ICT and Telecommunications in Least Developed Countries
Mid-Term Review for the Decade 2001 - 2010
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This document made huge strides towards the implementation of all the seven Commitments of the Brussels Programme of Action of the Least Developed Countries that was adopted by the Third United Nations Conference for the Least Developed Countries for the decade 2001-2010. The work undertaken falls into the following areas: a) Development of rural telecommunications: The digital divide in most countries is between urban areas and remote rural communities. b) Development of infrastructure and introduction of new technologies and services: The idea has been to identify low-cost, affordable and appropriate technologies for the LDCs. c) Sector Restructuring: A friendly regulatory and legal framework is catalytic to both domestic and foreign investment into the ICT sector. d) Human resources development/management: Assistance was given to train and retrain experts in LDCs. e) Emergency Telecommunications: Assistance in disaster risk reduction was given to LDCs, Small Island Developing States and some Land-Locked Developing States.
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Project highlights
People in rural villages in Samoan islands of Upolu and Savaii, who had previously never seen a computer, are now using the internet to communicate with their family members working in Apia, the capital city, or living overseas. Women have created their own local committees to manage nine of the MCTs, and a youth group runs the tenth. The centres are being used to transmit information for a national programme to promote healthy living. A train-the trainers programme is being provided. A local expert conducts training in the Samoan language. Training materials have been translated into Samoan, and this has proved very used for the women. When the trainer is away, they can teach themselves using translated manuals.
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