[OECD e-commerce Conference] Bridging the 'digital divide'

["Irfan Khan" <khania@super.net.pk>]

[OECD E-Commerce Conference, Dubai (16-17 January 2001)]  


Bridging the 'digital divide' 
By Ramesh Jaura 

BONN - Leapfrogging into the future with the help of information technology 
is a real opportunity for developing countries and poverty reduction. 
However, efforts to bridge the "digital divide" will succeed only if they 
are closely allied to the pressing needs of the countries of Africa, Asia 
and Latin America. Of utmost importance to the developing nations are areas 
such as health, education and transport. 

This was the consensus emerging from a business-government forum and an 
emerging market forum recently held in Dubai, organized by the Paris-based 
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). 

Inaugurating the Emerging Market Economy Forum on Electronic Commerce, the 
Crown Prince of Dubai General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum urged 
governments and companies in developed countries and multilateral 
organizations to join forces in an "international gathering devoted to 
assisting governments and private sectors in developing countries in the 
area of information technology". 

The widening of the knowledge gap is denying most developing countries the 
opportunity for true participation in the new global economy, thereby 
exposing them to many risks beginning with the economy and extending to 
include overall stability and security, the Dubai ruler claimed. 

He added: "When we speak of a one world, one global economy, one 
international media city, we should also remember that security in the 
world is also indivisible. This in itself is an additional incentive for 
industrialized countries to assist in facilitating and accelerating entry 
of developing countries to the digital economy." 

Dubai has launched a major investment program associating government 
spending with private sector initiatives to build an e-commerce hub. Citing 
this, Sheikh Mohammed called on developing countries to lay the foundations 
for growth by investing more in education and training and ensuring they 
have appropriate legislation and regulation for e-commerce development. 

OECD secretary-general Donald J Johnston said the developed countries are 
eager and willing to share their experience and expertise in this area, but 
he underlined the importance of appropriate regulatory structures in all 
countries as a stimulus to private investment. He also called on developed 
nations to assist the world's poorest countries and regions in building the 
essential infrastructures for e-commerce by opening up their markets to the 
goods and services of the developing world. 

"Not only is the world unsustainable in the long run with billions of 
people condemned to poverty," Johnston said, "Expanded trade and investment 
opportunities for OECD members will depend upon sustainable economic growth 
and social stability in every region of the globe." 

As part of international efforts to address the so-called digital divide 
between nations and citizens with access to advanced communication 
technology and those without, the OECD is participating in the Digital 
Opportunity Taskforce set up by the Group of Eight industrial nations last 
July at their Okinawa summit. 

Participants in the Dubai consultations made numerous suggestions for ways 
to help less-favored countries take full advantage of information and 
communication technology. Among other things, they called for awareness-
building exercises involving senior government officials; for government-
backed venture capital funds to support IT initiatives; for publicity for 
successful pilot projects that can serve as examples to others; and for tax 
incentives to encourage IT companies to expand their operations in these 
countries. 

"We have been very impressed with what we have learned about what 
individual governments, civil society organizations and individual firms 
are doing in their own countries," OECD deputy secretary-general Sally 
Shelton Colby said. "The challenge is how to build on what is currently 
being done and on experience of what is successful and what is not." 

(Inter Press Service) 


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