UN ICT Task Force
Encyclopedia
The United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (UN ICT TF) was a multi-stakeholder initiative associated with the United Nations
which is "intended to lend a truly global dimension to the multitude of efforts to bridge the global digital divide
, foster digital opportunity and thus firmly put ICT at the service of development for all."
Secretary-General
Kofi Annan
in November 2001, acting upon a request by Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) dated July 11, 2000, with an initial term of mandate of three years (until the end of 2004). It followed in the footsteps of the World Economic Forum
(WEF
) Global Digital Divide Initiative (GDDI), and the Digital Opportunities Task Force (DOT Force), established in 2000 by the G8
at their annual summit in Okinawa, Japan
. By providing it with a home in the United Nations, this accorded the UN ICT Task Force, in the eyes of many developing countries, a broader legitimization than the previous WEF and G8 initiatives, even if these previous initiatives also included a multi-stakehoder approach with broad participation by stakeholders from industrialized and developing countries.
(WSIS) and leading the UN in developing ICT strategies for development, the Task Force's objective was to form partnerships between the UN system and states, private industry, trusts, foundations and donors, and other stakeholders.
, Hewlett-Packard
, IBM
, Nokia
, SAP
, Siemens
, Sun Microsystems
), together with global NGOs (e.g. the APC
), governments and international agencies. Its coordinating body was a multi-stakeholder bureau, assisted by a small secretariat at UN headquarters in New York. Technical advice was provided by a high-level panel of technical advisors.
issued a Challenge to Silicon Valley to create suitable systems at prices low enough to permit deployment everywhere, whether through international aid programs, NGO
s, charities, or microcredit
support. The call has been answered, but only a few UN programs were actively using computers and communications in developing countries in 2004. The UNHCR ran a refugee camp in Tanzania
where the Global Catalyst Foundation had placed computers and communications equipment for the use of the Burundian refugees confined there. The ITU
worked with the kingdom of Bhutan
on a Simputer
project.
(WSIS
) in Geneva
in December 2003 and WSIS II in Tunis
in November 2005. In order to participate in the second phase of the WSIS, the Task Force's original 3-year mandate was extended by another year and expired on 31 December 2005, with no further extension.
The Task Force held 10 semi-annual meetings in various places that served as important venues for exchange of best practices, and to bring the various stakeholders together to work on common themes. Most successful, in the eyes of the participants, were those meetings that were held in conjunction with a series of Global Forums:
In addition, a Global Roundtable Forum on "Innovation and Investment: Scaling Science and Technology to Meet the MDGs" was held in New York, 13 September 2005. The primary focus of the Forum was on the critical role of science, technology and innovation, especially information and communication technologies, in scaling-up grassroots, national and global responses to achieve the Millennium Development Goals
.
, to improve education in schools and communities through the use of information and communication technologies. GeSCI was officially launched during the WSIS.
The Global Centre for ICT in Parliament acts as a clearing house for information, research, innovation, technology and technical assistance, and promotes a structured dialogue among parliaments, centres of excellence, international organizations, the civil society, the private sector and the donor community, with the purpose to enhance the sharing of experiences, the identification of best practices and the implementation of appropriate solutions.
to allow for a global multi-stakeholder discussion of issues related to the governance of the global resource that the Internet represents. The WSIS also called for a follow-up and implementation process, for which the principles embodied in the multi-stakeholder composition and workings of the UN ICT TF can provide a useful model.
Work is also being carried on by the UN Group on the Information Society (UN GIS), with a focus on the UN System, and the successor to the UN ICT TF, the Global Alliance for ICT and Development
(GAID), with an international development emphasis.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
which is "intended to lend a truly global dimension to the multitude of efforts to bridge the global digital divide
Global digital divide
The global digital divide is a term used to describe “great disparities in opportunity to access the Internet and the information and educational/business opportunities tied to this access … between developed and developing countries”...
, foster digital opportunity and thus firmly put ICT at the service of development for all."
Establishment
The UN ICT Task Force was created by United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Secretary-General
United Nations Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat of the United Nations, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations....
Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
in November 2001, acting upon a request by Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) dated July 11, 2000, with an initial term of mandate of three years (until the end of 2004). It followed in the footsteps of the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
(WEF
WEF
WEF may refer to:* Water Environment Federation, an organization of engineers and industry related to water use* Weifang Airport, an airport in Shandong Province, China...
) Global Digital Divide Initiative (GDDI), and the Digital Opportunities Task Force (DOT Force), established in 2000 by the G8
G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
at their annual summit in Okinawa, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. By providing it with a home in the United Nations, this accorded the UN ICT Task Force, in the eyes of many developing countries, a broader legitimization than the previous WEF and G8 initiatives, even if these previous initiatives also included a multi-stakehoder approach with broad participation by stakeholders from industrialized and developing countries.
Aims and objectives
The Task Force's principal aim was to provide policy advice to governments and international organizations for bridging the digital divide. In addition to supporting the World Summit on the Information SocietyWorld Summit on the Information Society
The World Summit on the Information Society was a pair of United Nations-sponsored conferences about information, communication and, in broad terms, the information society that took place in 2003 in Geneva and in 2005 in Tunis...
(WSIS) and leading the UN in developing ICT strategies for development, the Task Force's objective was to form partnerships between the UN system and states, private industry, trusts, foundations and donors, and other stakeholders.
Membership and organization
The UN ICT Task Force has included the top ranks of the computer industry (Cisco SystemsCisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California, United States, that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking, voice, and communications technology and services. Cisco has more than 70,000 employees and annual revenue of US$...
, Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
, IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
, SAP
SAP AG
SAP AG is a German software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. Headquartered in Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, with regional offices around the world, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software...
, Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
, Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
), together with global NGOs (e.g. the APC
Association for Progressive Communications
The Association for Progressive Communications is an international network of organizations that was founded in 1990 to provide communication infrastructure, including Internet-based applications, to groups and individuals who work for peace, human rights, protection of the environment, and...
), governments and international agencies. Its coordinating body was a multi-stakeholder bureau, assisted by a small secretariat at UN headquarters in New York. Technical advice was provided by a high-level panel of technical advisors.
Challenge to Silicon Valley
In November 2002 Kofi AnnanKofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
issued a Challenge to Silicon Valley to create suitable systems at prices low enough to permit deployment everywhere, whether through international aid programs, NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s, charities, or microcredit
Microcredit
Microcredit is the extension of very small loans to those in poverty designed to spur entrepreneurship. These individuals lack collateral, steady employment and a verifiable credit history and therefore cannot meet even the most minimal qualifications to gain access to traditional credit...
support. The call has been answered, but only a few UN programs were actively using computers and communications in developing countries in 2004. The UNHCR ran a refugee camp in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
where the Global Catalyst Foundation had placed computers and communications equipment for the use of the Burundian refugees confined there. The ITU
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
worked with the kingdom of Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
on a Simputer
Simputer
The Simputer is a self-contained, open hardware Linux-based handheld computer, first released in 2002. Developed in, and primarily distributed within India, the product was envisioned as a low-cost alternative to personal computers...
project.
World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)
The Task Force was active, inter alia, in the process leading to the World Summit on the Information SocietyWorld Summit on the Information Society
The World Summit on the Information Society was a pair of United Nations-sponsored conferences about information, communication and, in broad terms, the information society that took place in 2003 in Geneva and in 2005 in Tunis...
(WSIS
World Summit on the Information Society
The World Summit on the Information Society was a pair of United Nations-sponsored conferences about information, communication and, in broad terms, the information society that took place in 2003 in Geneva and in 2005 in Tunis...
) in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
in December 2003 and WSIS II in Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
in November 2005. In order to participate in the second phase of the WSIS, the Task Force's original 3-year mandate was extended by another year and expired on 31 December 2005, with no further extension.
Working groups
The Task Force's stakeholders, members and the experts on the panel of technical advisors, were active in working groups organized around four broad themes:- ICT Policy and Governance
- Enabling Environment
- Human Resource Development and Capacity Building
- ICT Indicators and MDG Mapping
Regional networks
Regional activities were carried out in five regional networks:- Africa
- Latin America and the Caribbean
- Asia
- Arab States
- Europe and Central Asia
Meetings
2002, June 17–18: A session of the General Assembly of the United Nations was devoted to[information and communication technologies for development, addressing the digital divide in the context of globalization and the development process. The session promoted coherence and synergies between various regional and international information and communication technologies initiatives. The meeting also contributed to the preparation of the World Summit on the Information Society. Many countries were be represented by high-level officials responsible for communications and for development.The Task Force held 10 semi-annual meetings in various places that served as important venues for exchange of best practices, and to bring the various stakeholders together to work on common themes. Most successful, in the eyes of the participants, were those meetings that were held in conjunction with a series of Global Forums:
- 1st meeting: at UN headquarters in New York, NY, (USA) - November 19–20, 2001.
- 2nd meeting: at UN headquarters in New York, NY, (USA) - February 3–4, 2002.
- 3rd meeting: at UN headquarters in New York, NY, (USA) - September 30 - October 1, 2002, focused on ICT for development in Africa. It also reviewed the results of the first year of Task Force activities and agreed on an ambitious strategy for the next two years.
- 4th meeting: at UN in GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, (SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
) - February 21–22, 2004, with a Private Sector Forum. - 5th meeting: at WIPO in GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
- September 12–13, 2003, to allow participants to discuss the Task Force's contribution to WSIS. - 6th meeting: at UN headquarters in New York, NY, (USA) - March 2004, with a Global Forum on Internet GovernanceInternet governanceInternet governance is the development and application of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programs that shape the evolution and use of the Internet...
. - 7th meeting: at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- November 18–20, 2004, with a Global Forum on an Enabling Environment. - 8th meeting: in Dublin, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
- April 13–15, 2005, with a Global Forum on Harnessing the Potential of ICTs in Education. - 9th meeting: at ILOInternational Labour OrganizationThe International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
in GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
- October 1, 2005. - 10th (final) meeting: at the World Summit on the Information SocietyWorld Summit on the Information SocietyThe World Summit on the Information Society was a pair of United Nations-sponsored conferences about information, communication and, in broad terms, the information society that took place in 2003 in Geneva and in 2005 in Tunis...
in TunisTunisTunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
, TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
- November 17, 2005.
In addition, a Global Roundtable Forum on "Innovation and Investment: Scaling Science and Technology to Meet the MDGs" was held in New York, 13 September 2005. The primary focus of the Forum was on the critical role of science, technology and innovation, especially information and communication technologies, in scaling-up grassroots, national and global responses to achieve the Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
.
WSIS II in Tunis
Parallel to the booth at the ICT4ALL exhibition, a series of events was held under the auspices of the UN ICT Task Force and its members:Measuring the Information Society
The Partnership for Measuring ICT for Development involves 11 organizations—Eurostat, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations ICT Task Force, the five United Nations Regional Commissions and the World Bank.Role of Parliaments in the Information Society
Key parliament leaders presented their views on the role that national and regional assemblies can play in building the information society at a “High-level Dialogue on Governance, Global Citizenship and Technology”, on 16 November.Choosing the Right Technologies for Education
At this workshop, the Global e-School Initiative presented the Total Cost of Ownership Calculator—a framework for identifying and selecting the right ICT for schools by assessing their benefits, feasibility and costs.Building Partnerships for the Information Society
Two high-level round tables on 16 November focused on “Regional Perspectives for the Global Information Society” and on “Women in the Information Society: Building a Gender Balanced Knowledge-based Economy”.Putting ICT to Work for the Millennium Development Goals and the UN Development Agenda
The 17 November round table examined how ICT can be applied to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, and discussed ways to raise awareness of ICT as an enabler of development.Achieving Better Quality and Cost Efficiency in Health Care and Education through ICT
The 17 November panel demonstrated the potential of ICT to improve quality and cost efficiency of key public services, with specific focus on education and health care.Bridging the Digital Divide with Broadband Wireless Internet
The 17 November round table focused on the critical role that broadband wireless infrastructure deployments play in bridging the digital divide.GeSCI
One of the notable outcomes of the work of the UN ICT Task Force was the creation in 2003 of the (GeSCI), a new international non-profit organization located in Dublin, IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, to improve education in schools and communities through the use of information and communication technologies. GeSCI was officially launched during the WSIS.
ePol-Net
Another outcome is the Global ePolicy Resource Network (ePol-NET), designed to marshal global efforts in support of national e-strategies for development. The network provides ICT policymakers in developing countries with the depth and quality of information needed to develop effective national e-policies and e-strategies. The network was first proposed by the members of the Digital Opportunities Task Force (DOT Force), who merged their activities with the UN ICT Task Force in 2002. The ePol-Net was also officially launched during the WSIS.Global Centre for ICT in Parliament
Another outcome of the WSIS is the Global Centre for ICT in Parliament. Launched by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) in cooperation with the Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU) on the occasion of the World Summit of the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis in November 2005, the Global Centre for Information and Communication Technologies in Parliament responds to the common desire to build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented information society, where legislatures are empowered to better fulfil their constitutional functions through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).The Global Centre for ICT in Parliament acts as a clearing house for information, research, innovation, technology and technical assistance, and promotes a structured dialogue among parliaments, centres of excellence, international organizations, the civil society, the private sector and the donor community, with the purpose to enhance the sharing of experiences, the identification of best practices and the implementation of appropriate solutions.
Follow-up
The task of bridging the digital divide is yet unfinished. The WSIS has called for an Internet Governance ForumInternet Governance Forum
The Internet Governance Forum is a multi-stakeholder forum for policy dialogue on issues of Internet governance. It brings together all stakeholders in the internet governance debate, whether they represent governments, the private sector or civil society, including the technical and academic...
to allow for a global multi-stakeholder discussion of issues related to the governance of the global resource that the Internet represents. The WSIS also called for a follow-up and implementation process, for which the principles embodied in the multi-stakeholder composition and workings of the UN ICT TF can provide a useful model.
Work is also being carried on by the UN Group on the Information Society (UN GIS), with a focus on the UN System, and the successor to the UN ICT TF, the Global Alliance for ICT and Development
Global Alliance for ICT and Development
The Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development is a subgroup or continuation of the United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force...
(GAID), with an international development emphasis.
Selected documents
- Report of the high-level panel of experts on information and communication technology (22 May 2000), suggesting a UN ICT Task Force.
- Draft Ministerial Declaration (11 July 2000), asking for the establishment of the UN ICT TF.
Publication series
As part of its work, the Task Force and its members have published a series of books on various topics related to the work of the Task Force. These books are available in the UN bookstore, at Amazon (partially), or in PDF form:- UN ICT Task Force Series 1 - Information Insecurity: A Survival Guide to the Uncharted Territories of Cyber-Threats and Cyber-Security (By Eduardo Gelbstein, Ahmad Kamal) - July 2005, ISBN 92-1-104530-4
- UN ICT Task Force Series 2 - Information and Communication Technologies for African Development: An Assessment of Progress and Challenges Ahead (Edited with Introduction by Joseph O. Okpaku, Sr., Ph.D.) - July 2005, ISBN 92-1-104531-2
- UN ICT Task Force Series 3: The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Global Development - Analyses and Policy Recommendations (Edited with introduction by Abdul Basit Haqqani) - July 2005, ISBN 92-1-104532-0
- UN ICT Task Force Series 4: Connected for Development: Information Kiosks and Sustainability (By Akhtar Badshah, Sarbuland Khan and Maria Garrido) - July 2005, ISBN 92-1-104533-9
- UN ICT Task Force Series 5 - Internet Governance: A Grand Collaboration (By Don MacLean) - July 2005, ISBN 92-1-104534-7
- UN ICT Task Force Series 6 - Creating an Enabling Environment: Toward the Millennium Development Goals (By Denis Gilhooly) - September 2005, ISBN 92-1-104535-5
- UN ICT Task Force Series 7 - WTO, E-commerce and Information Technologies: From the Uruguay Round through the Doha Development Agenda (By Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, Edited by Joanna McIntosh)
- UN ICT Task Force Series 8: The World Summit on the Information Society: Moving from the Past into the Future (Edited by Daniel Stauffacher and Wolfgang Kleinwächter)
- UN ICT Task Force Series 9: Harnessing the Potential of ICT for Education – A Multistakeholder Approach (Edited by Bonnie Bracey and Terry Culver)
- UN ICT Task Force Series 10: Village Phone Replication Manual (By David Keogh and Tim Wood) - September 2005, ISBN 92-1-104546-0
- UN ICT Task Force Series 11: Information and Communication Technology for Peace - The Role of ICT in Preventing, Responding to and Recovering from Conflict (By Daniel Stauffacher, William Drake, Paul Currion and Julia Steinberger)
- UN ICT Task Force Series 12: Reforming Internet Governance: Perspectives from the Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) (Edited by William J. Drake)