Region’s ICT officials meet in Grenada

May 25, 2011 News

Officials with responsibility for information and communication technology yesterday began a two-day meeting in Grenada to tackle a comprehensive agenda in preparation for a ministerial meeting on Friday.
This meeting of officials of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) is preliminary to the Friday forum at which they will gather with Caricom Trade Ministers and consultants to discuss and approve among other things, the draft Regional Digital Development Strategy (RDDS) and the strategic objectives of the Implementation Plan.
The Caricom Secretariat led the formulation of this strategy to guide the ICT activities and initiatives in the region and to use ICT as a critical development tool to advance the region on its path to an information and knowledge society.
Commenting on the importance of the draft RDDS, Deputy Programme Manager, Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D), Jennifer Britton, described ICT as “one of the most important facilitators in strengthening the Caricom Single Market and in ultimately creating a Single Economy.”
According to a Caricom media release, “The emergence of e-commerce, e-government, e-health and e-learning as critical mechanisms within the development process in this digital era, is evidence of the global embrace of ICT to improve efficiencies across a range of areas and sectors.”
It was noted that in this regard, ICT ministers will also consider a governance structure which will be critical for supporting implementation of the draft Regional Digital Development Strategy. They will also discuss for subsequent approval, a Draft Regional e-Government Strategy (2010–2014) that was developed in 2009 by a core group under leadership of the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD).
Ms Britton said, “This new strategy [e-Government] builds on work done on the previous Strategy (2004-2007) and highlights eight strategic priorities for advancing regional governments in their quest for more accountability, transparency and service orientation.”
The COTED Meeting will also receive reports from regional and international organizations on several ICT programmes and initiatives in train; and will examine the role and use of new media technologies in advancing the Community’s public information programmes.
The 36th Special Meeting of COTED will be held under the auspices of the Prime Minister of Grenada, Tillman Thomas, who has Lead responsibility for Science and Technology in the Quasi Cabinet of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom. Prime Minister Thomas is also the current Chairman of Caricom.

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Region’s ICT officials meet in Grenada

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