1. Information Management for Development: Do the policies work? Adapting information policies to target groups Alec Singh ACP Secretariat www.acp.int alec@acp.int EADI-IMWG Conference 2004 9-11 September 2004 Maastricht, NL

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3. www.worldbank.org/developmentgoals

4. www.acp.int United Nations Millennium Declaration - September 2000 1.Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2.Achieve universal primary education 3.Promote gender equality and empower women 4.Reduce child mortality 5.Improve maternal health 6.Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases 7.Ensure environmental sustainability 8.Develop a global partnership for development

5. www.acp.int 1.Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger IF ICT is appropriately deployed to take into consideration people’s differing needs, it can become a powerful economic, social and political tool for the poor, and for all those who work to eradicate poverty

6. www.acp.int ICT can help reach this objective by: stimulating macroeconomic growth; stimulating macroeconomic growth; making markets more efficient; making markets more efficient; improving social inclusion; and improving social inclusion; and Facilitating political involvement. Facilitating political involvement. Examples: ACP-EU Joint institution: Centre Techinque d’Agricole (CTA)

7. www.acp.int 2. Achieve universal primary education The average length of schooling in high- income countries is ten years, The average length of schooling in high- income countries is ten years, but in developing countries it is approximately less than half (4.6 years) but in developing countries it is approximately less than half (4.6 years)

8. www.acp.int What can be done to improve the situation? Increase access to education through Distance Learning Increase access to education through Distance Learning Training teachers as a spearhead group Training teachers as a spearhead group Broadening the availability of good quality educational material, such as educational videos/DVDs Broadening the availability of good quality educational material, such as educational videos/DVDs Use technology such as WorldSpace satellites Use technology such as WorldSpace satellites

9. www.acp.int 3. Promote gender equality and empower women Increasing economic opportunities for Women Increasing economic opportunities for Women ICT can enhance a woman’s ability to know her rights and participate in decision making ICT can enhance a woman’s ability to know her rights and participate in decision making But what about the cultural aspects? But what about the cultural aspects? To what extent will these be able to be surmounted? To what extent will these be able to be surmounted? Personal belief that ICT will have a difficult job in bringing about this change Personal belief that ICT will have a difficult job in bringing about this change

10. www.acp.int ICT and Health: 4. Improve maternal health 5. Reduce child mortality 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases But what about cultural and religious aspects?

11. www.acp.int 7. Ensure environmental sustainability Energy Saving – Traditional Bookshop vs. Amazon.com (US$) Traditional Book shopAmazon.com Sales per square foot2502000 Energy cost per square foot1.10.56 Energy cost per 100 sales0.440.03 Source: Sawhney and Contreras

12. www.acp.int 8.Develop a global partnership for development Good governance (transparency) Good governance (transparency) Encourage mutually beneficial partnerships such as that between India and Mauritius Encourage mutually beneficial partnerships such as that between India and Mauritius Encourage deregulation of telephone services Encourage deregulation of telephone services Encourage the development of information gateways such as EuForic or the Development Gateway Encourage the development of information gateways such as EuForic or the Development Gateway

13. www.acp.int Conclusions Promotion of ICT will raise the likelihood of obtaining the MDGs Promotion of ICT will raise the likelihood of obtaining the MDGs However, ICT is not a miracle solution and ICT has to be implemented taking into consideration local conditions However, ICT is not a miracle solution and ICT has to be implemented taking into consideration local conditions Spearhead groups should be encouraged (Encourage the early adopters) Spearhead groups should be encouraged (Encourage the early adopters) And traditional distribution of information should not be left too far behind And traditional distribution of information should not be left too far behind

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