[Reader-list] G-15 leaders call for enhanced cooperation on ICT

[geert]

From: "Newsmaster" <a_yuni at iname.com>
To: "Datacom" <datacom at yahoogroups.com>

  G-15 leaders call for enhanced cooperation on ICT
 
  JAKARTA (JP): The two-day 11th annual summit of the Group of 15
  developing nations (G-15) ended on Thursday with a declaration calling
  for an end to the so-called digital divide. Following is the full text
  of the declaration:
 
  1. We, the Heads of State and Government of the Group of Fifteen,
  meeting in Jakarta on 30-31 May 2001, recognize that information and
  communications technologies (ICT) are central to the emergence of a
  knowledge-based economy and information society. In conjunction with the
  basic elements for development, ICT has the potential to accelerate
  sustained economic growth and promote sustainable development in
  developing countries. In order to achieve the objectives of development,
  ICT-driven economic transformation should be geared toward empowering,
  local communities, and individuals to enable them realize their
  potentials and aspirations. We are however deeply concerned that, at
  present, the huge potential of ICT for advancing development is largely
  eluding most developing countries resulting in a growing digital
  divides.
 
  2. We affirm that for ICT to serve the cause of development, there is an
  urgent need to address the major impediments to the participation of the
  majority of the peoples in developing countries in the ICT revolution.
  To this end, we consider it a priority to evolve concerted actions at
  the national, regional and international levels to remove impediments
  related to lack of infrastructure, local content, training,
  capacity-building, investment, connectivity, modern technology and
  appropriate policy framework.
 
  3. We consider it important that national programs should aim at
  mainstreaming ICT into a national development strategy and be defined
  and implemented on the basis of national priority. This should be
  undertaken to promote infrastructure development, investment, enhance
  national institutions and capacities, generate local content, as well as
  facilitate widespread access to ICT for development. To complement these
  efforts, there is a need for regional action to pool resources and
  exchange experiences to facilitate the integration of developing
  countries into the new global economy and information society. We
  therefore urge the international community, particularly developed
  countries, to demonstrate their commitment to promote digital
  opportunities for all through innovative approaches and partnerships
  between government, private sector, civil society and NGOs. This effort
  should be geared towards facilitating affordable access to new
  technologies on favorable terms, improved market access for exports from
  the South and enhanced capital and investment flows to developing
  countries, on a sustainable and stable basis. To this end, multilateral
  development institutions and developed countries should encourage and
  strengthen ICT-related applications and local industry in developing
  countries through investment, transfer of technology, education and
  training, development of institutional and appropriate policy framework,
  as well as support for national programs at harnessing the potential of
  the ICT for development.
 
  4. We are convinced that unless there is a common vision and adequate as
  well as timely international cooperation to bridge the digital divide,
  the information and knowledge revolution could increase economic
  inequalities among and between peoples, countries and regions of the
  world. We therefore welcome the various international initiatives to
  enhance the capacity of developing countries to take advantage of the
  development opportunities presented by ICT. In this regard, we
  acknowledge the efforts of ECOSOC 2000 in bringing the issue of ICT for
  development to the forefront of the UN agenda and in raising the
  awareness of its potential for development. We also appreciate the
  adoption of the Council's Ministerial Declaration on harnessing ICT in
  the service of development and ongoing initiative of establishing a UN
  ICT Task Force for carrying this critical process forward. We express
  our support for ITU's initiative to convene a World Summit on the
  Information Society to be held in 2003. We hope that the activities of
  the G-8 Digital Opportunities Task Force (DOT Force) will benefit all
  developing countries, including G-15 countries. We acknowledge the
  importance of E-Commerce and its implications for the developing
  countries, and within the WTO, we recognize the need for the
  continuation of the study process on the trade-related aspects of global
  E-Commerce without prejudice to the outcome of this process or any
  deliberations in this regard.
 
  5. As the Group of Fifteen addresses issues related to the ICT,
  including the question of access to worldwide information networks such
  as Internet, due attention should be given to the preservation of
  cultural diversity, privacy and other aspects of "Info-ethics". We call
  upon the international community to bear these aspects in mind in
  dealing with ICT issues.
 
  6. In light of the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital
  era, we agree on the establishment of a G-15 Task Force on ICT to
  elaborate the modalities for the implementation of a framework of
  cooperation and collaboration on ICT, including the proposal to
  establish a G-15 Online Resource Center, and to provide coordinated
  actions and responses to enable our countries and other developing
  countries to participate in the various international ICT initiatives in
  a way that is beneficial to developing countries. Accordingly, we
  mandate our Personal Representatives to follow-up this decision, taking
  into account the outcome of the Expert Group Meeting on ICT, held on
  18-19 April 2001 in Jakarta, and to report to our Twelfth Summit in
  Caracas in 2002.
 
  7. We call the international community to join us in evolving a common
  vision and realistic approaches to promoting partnerships among all
  stakeholders to make digital opportunities a reality for all.