G-15 leaders call for enhanced cooperation on ICT
G-15 leaders call for enhanced cooperation on ICT
JAKARTA (JP): The two-day 11th annual summit of the Group of
15 developing nations (G-15) ended on Thursday with a declaration
calling for an end to the so-called digital divide. Following is
the full text of the declaration:
1. We, the Heads of State and Government of the Group of
Fifteen, meeting in Jakarta on 30-31 May 2001, recognize that
information and communications technologies (ICT) are central to
the emergence of a knowledge-based economy and information
society. In conjunction with the basic elements for development,
ICT has the potential to accelerate sustained economic growth and
promote sustainable development in developing countries. In order
to achieve the objectives of development, ICT-driven economic
transformation should be geared toward empowering, local
communities, and individuals to enable them realize their
potentials and aspirations. We are however deeply concerned that,
at present, the huge potential of ICT for advancing development
is largely eluding most developing countries resulting in a
growing digital divides.
2. We affirm that for ICT to serve the cause of development,
there is an urgent need to address the major impediments to the
participation of the majority of the peoples in developing
countries in the ICT revolution. To this end, we consider it a
priority to evolve concerted actions at the national, regional
and international levels to remove impediments related to lack of
infrastructure, local content, training, capacity-building,
investment, connectivity, modern technology and appropriate
policy framework.
3.We consider it important that national programs should aim
at mainstreaming ICT into a national development strategy and be
defined and implemented on the basis of national priority. This
should be undertaken to promote infrastructure development,
investment, enhance national institutions and capacities,
generate local content, as well as facilitate widespread access
to ICT for development. To complement these efforts, there is a
need for regional action to pool resources and exchange
experiences to facilitate the integration of developing countries
into the new global economy and information society. We therefore
urge the international community, particularly developed
countries, to demonstrate their commitment to promote digital
opportunities for all through innovative approaches and
partnerships between government, private sector, civil society
and NGOs. This effort should be geared towards facilitating
affordable access to new technologies on favorable terms,
improved market access for exports from the South and enhanced
capital and investment flows to developing countries, on a
sustainable and stable basis. To this end, multilateral
development institutions and developed countries should encourage
and strengthen ICT-related applications and local industry in
developing countries through investment, transfer of technology,
education and training, development of institutional and
appropriate policy framework, as well as support for national
programs at harnessing the potential of the ICT for development.
4.We are convinced that unless there is a common vision and
adequate as well as timely international cooperation to bridge
the digital divide, the information and knowledge revolution
could increase economic inequalities among and between peoples,
countries and regions of the world. We therefore welcome the
various international initiatives to enhance the capacity of
developing countries to take advantage of the development
opportunities presented by ICT. In this regard, we acknowledge
the efforts of ECOSOC 2000 in bringing the issue of ICT for
development to the forefront of the UN agenda and in raising the
awareness of its potential for development. We also appreciate
the adoption of the Council's Ministerial Declaration on
harnessing ICT in the service of development and ongoing
initiative of establishing a UN ICT Task Force for carrying this
critical process forward. We express our support for ITU's
initiative to convene a World Summit on the Information Society
to be held in 2003. We hope that the activities of the G-8
Digital Opportunities Task Force (DOT Force) will benefit all
developing countries, including G-15 countries. We acknowledge
the importance of E-Commerce and its implications for the
developing countries, and within the WTO, we recognize the need
for the continuation of the study process on the trade-related
aspects of global E-Commerce without prejudice to the outcome of
this process or any deliberations in this regard.
5.As the Group of Fifteen addresses issues related to the ICT,
including the question of access to worldwide information
networks such as Internet, due attention should be given to the
preservation of cultural diversity, privacy and other aspects of
"Info-ethics". We call upon the international community to bear
these aspects in mind in dealing with ICT issues.
6.In light of the challenges and opportunities presented by
the digital era, we agree on the establishment of a G-15 Task
Force on ICT to elaborate the modalities for the implementation
of a framework of cooperation and collaboration on ICT, including
the proposal to establish a G-15 Online Resource Center, and to
provide coordinated actions and responses to enable our countries
and other developing countries to participate in the various
international ICT initiatives in a way that is beneficial to
developing countries. Accordingly, we mandate our Personal
Representatives to follow-up this decision, taking into account
the outcome of the Expert Group Meeting on ICT, held on 18-19
April 2001 in Jakarta, and to report to our Twelfth Summit in
Caracas in 2002.
7.We call the international community to join us in evolving a
common vision and realistic approaches to promoting partnerships
among all stakeholders to make digital opportunities a reality
for all.