Regional Cooperation in Sector

1

• Regional Co-operation in Sector
• Planning
• Development of the
• Pacific Regional ICT Policy

Dr Robert Guild Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
Asia Pacific Initiatives for the Information
Society 2002
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The Pacific context

• Teledensities range from less than 1 to about 45
  (but households are what matter)
• Internet access averages less than 25 (most
  urban)
• All telecommunications provided by monopolies
• Only two countries have choice of ISPs
• Costs and HRD the main constraints to development
• Liberalisation very much on the agenda
• Pacific island countries are individually small,
  but together equal a US1.8 billion market.

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Why a Pacific ICT policy?

• National plans in health, eduction, economic
  development require rational development of ICT
• Ministers directed improvement of efficiency and
  enhancement of the business environment
• Regional coordination, combined with national
  guidelines, will increase efficiency and impact
• CROP ICT Working Group and member countries
  together can leverage resources.

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Regional consensus

• 22 countries
• 7 regional IGOs
• 3 regional agencies

CROP Council of Regional Organisations of the
Pacific
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CROP ICT Working Group

• FFA Forum Fisheries Agency
• FSM Fiji School of Medicine
• PIDP Pacific Islands Development Program at EWC
• PIFS Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
• PITA Pacific Islands Telecommunication
  Association
• SOPAC South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission
• SPC Secretariat of the Pacific Community
• SPREP South Pacific Regional Environment Program
• SPTO South Pacific Tourism Organisation
• USP University of the South Pacific

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Regional meetings and WGs

• CROP ICT Working Group and IT-Pacnet
• PITA Pacific Islands Telecommunications Assoc.
• PTC Pacific Telecommunications Conference
• APT joint working group meetings in the Pacific
• FEMM Forum Economics Ministers Meeting
• FCPM Forum Communications Policy Meeting

Regional policy is being built incrementally
through these cooperative activities, alongside
APT and ITU initiatives, to
ensure that plans are consistent and
complementary.
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Draft Pacific Regional ICT Policy

• Vision
• Information and Communication Technologies
  for every Pacific Islander
• Guiding principles
• Human resources inform, connect, educate
• Development supportive ICT infrastructure
• Cooperation government, business, civil society
• Regulation an appropriate ICT framework

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Principle 1 Inform, connect, educate

• 1.1 Promote awareness at all community levels
• 1.2 Develop and retain the workforce
• 1.3 Implement strategies to facilitate HRD
• 1.4 Equal opportunity access for women,
  poor, disabled, and rural people
• 1.5 Contribute to the global community and
  promote Pacific cultural identity

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Principle 2 Infrastructure for development

• 2.1 Reliable, secure, fast, cost effective
  networks
• 2.2 Encourage private sector investment and
  competitive markets for services
• 2.3 Cooperation in adoption of standards
• 2.4 Work toward practical universal access
• 2.5 Cooperation between governments and
  regional organisations

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Principle 3 Cooperation of stakeholders

• 3.1 Public, private, and regional actors use IT
  interaction
• 3.2 Community access to local content
• 3.3 Active monitoring of impacts
• 3.4 Management information systems for decision
  making
• 3.5 Cooperation in acquisition and maintenance
• 3.6 Integration of ICT in other sectoral policies

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Principle 4 Appropriate regulatory framework

• 4.1 Co-operative development of regulation
• 4.2 Take account of cultures and customs
• 4.3 Address illegal and undesirable activities
• 4.4 Promote open access for providers and users
• 4.5 Protect privacy, security, and property
  rights
• 4.6 Active representation and advocacy

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From policy to implementation

• GP 3 cooperation between stakeholders
• Policy 3.1 expand interaction among all sectors
• Strategy 3.1.1 develop ICT strategic plans
• Activity complete the regional PIIPP
• Activity develop national strategic plans

Supporting integration across sectors and
fostering partnerships are key features of
strategy development
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Strategic plan framework
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Priority activities 1

• The Pilot Tele-health Project
• Providing remote diagnosis and consultation
• Partnership between Fiji School of Medicine,
  Telecom Cook Islands, and PITA
• Service partners include hospitals and clinicians
  in Pacific islands and USA
• Awards and funding

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Priority activities 2

• Multipurpose community telecentres
• Providing access to telecommunications, internet,
  and community services to rural and underserved
  urban areas
• Partnership between ITU, PITA, regional
  organisations, development partners
• Proposal and funding ongoing

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Priority activities 3

• Human resources development
• Main constraint is lack of qualified and
  experienced IT professionals
• University of the South Pacific USPnet
• PITA TCDC programme
• Forum Secretariat, SPREP, SPC programmes
• APT Fellowships
• Many small efforts under coordination

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Priority activities 4

• National policy and regulatory frameworks
• Main goal to create national and regional
  environments conducive to development
• Regional policy led by CROP ICT WG
• National policy project led by ITU
• National strategy project led by UNDP/UNOPS
• All are coordinated through the Working Group to
  harmonise approaches and coordinate development
  partners contributions

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Priority activities international

• The Pacific I4D Initiative
• International partnership initiative drafted for
  the World Summit on Sustainable Development
  (Rio10) in September 2002
• Further elaboration intended for presentation to
  the World Summit on the Information Society
  (WSIS) in December 2003
• Overall goal is to implement and coordinate the
  PIIPP at the regional level
• Endorsement by Heads of Government at Forum
  Leaders Meeting in August 2002

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Policy development process

• 2001 National and organisational consultations
• 2002 Adoption and prioritisation of PIIPP at
  Forum
• Communication Policy Ministerial Meeting
• 2001 Development of national action plans and
  policy
• frameworks from mid-year
• 2002 Pacific I4D Initiative will be presented at
  WSSD
• (the RIO10 Summit) and WSIS
• 2002 Continuing implementation, project
• management, review improvement.

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The results for the Pacific . . .

• The rapid growth of the Global Information
  Infrastructure and convergence of media,
  communication and IT provide opportunities
• to reduce the cost of telecommunication services
• for new forms of economic and social development
• to reduce disadvantages of remoteness and size.

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Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

• An international governmental organisation with a
  regional policy focus
• Mission to ensure sustainable development
  throughout the region through co-operation
• Programmes in economic development, trade and
  investment, and international affairs

Dr Robert Guild phone [phone] / fax 679
330 0192 email robertg_at_forumsec.org.fj / visit
www.forumsec.org.fj