LAC Regional Network of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID)
The first billion internet users were connected because of particular privileges of access to infrastructure, the ability to afford use, education and geography, amongst others. The next billions to be connected to information society networks won’t have the same economic and social privileges and will have different reasons for not already being connected. These reasons need to be identified, targeted and built into information society strategies, business plans and partnerships. In this spirit, the GAID Inaugural Meeting (4-5 February 2008) was an opportunity to discuss and prepare proposals for the II Ministerial Conference on the Information Society, taking place directly after the seminar, and hosted by the El Salvadorian government.
The seminar and network initiative is the joint effort of the UN’s Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Development Research Centre-Institute for Connectivity in the Americas (IDRC-ICA), and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribean (ECLAC).
Go to the IDRC resource page for links to presentations, podcasts, bios and background documents for this event.
The Regional Dialogue on the Information Society for LAC (DIRSI) and LIRNE.NET participated in the launch seminar for the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Network of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID).
Participants in the seminar engaged topics and issues addressed in the San Salvador Commitment, eLAC2010, a foundation document for informing new commitments in the region. The San Salvador Commitment was derived as the result of a participative process which received over 1,500 contributions from regional experts during 2007 (see eLAC Policies Priority Delphi). The main objective of the seminar was to consider the elaborate concrete proposals to present at the Ministerial Conference eLAC2007 in the areas of ICT and poverty eradication, health, education, youth employment, and e-government for improved accountability, transparency, and citizen participation.
Panel 1 - Regional Issues Relating to National ICT Policies and Strategies for Achieving the MDGs
Opening. Hernan Galperin, DIRSI
Presentation - The digital scene, Latin America and the Caribbean 2007
Martin Hilbert (CEPAL)
Presentation - Convergence an Universalisation of Telecommunications Services - Pending Agenda
Roxana Barrantes (DIRSI - IEP)
Discusion - ICT role in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals
Pablo Accuosto (ITEM and APC)
Presentation of research results on Mobile Opportunities in LAC
Hernan Galperin (DIRSI - Universidad de San Andres)
Discusion - Regional Issues Relating to National ICT Policies and Strategies for Achieving the MDGs
Amy Mahan (LIRNE)
Go to the IDRC resource page for links to presentations, podcasts, bios and background documents for this event.
Go to the UN-GAID event announcement.
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
