of WSIS Plan of Action. It contains an overview of the synergies between ITU-D current mandate and the relevant Action Lines of the WSIS Plan of Action adopted in December 20034, reference to a detailed listing of actions undertaken and planned in an updated stock-taking document, new projects and partnerships launched during WSIS and new initiatives resulting from the momentum generated by WSIS. All actions either undertaken or planned are within the current mandate of ITU-D.
1. Stock-Taking
A detailed listing of activities undertaken by ITU-D that are relevant to the WSIS Plan of Action can be found in the updated stocktaking provided as an annex to this report. The table below shows at a very broad level, the correlation between Action Lines of the WSIS Plan of Action and the relevant ITU-D mandate.
WSIS Plan of Action - Action Line
/Relevant ITU-D Mandate
C1. The Role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for Development / IsAP Programmes 1, 3, and 4WTDC02 Resolutions 6, 13 and 29
C2. Information and communication infrastructure: an essential foundation for the information society / IsAP Programmes 1, 3, and 4.
WTDC02 Resolution 3
C3. Access to information and knowledge / IsAP Programmes 3 and 4
C4. Capacity Building / IsAP Programmes 3, 4 and 5
C5. Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs / IsAP Programme 3
C.6 Enabling Environment / IsAP Programmes 1 and 3
PP02 Resolution 102
C7. ICT Applications / IsAP Programme 3
WTDC02 Resolution 3
C8. Cultural Diversity and Identity, linguistic diversity and local content / IsAP Programme 3
C10. Ethical dimensions of the Information Society / IsAP Programme 3
C11. International and regional cooperation / IsAP Programmes 1, 3 and 4
2. Partnerships and Projects launched during WSIS
In its effort to increase resource mobilization and partnerships, the BDT took advantage of the presence of a host of stakeholders during WSIS to conclude a number of agreements aimed at extending its activities within its current mandate. Many of these Nearly 20 agreements and alliances were established during WSIS, leading to a number of projects supported by partners from public and private sector and international donor organizations.
Title: Connectivity for Rural and Remote Areas
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programme 3
This project will focus on providing connectivity for rural and remote areas. It will specifically provide e-post through telekiosks at post offices in Bhutan. The project will be based on existing telecom and organizational framework of Bhutan Telecom and Bhutan Post.
Partners: Government of India, Royal Government of Bhutan and Universal Postal Union
Title: Health Academy Project
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programme 3
The project aims at using telecommunications and ICTs to bring knowledge and know-how in health and disease prevention into the domain of the villagers, the community and the majority of the population of most countries especially the underprivileged in least developed countries worldwide. Through this ITU-WHO joint collaboration, ongoing ITU MCT, e-applications and other access-related projects could be vehicles for the delivery of information on health and disease prevention.
Partners: WHO
Title: E-government projects in Cameroon, Kyrgyz Republic and Rwanda
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programme 3
Description: These projects seek to enhance government services to citizens and increase transparency and efficiency in delivering these services. It will enable governments to exchange sensitive information, provide solutions for citizens and business to do e-payments enable citizens to conduct secure online transactions to access administrative services. Theses services will facilitate the decentralization of government structure by bringing, through ICTs, important services to citizens via secure and highly trusted information infrastructure and applications.
Partners: European Community, Contribution: US$ 1million
Title: National E-health Project for Turkey
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programme 3, WTDC02 Resolution 41
Description: The strategic objective of the project is to improve healthcare services in Turkey by developing a Highly Secure National Health Information Platform that enables healthcare providers (primary and secondary healthcare), health professionals’ and citizen’s easy and safe access to health related information and services by using latest Information and Communication Technologies. Development of primary healthcare information systems supporting family doctors system, implementation of electronic health records and development of interoperable systems between healthcare service providers including primary healthcare centres, hospitals and public private insurance agencies are some of the deliverables of this project.
Partners: Government of Turkey and World Bank. Contribution: US$ 50 million.
Title: E-learning project for Rural Schools in LDCs
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programme 6
Description: This is an ITU/Inmarsat initiative to develop e-learning services in priority least developed countries and other developing countries. The objective is to provide Internet connectivity to rural schools and e-health through Inmarsat’s Regional BGAN IP satellite modem. The satellite that provides high speed data service at up to 144 kilobits per second is available to 99 countries in the Middle East, North and Central Africa, Europe, the Indian sub-continent, and parts of Central Asia. However, the service will be available to the rest of the developing countries following the launch of a new satellite in 2005.
Partners: Inmarsat.
Title: Extension of Internet Training Centres Initiative
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programme 5
Description: This projects aims at the establishment of 20 additional Internet Training Centres in 2004 and sets the stage for ITU and Cisco Systems to further develop their cooperation in developing and least developed countries. The Internet Training Centres will be selected in close collaboration with the national communications authorities and will primarily target civil servants.
Partners: CISCO
Title: Strengthening African Capacity for Cost-Effective Access to the Internet
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programme 3
Description: The project will contribute towards the building of strong Internet infrastructure backbone in Africa. The overall aim is to provide affordable Internet access and connectivity through the implementation of national and regional Internet exchange points plus any other critical infrastructure projects identified during the feasibility study and endorsed for implementation. While Africa’s improved Internet connectivity will be the main focus, other regions will benefit in the process by drawing lessons from the African situation for further improving their own connectivity, and enjoy other regions will benefit in the process by drawing lessons from the African situation for further improving their own connectivity, and enjoy other benefits accruing from the improved access.
Partner: UNDP. External contribution: US$ 1 million
Title: Provision of services for the use of Simputers in the e-post project in Bhutan
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programmes 2 & 3
Description: Simputers with software that enables translation into local languages are integrated in order to overcome barriers of illiteracy, computer literacy, language and costs. The combination of technologies also addresses the basic issue of infrastructure such as lack of electricity. An important component is expansion of the national telecom network for six extremely remote, high altitude locations.
Partner: Encore Software Ltd., India
Title: Cooperation Agreement between ITU & The World Bank Group
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programmes 1 & 4
Description: Strengthen the coordination of activities of the two organizations related to ICT development and promote investment friendly environment in developing countries.
Partner: The World Bank Group / Global Information & Communications Technologies Dept.
Title: Implementation of business management programme at the ITU Centres of Excellence
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programme 5
Description: Provision and support by the “Institut National des Télécommunications” of business management programme “SIMOBIZ” to be implemented in the ITU Centres of Excellence initiative.
Partners: Minister of Foreign Affairs / International Cooperation Directorate of France
Institut National des Télécommunications, France
Title: Development and support of RASCOM system
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programme 2
Description: Build a working relationship between ITU & RASCOM in order to facilitate the use of RASCOM system as a tool for achieving Universal Service and Access in Africa in a cost-effective, efficient, affordable and sustainable manner.
Partners: RASCOM and RascomStar-QAF
Title: Development of a multi-vendors technical platform by the ITU Centres of Excellence
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programme 5
Description: Development and implementation of a multi-vendors platform by the International Institute of Telecommunications (IIT) of Montreal, Canada, in order to allow local development and update of products and services in developing countries.
Partners: Government of Canada / Industry Canada,
International Institute of Telecommunications (IIT) Canada
Title: e-Learning project for high schools in Jamaica
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programmes 3 & 5
Description: Cooperative Agreement between ITU & Government of Jamaica for development and implementation of an e-education / e-learning project, in order to complete the current high school network in Jamaica, using interactive video, television and distance-learning techniques.
Partner: Ministry of Trade, Sciences & Technologies, Jamaica
Title: Support to the telecommunication sector in Angola
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programmes 1, 2 & 5
Description: Cooperative Agreement between ITU and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of Angola, for the support of the telecommunications sector and in particular the modernization of infrastructures, the assistance to the new regulatory agency and the development of the National Telecommunications Institute.
Partner: Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications of Angola
Title: Management development programme
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programme 5
Description: Cooperation with the International Institute of Management in Telecommunications (iimt) of the university of Fribourg, Switzerland, for developing and implementing a Management Development Programme in developing countries, within the framework of the ITU Centres of Excellence initiative.
Partner: International Institute of Management in Telecommunications (iimt), Fribourg (CH)
Title: e-Learning project
Reference to ITU-D Mandate: IsAP Programmes 2 & 5
Description: Cooperative Agreement between ITU and WorldSpace Corp., for developing and facilitating access to education in developing countries through the use of WorldSpace satellites equipment and services in Asia, Middle-East, Africa and Europe.
Partner: WorldSpace Corporation
3. New Initiatives
WSIS also served as a catalyst in boosting ITU-D activities and in facilitating the establishment of a number of alliances. The momentum generatedion by WSIS resulted in a number of new initiatives that are within the framework ITU-D’s current mandate, which but were possible because of the increased awareness of the role, mandate and activities of ITU-D. Many of these initiatives are currently being finalized and information on their status will be made available in 2005.
ANNEX
ITU-D Activities relevant to the implementation of the WSIS Plan of Action
Ref. Doc.: Council Res. 1207, instructing the Secretary General and the Directors of the Bureaux to perform a “stock-taking exercise” and prepare an analysis paper, to show how ITU’s current work programme contributes to the fulfilment of the objectives outlined in the WSIS draft action plan and to post this material on both the ITU and the WSIS websites by 1 July 2003.
Ref Doc. Council 2004 Resolution 1222, resolves to instructs the Secretary-General and the Directors of the Bureaux to implement those results of Phase I that relate directly to the ITU mandate and its core competencies, including reporting on activities that pertain thereto in their respective operational plans. In accordance with Council Resolution 1222, the activities reported in this document are based on ITU’s current mandate and for the BDT, updated to reflect activities undertaken and planned before and after the adoption of the WSIS Plan of Action, within the current Plan of Action of the Development Sector, and to implement specific Action Lines in the WSIS Plan of Action
Stocktaking document outline:
-Action lines (I-XI)
-Digital Solidarity Agenda
-Follow-up and evaluation
-Towards WSIS Phase 2 (Tunis)
ITU Activities /References
Activities/projects/initiatives / Responsible sector/office
C. Action lines (1-11) (WSIS Plan of Action)
C1. The Role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development8. 8a) 8b) 8c) 8e) 8g) 8h) 8i)
The ITU publication “Trends in Telecommunication Reform - practical tools for regulators 2003” addresses how governments can promote ICTs for development by fostering an effective regulatory environment. / BDT/PSF/RRU / ITU publication “Trends in Telecommunication Reform - practical tools for regulators 2003, 5th edition”
http://www.itu.int/publications/docs/trends2003.html
The ITU organized G-REX Virtual Conferences in order to enable regulators and policy makers to share information on key regulatory topics while using the very ICTs over which they may have a policy and regulatory mandate. / BDT/PSF/RRU / http://forum.itu.int/~grex (password only)
The ITU has performed case studies, providing feedback to regulators from the private sector, investors and consumers which articulated the perspective of these three key stakeholders in promoting ICTs for development. / BDT/PSF/RRU / http://www.itu.int/itunews/issue/2003/03/consumers.html
http://www.itu.int/itunews/issue/2003/03/investors.html
http://www.itu.int/itunews/issue/2003/03/privates.html
The ITU Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR) fosters cooperation among national regulatory authorities around the globe and seeks to encourage dialogue between regulators and key stakeholders including private sector, investors and consumers. During the 4th annual Symposium, held just prior to the WSIS, participants prepared a blueprint of what should be done to ensure that global access to the tools of communication is extended to all of humanity. The GSR Universal Access Best Practice Guidelines were submitted to the WSIS.
The 5th annual Symposium will take place from 8-10 December 2004 in Geneva on the subject of licensing in an era of convergence. Participants will discuss best practice guidelines to promote low cost broadband and internet connectivity. / BDT/PSF/RRU / http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/treg/Events/Seminars/2003/GSR/index.html
http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/treg/Events/Seminars/2004/GSR04/index.html