Information and Communication Technology

NASSAU, Bahamas (BIS): US Ambassador to The Bahamas Ned Siegel has pledged to continue the literacy programme in the schools that was started by his predecessor John Rood.

Siegel told the Minister of Lands and Local Government, Sidney Collie during a courtesy call on Wednesday, that the US Embassy also plans on taking the programme to the Family Islands.“Today I have my first reading at Woodcock Elementary at 11_45 a.m., and I already have my book picked out and look forward to reading to the second grade,” Siegel said.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community Secretariat is organising a series of youth workshops, using the Visual and Performing Arts as a means of empowering young people in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

The ultimate objective of this series of workshops is to engage and involve youth across the Region in developing a sustainable regional response to HIV and AIDS as well as other social problems related to HIV and AIDS.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) specialists from the Caribbean concluded their recent Internet Governance Forum in Georgetown, Guyana, with a number of recommendations aimed at strengthening the Region’s involvement in the governance and use of the Internet.

High among the recommendations emanating from the Forum is the establishment of a regional Internet Governance Task Force or Secretariat designed to conduct research, formulate policy, and give technical guidance with regard to harmonised regional cyber laws.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) As the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) continues to focus on the full utilisation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for the shaping of regional economies, ICT experts in the Region are taking steps to ensure that CARICOM's concerns at advanced at international Internet Governance (IG) fora.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) CARICOM Member States are gearing for the technological challenges of globalisation through active participation and cooperation in the sphere of information technology.

As part of preparations for phase two of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which takes place in Tunisia November 2005, several Regional organisations and institutions are meeting at the CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Wednesday, 12 January for a CARICOM Regional Stakeholders Meeting.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) CARICOM officials, representatives of Regional organisations and Regional universities will meet in Georgetown, Guyana on Wednesday, 12 January 2005 for the first CARICOM Regional Stakeholders meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

The Third Meeting of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Ministers responsible for Information and Communication Technology, ended in Barbados, Friday, 15 October 2004, with commitment to an aggressive and focused strategy to accelerate the adoption of information and communication technologies for development (ICTD) within the Community. The accelerated focus places people first, and envisages "a new departure for Caribbean ICT and Development."

Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and Directors of Information of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have been heralded by CARICOM's Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite as specialised agents in informing the Region on government policies, plans, roles and positions.

The progress and continued advancement of the Region's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Agenda will be the central focus of CARICOM Ministers Responsible for ICT, at their Third Meeting scheduled for 15 October 2004 in Barbados.

An Action Plan aimed at accelerating the implementation and effectiveness of the Region's ICT Development will be put to the CARICOM Ministers, who are being called upon to review the activities in the Plan, as well as determine the way forward with regard to the Regional Plan for the World Summit for the Information Society (WSIS).

Representatives of CARICOM Member States, currently in Geneva, Switzerland to participate in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), December 10-12, 2003, met today at the Mission of Barbados to Geneva to discuss, as a group, issues pertinent to the Meeting and to agree on common CARICOM positions. The Meeting, which was convened by the CARICOM Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite, was chaired by the Barbados’ Minister of Commerce, Industry and Business Development, Senator Hon. Lynette Eastmond.