10/19/2015 / 1 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Dr. Susanne Teltscher United Nations Conference on Trade and Development National ICT strategies for Development Workshop on Telecom & ICT regulation 1-7 December 2004 Geneva

10/19/2015 / 2 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Presentation Outline  What are national ICT strategies?  ICT strategies for trade and enterprise development  ICT policies – legal and regulatory issues, education, economic environment, e- government  ICT monitoring and evaluation  Design and implemention of ICT strategies  Conclusions and UNCTAD’s work

10/19/2015 / 3 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development What is a national ICT strategy? Beyond Telecom: cross-sectoral approach to creating an enabling environment for ICTs Mainstreaming ICTs into national development policies National ICT plans cover all sectors: telecom, trade, finance, investment, education, government, health, media etc.

10/19/2015 / 4 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development National ICT strategies and WSIS Geneva Plan of Action Paragraph 8 Development of national e-strategies, including the necessary human capacity building, should be encouraged by all countries by 2005, taking into account different national circumstances. Paragraph 13 To maximize the social, economic and environmental benefits of the Information Society, governments need to create a trustworthy, transparent and non- discriminatory legal, regulatory and policy environment.

10/19/2015 / 5 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ICT strategies for trade and enterprise development Covers a range of national policies:  Telecommunciations  Education and training  Legal framework  Economic environment (trade, finance, investment)  E-government  Monitoring and evaluation

10/19/2015 / 6 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ICT policy model framework

10/19/2015 / 7 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Basic telecommunications Universal access Human capacity building Affordable technology and appropriate software Financing ICTs Local language and local content E-government Standards in manufacturing, safety and health ICT-laws (e-signatures, cyber crime) Security – information, system, network Authentification and certification Broadband access (corporate, home) Deregulation and liberalization ICT investments E-payment infrastructure Consumer protection and privacy, spam Taxation IPR protection Concerns of less developed countries Concerns of more developed countries E-strategy divide

10/19/2015 / 8 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ICT strategy and national policies (1) Telecommunications  Key area: no telecommunications infrastructure = little use of ICT  Liberalization and reform: balanced with the needs of national public operators  Protection of consumer interests  Cost of infrastructure - role of FDI

10/19/2015 / 9 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ICT strategy and national policies (2) Telecommunications  Universal access is critical for bridging the digital divide – role for government intervention  Universal Service Obligations  Shared access rather than households  Role of competition to promote choice and competitive prices

10/19/2015 / 10 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ICT strategy and national policies (3) Education and training  Access not enough: need to know how and why use ICTs (ICT literacy)  Importance of good quality basic education for development to benefit from ICT  Need for ICT-competent workforce  Management and organizational skills to take advantage of e-business opportunities

10/19/2015 / 11 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ICT strategy and national policies (4) Legal framework  Need for legal infrastructure supportive of and conducive to e-business  Legal infrastructure to enable security and trust  Adaptation of national legal frameworks to consider the global nature of ICT and e-commerce E-signatures, privacy and data protection, IPR protection, cybercrime, spam, taxation

10/19/2015 / 12 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ICT strategy and national policies (5) Economic and business environment  Trade and investment  Open standards and technologies, FOSS  Finance and e-payments  Role of SMEs in e-business and creation of local content  Promotion of the ICT industry

10/19/2015 / 13 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ICT strategy and national policies (6) E-Government Three key roles of government at national level:  Producers: delivering ICT goods, services and infrastructure  Facilitators: creating an enabling environment  Leaders: implementing e-government (e.g. online services to citizens, e-procurement)

10/19/2015 / 14 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ICT strategy and national policies (7) Monitoring and evaluation  To measure developments in ICT readiness, usage and impact at the national level  To evaluate the impact of national ICT strategies  To take strategic ICT policy decisions  To benchmark national information societies vis-à-vis those of other countries

10/19/2015 / 15 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ICT strategy and national policies (7) Measuring ICT National statistical offices and sector ministries: Produce statistical ICT indicators on  basic telecom access  household and business access and usage  ICT in schools, government etc.

10/19/2015 / 16 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Global Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development Partners: ITU, OECD, UNCTAD, UIS, UN Regional Commissions, UN ICT Task Force, World Bank Objectives: (i) common set of core ICT indicators harmonized internationally; (ii) enhanced ICT statistical capacity of NSOs in developing countries; (iii) global database on ICT indicators

10/19/2015 / 17 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Measuring-ict Website

10/19/2015 / 18 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Designing and implementing national ICT strategies Key questions  How will the implementation of the strategy be organized and coordinated?  Who are the main partners and stakeholders involved in the implementation process?  Which poliy areas should be given priority over others re: resources?  What institutional aspects need to be taken into consideration?

10/19/2015 / 19 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Key stakeholders Business associations IT industry Telecom Regulators Banks Lawyers Development org. Consumers Donors Industry represent. Ministries (trade, S&T, customs, education etc.) NGOs Universities Other public institutions

10/19/2015 / 20 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Conclusions Successful ICT strategies need:  Leadership from the top (head of state)  Involve all stakeholders in implementation  A holistic approach covering all sectors  A liberalized economic environment  Monitoring of ICT developments  Tailoring towards countries’ reqirements  Mainstreaming ICT into national economic and social development plan

10/19/2015 / 21 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNCTAD E-Commerce and Development Reports Free downloads: : Chapter 3 ICT strategies 2004: launch 15 December 2004

10/19/2015 / 22 Electronic Commerce Branch UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development measuring-ict.unctad.org Thank you Workshop on Telecom & ICT regulation 1-7 December 2004 Geneva