A multi-stakeholder meeting on the impact of ICTs for development will take place in Port of Spain from 26-28 May 2013.
The meeting is being convened by the Commonwealth Secretariat in partnership with the Ministry of Science and Technology of Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean Telecommunications Union, Organization of American States, International Telecommunications Union and Microsoft.
The Caribbean Stakeholders’ Meeting on the Importance of ICTs and their Impact on Regional Development will bring together ministers and senior officials to discuss e-Governance and infrastructure technologies, emerging technologies and cybercrime.
International organisations, the private sector and academia will also participate, acknowledging the critical role they play in supporting technology initiatives.
Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Deodat Maharaj said: “The Commonwealth is uniquely positioned to bring together the major regional players in ICT for development. This meeting presents a significant opportunity for collaboration by a range of stakeholders on a host of issues that have a direct impact on citizens’ lives.”
The Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union, Ms Bernadette Lewis, stressed the importance of the meeting by stating that the deliberations would lead to a number of principles and activities for establishing the Single ICT Space articulated by CARICOM Heads of Government at their 25th inter-sessional meeting which was held in March, 2014.
The meeting agenda includes case study presentations from Commonwealth Small Island Development States and current developments in infrastructure technologies. Participants will also discuss the impact of cybercrime on social and economic development, with a view to identifying next steps in implementing e-Governance/Infrastructure technology initiatives in countries and in strengthening cybercrime and cyber security regimes in the Caribbean.