What is this workshop about?

Information communication technologies (ICTs) are crucial to reducing poverty, improving access to health and education services and creating new sources of income and employment for the poor. Being able to access and use ICTs has become a major factor in driving competitiveness, economic growth and social development. In the last decade, ICTs, particularly mobile phones, have also opened up new channels for the free flow of ideas and opinions, thereby promoting democracy and human rights.

But there are substantial discrepancies in access to ICTs between countries, particularly at the North-South level, but also within countries, depending on key factors such as gender, rural coverage, skills and educational levels.

This workshop, organised jointly by the World Bank/infoDev and the OECD, aims to share and highlight best practices in coherent approaches to meeting development objectives laid out by Ministers, including:

• Access to ICTs and the Internet
• Broadband policy and development
• Access to ICT payment and remittance services
• Cross border co-operation and security
• ICTs and the environment
• ICTs for education

For whom?

The workshop aims to attract working level officials from OECD member and selected non-member countries and representatives from the donor community. There will be 2 presentations per session, followed by 2 invited respondents and open discussion between all participants. The number of participants will be limited to around 80 to encourage active interaction. Participation is by invitation only.

For more information www.oecd.org/ict/4d