PRESS RELEASE ICT officials and ministers from the Pacific to meet in Tonga this week

PRESS RELEASE

ICT officials and ministers from the Pacific to meet in Tonga this week

Secretariat of the Pacific Community, 15 June 2010 – Ministers responsible for information and communication technology (ICT) in Pacific Island nations will gather for a regional meeting in Nuku'alofa, Tonga on 18 June 2010 to endorse important ICT initiatives that are expected to expedite the development of ICT in the region.

The theme for the meeting, 'ICT for development, governance and sustainable livelihoods', symbolises the key role that ICT plays in fostering economic development while enhancing social cohesion, cultural enrichment and environmental conservation.

Prior to the ministerial meeting, ICT government officials will meet from 16–17 June (also in Nuku'alofa) to discuss the issues at length and prepare an outcomes document that will be tabled for endorsement at the ICT ministers meeting on 18 June. 

The meetings are expected to focus on important ICT issues regarding partnerships and coordination; policy, legislation and regulatory frameworks; capacity building; infrastructure and access; international connectivity; cyber security and ICT applications; and review of the Pacific Plan Digital Strategy.  

Another important document that will be tabled for endorsement by ministers is the 'Framework for Action on ICT for Development in the Pacific', which outlines a new approach to developing and improving ICT services in the Pacific region. The framework acknowledges that national ICT policies and plans, and an integrated coordinated approach, are the principle means of steering ICT to contribute meaningfully to sustainable development. The framework also promotes a 'whole of sector' approach, based on the concept of 'many partners, one team'.

About 80 participants are expected to attend the meetings, including representatives of prominent regional and international organisations such as the Commonwealth Secretariat, Council of Europe, International Telecommunication Union, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, InternetNZ, Pacific Computer Emergency Response Team, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Pacific Islands Telecommunications Association, Pacific Legislature for Population and Governance, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation, University of the South Pacific, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and World Bank.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community is organising the meetings in association with the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga.

For more information, please contact:

Siaosi Sovaleni, ICT Outreach Coordinator, Economic Development Division, SPC, Suva, Fiji. Email: SiaosiS@spc.int; or

Avnita Goundar, Information Officer, Economic Development Division, SPC, Suva, Fiji. Email: AvnitaG@spc.int