Agenda 21 and the Information Society 13 December Regional Capacity-building Activities on ICT Policy Development in Central Asia Michiko Enomoto Economic Cooperation and Integration Division (ECID) United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)

Agenda 21 and the Information Society 13 December Work of the UNECE Committee on Economic Cooperation and Integration (CECI) Main focus areas of CECI: Knowldge-based economy and innovation Entrepreneurship and SME development Financial intermediation for innovative development Intellectual property rights (IPR) Public-private partnership (PPP) ICT related issues are dealt in broader work programme of CECI on innovation and competitiveness.

Agenda 21 and the Information Society 13 December Our approach on ICT related issues 1.ICT as one of the most important tools to enhance innovative development and knowledge-based competitiveness 2.Concrete, demand-driven capacity-building activities on ICT 3.Emphasis on countries with economies in transition, with special focus on Central Asia 4.Extrabudgetary source of funding for capacity- building activities (i.e. UNDA) 5.Cooperation with other international Organizations.

Agenda 21 and the Information Society 13 December Support Regional Cooperation on ICT for Development under SPECA United Nations Special Programme on Economies in Central Asia (SPECA) Project Working Group (PWG) on ICT for Development (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan + Afghanistan).

Agenda 21 and the Information Society 13 December Major Output Regional Capacity-building seminar on ICT Policymaking, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, July 2006 Sharing best practices on how to integrate ICT policies into national development plans, descussion on harmonized law reforms related to ICT development Networking of ICT Policymakers.

Agenda 21 and the Information Society 13 December Major Output Seminar on Information and Communication Policy and Legal Issues, Dushanbe, Tajikistan (30-31 October 2007) Seminar on ICT Policymaking, Baku, Azerbaijan (26-27 November 2007).

Agenda 21 and the Information Society 13 December Promotion of Harmonized ICT Law Reforms Publication on Information and Communication Technology Policy and Legal Issues for Central Asia (October 2007) At the request of SPECA PWG on ICT for Development Hightlights legal issues on ICT infrastructure, legal certainty, security, IPR and ICT crimes Content is relevant for all ECE member countries.

Agenda 21 and the Information Society 13 December Other activities on ICT access issues Workshop on Broadband and ICT Development for Improved Communication in Central Asia, Tashkent, Uzbekistan (21-22 June 2007) TASHKENT STATEMENT on Broadband and ICT Development for Improved Communication in Central Asia.

Agenda 21 and the Information Society 13 December Other specialized Capacity-building activities on ICT Access Points UN Development Account (UNDA) Project on Knowledge Networks through ICT Access Points for Disadvantaged Communities  Joint project of the 5 UN Regional Commissions  Objective: to empower poor and disadvantaged communities through transforming existing ICT access points into knowledge hubs  ECE preparing Regional Review of the ICT Access Points (incl. Central Asia)  Capacity-building activities planned in by our partner organization in Central Asia.

Agenda 21 and the Information Society 13 December Future Activities Continued capacity-building support on ICT and Legal Issues under the framework of SPECA Other demand-driven capacity-building activities on requests.

Agenda 21 and the Information Society 13 December For further information Michiko Enomoto Economic Affairs Officer ECID/UNECE