| CARICOM
Member States are gearing for the technological challenges
of globalisation through active participation and cooperation
in the sphere of information technology.
As
part of preparations for phase two of the World Summit
on the Information Society (WSIS), which takes place
in Tunisia November 2005, several Regional organisations
and institutions are meeting at the CARICOM Secretariat,
Georgetown, Wednesday, 12 January for a CARICOM Regional
Stakeholders Meeting.
The
one-day forum is expected to give much attention to
the Region’s Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) Strategy, as well as develop an Action Plan
aimed at advancing relevant themes from the WSIS Plan
of Action and to exchange views and experiences in
an effort to fully prepare Member States for involvement
in the Global Information Society.
Chairperson
of the WSIS Stakeholders Meeting, Ambassador Lolita
Applewhaite, Deputy Secretary General of the Caribbean
Community said the meeting represents a major step
in the development of the Caribbean as it seeks to
reduce the digital divide and ultimately create a
Caribbean Information Society.
Recognizing
that ICT is a powerful tool for development, Ambassador
Applewhaite explained that the goal of CARICOM is
to embrace ICT in the human and socio-economic enhancement
of the Region, applying it in the conduct of daily
living, in human resource development and in efforts
of poverty alleviation. Ambassador Applewhaite charged
that the Region must work together, adding that plans
must be made for creating solutions to the ICT setbacks
facing Member States.
Meanwhile,
Paul Hughes, ICT representative of Grenada, the lead
country in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet with responsibility
for Science and Technology development posited that
a well executed ICT Plan will pave the way for societies
to become more knowledge-based. Hughes called for
ongoing support for the Caribbean Knowledge and Learning
Network (CKLN) and the Regional ICT Strategy, noting
that they form crucial components of information sharing
in the Caribbean.
The
WSIS Stakeholders Meeting brought together participants
from a broad spectrum of Regional institutions working
for the expansion of ICTs in the Caribbean. These
include the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU),
which will lead the WSIS November Meeting, the Caribbean
Knowledge and Learning Network (CKLN) the Caribbean
Broadcasting Union (CBU), the University of the West
Indies (UWI), the Association of Caribbean Media Workers
(ACM) and Government representatives from some Member
States. The Meeting is sponsored by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP).
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