(prepared for the unctad workshop on e-commerce and development in ca&c, curaçao, 25-27 june...
TRANSCRIPT
(Prepared for the UNCTAD Workshop on
E-Commerce and Development in CA&C,
Curaçao, 25-27 June 2002)
Tadao TakahashiInformation Society Program
MCT/Brazil
E-Commerce and Development
in LA&C: some out-of-the-box
thoughts for discussion
SOCINFO/PAL/0128
ICT for Development
Views from UNCTAD & GBDe
The UN ICT Task Force
Some Personal Thoughts
Contents
ICT for Development
ICT: Internet, Wireless, Digital TV, etc.
More people connected (in Classes C, D)
More companies connected (SMEs)
B2B Commerce Applications
E-Government Services
Consumer Confidence
Innovation and Creativity
Challenges for LA&C Countries
ICT for Development (cont.)
Views from UNCTAD & GBDe
Elements of National Strategies
(UNCTAD, 2002)
Awareness Building, Training and Education
Access and Infrastructure
Legal and Regulatory Issues
Support for Enterprise Sector
Sector-specific Policies
E-Government
Banking and Online Payment
E-Commerce can increase prosperity, create employment
and improve lives
E-Commerce policy challenges require Global Response
Business have to play leadership role
Solutions should be market-driven, global, flexible, and
based on industry self-regulation wherever possible
E-Commerce and Development
GBDe’s View
Views from UNCTAD & GBDe (cont.)
Views from UNCTAD & GBDe (cont.)
Consumer Confidence
Convergence
Cultural Diversity
Cyber Ethics
Security
E-Government
Intellectual Property Rights
Internet Payments
Taxation
GBDe’s Recommendations (2001)
The UN ICT Task Force
Multilateral Organizations and ICT for Development
UNITED NATIONS(ECLAC/ECOSOC, ICT Task Force)
G8(DOT Force)
EUROPEAN UNION(ALCUE,Program IST,Program @ALIS,Program ALL-INVESTInfo Society Dialogue)
WORLD BANK(Program InfoDev, Development Gateway)
IDB
ITU (Telecommunications, World Summit or Information Society)
OECD (GBIF, GSDI)OMC (E-Commerce)OMPI (Intellectual Property)UNDP (HIV Portal Initiative)UNCTAD (Commerce and Development)UNESCO (Education & Culture)
ICANN(Internet Governance)
UN ICT Task Force
ICT Task Force was proposed to UN Secretary
General by Working Group in 2000, at end of
consultation process started in 1999
Plan of Action extends Nine Action Points of G-8
DOT Force Report
Launching Meeting took place in NY on 19-20
November 2001
The UN ICT Task Force (cont.)
The UN ICT Task Force (cont.)
Action Points
(From “Digital Opportunities for All”/G-8 DOT Force)
1. Help establish and support National eStrategies
2. Improve Conectivity, Increase Access and Lower Costs
3. Enhance Human Capacity Development, Knowledge
Creation and Sharing
4. Foster Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Economic
Development
5. Support Universal Participation in Addressing New
International Policy and Technical Issues raised by Internet
and ICT
6. Establish and Support Dedicated Initiatives for ICT Inclusion of Least Developed Countries
7. Promote ICT for Health Care and against HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases
8. Promote National and International Efforts to Support Local Contents and Applications Creation
9. Prioritize ICT in G-8 and other Development Assistance Policies and Programmes and Enhance Coordination of Multilateral Initiatives
The UN ICT Task Force (cont.)
Working Groups
WG THEME COORDINATOR
1 ICT Policy and Governance Zoe Baird
2National and Regional e-Strategies
Mark Malloch Brown
3Human Resources Development and Capacity Building
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh
4 Resource Mobilization Jose Maria Figueres
5 Low Cost Connectivity and Access Lyndall Shope-Mafole
6Business Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
Debra Dunn
The UN ICT Task Force (cont.)
Regional Networks
REGION CONVENOR
Africa South Africa
Arabic Countries Jordan
Asia China
Latin America Brazil
The UN ICT Task Force (cont.)
Outreach mechanism of the UN ICT TF for the region
Fundamental studies and conceptual models
Sponsorship of regionwide projects
LACNET - The UN ICT Task Force in Latin American & Caribbean
The UN ICT Task Force (cont.)
Some Personal Thoughts on...
When things will happen
International Cooperation
The Vision of the Private Sector
The Role of the National Governments
Power Ideas
Some Personal Thoughts on... (cont.)
When things will actually happen...
There is plenty of time for LA&C
to devise and implement Policies
and Actions in E-Commerce
Some Personal Thoughts on... (cont.)
When we will be talking about...
Some Personal Thoughts on... (cont.)
The Expected Growth of B2B e-Commerce
Some Personal Thoughts on... (cont.)
International Cooperation
There will be no Marshall Plan to finance a
Digital Revolution in developing countries
ODA will be the main instrument to support
national plans in developing countries
Some Personal Thoughts on... (cont.)
The Vision of the Private Sector
Current ideas for concrete projects are too
conservative!
New models of business are needed for:
- Software Licensing,
- Cheap Computers,
- etc.
for Digital Inclusion
Some Personal Thoughts on... (cont.)
The Role of National Governments
In LA&C, they are the key
players and leaders, but
may be waiting for Godot.
Some Personal Thoughts on... (cont.)
Power Ideas
Power ideas are still missing.
Wholesale solutions should consider, for example:
Reservation of Frequency Bands for Education
“Copy this Book” schemes for Digital contents
Speech-based software for literacy courses
Use of idle communications capacity under favored terms
etc.
