GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- Measures to accelerate the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will be in focus at the Thirty-Fourth Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) which convenes 28 May, in St Georges, Grenada.
This Special Meeting of the COTED will bring together Ministers Responsible for ICT in CARICOM under the leadership of the Prime Minister of Grenada, Tillman Thomas, who is the Lead Head of Government responsible for Science and Technology (including ICT) in the Quasi Cabinet of CARICOM.
The Ministers will review progress reports on ICT development, as CARICOM pushes to meet this aspect of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
ICT is considered critically important to the Region’s flagship programme, the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). In this context, the Meeting in Grenada will consider a Draft Five-Year Regional ICT Strategy.
CARICOM Heads of Government at their Thirtieth Regular Meeting, July 2009, had mandated the development of a Regional ICT Strategy to guide activities and initiatives, towards the formation of an information society by 2015.
Following this mandate, the CARICOM Secretariat had commissioned a consultancy to develop the Regional ICT Strategy Framework, which the Ministers will consider.
They will also discuss a Draft ICT Action Plan developed by the Regional ICT Steering Committee on five priority areas including capacity building; access and connectivity; legal and regulatory framework, to fast-track the development of the CARICOM Information Society.
No comments:
Post a Comment