Palestra Consulta P

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E-Commerce and Development in LAC some
out-of-the-box thoughts for discussion
(Prepared for the UNCTAD Workshop on E-Commerce
and Development in CAC, Curaçao, 25-27 June 2002)
Tadao Takahashi Information Society
Program MCT/Brazil
SOCINFO/PAL/0128
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Contents

• ICT for Development
• Views from UNCTAD GBDe
• The UN ICT Task Force
• Some Personal Thoughts

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ICT for Development
ICT Internet, Wireless, Digital TV, etc.
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• ICT for Development (cont.)

Challenges for LAC Countries

• More people connected (in Classes C, D)
• More companies connected (SMEs)
• B2B Commerce Applications
• E-Government Services
• Consumer Confidence
• Innovation and Creativity

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Views from UNCTAD GBDe
Elements of National Strategies (UNCTAD, 2002)

• Awareness Building, Training and Education
• Access and Infrastructure
• Legal and Regulatory Issues
• Support for Enterprise Sector
• Sector-specific Policies
• E-Government
• Banking and Online Payment

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• Views from UNCTAD GBDe (cont.)

E-Commerce and Development GBDes View

• E-Commerce can increase prosperity, create
  employment and improve lives
• E-Commerce policy challenges require Global
  Response
• Business have to play leadership role
• Solutions should be market-driven, global,
  flexible, and based on industry self-regulation
  wherever possible

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• Views from UNCTAD GBDe (cont.)

GBDes Recommendations (2001)

• Consumer Confidence
• Convergence
• Cultural Diversity
• Cyber Ethics
• Security
• E-Government
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Internet Payments
• Taxation

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The UN ICT Task Force
Multilateral Organizations and ICT for
Development
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• The UN ICT Task Force (cont.)

UN ICT Task Force

• ICT Task Force was proposed to UN Secretary
  General by Working Group in 2000, at end of
  consultation process started in 1999
• Plan of Action extends Nine Action Points of G-8
  DOT Force Report
• Launching Meeting took place in NY on 19-20
  November 2001

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• The UN ICT Task Force (cont.)

Action Points
(From Digital Opportunities for All/G-8 DOT
Force)

• Help establish and support National eStrategies
• Improve Conectivity, Increase Access and Lower
  Costs
• Enhance Human Capacity Development, Knowledge
  Creation and Sharing
• Foster Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Economic
  Development

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• The UN ICT Task Force (cont.)

• Support Universal Participation in Addressing New
  International Policy and Technical Issues raised
  by Internet and ICT
• Establish and Support Dedicated Initiatives for
  ICT Inclusion of Least Developed Countries
• Promote ICT for Health Care and against HIV/AIDS
  and other infectious diseases
• Promote National and International Efforts to
  Support Local Contents and Applications Creation
• Prioritize ICT in G-8 and other Development
  Assistance Policies and Programmes and Enhance
  Coordination of Multilateral Initiatives

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• The UN ICT Task Force (cont.)

Working Groups
WG THEME COORDINATOR
1 ICT Policy and Governance Zoe Baird
2 National and Regional e-Strategies Mark Malloch Brown
3 Human Resources Development and Capacity Building Talal Abu-Ghazaleh
4 Resource Mobilization Jose Maria Figueres
5 Low Cost Connectivity and Access Lyndall Shope-Mafole
6 Business Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Debra Dunn
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• The UN ICT Task Force (cont.)

Regional Networks
REGION CONVENOR
Africa South Africa
Arabic Countries Jordan
Asia China
Latin America Brazil
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• The UN ICT Task Force (cont.)

LACNET - The UN ICT Task Force in Latin American
Caribbean

• Outreach mechanism of the UN ICT TF for the
  region
• Fundamental studies and conceptual models
• Sponsorship of regionwide projects

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Some Personal Thoughts on...

• When things will happen
• International Cooperation
• The Vision of the Private Sector
• The Role of the National Governments
• Power Ideas

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• Some Personal Thoughts on... (cont.)

When things will actually happen...

• There is plenty of time for LAC to devise and
  implement Policies and Actions in E-Commerce

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• Some Personal Thoughts on... (cont.)

When we will be talking about...
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• Some Personal Thoughts on... (cont.)

The Expected Growth of B2B e-Commerce
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• Some Personal Thoughts on... (cont.)

International Cooperation

• There will be no Marshall Plan to finance a
  Digital Revolution in developing countries
• ODA will be the main instrument to support
  national plans in developing countries

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• Some Personal Thoughts on... (cont.)

The Vision of the Private Sector

• Current ideas for concrete projects are too
  conservative!
• New models of business are needed for
• Software Licensing,
• Cheap Computers,
• etc.
• for Digital Inclusion

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• Some Personal Thoughts on... (cont.)

The Role of National Governments

• In LAC, they are the key players and leaders,
  but may be waiting for Godot.

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• Some Personal Thoughts on... (cont.)

Power Ideas

• Power ideas are still missing.
• Wholesale solutions should consider, for example
• Reservation of Frequency Bands for Education
• Copy this Book schemes for Digital contents
• Speech-based software for literacy courses
• Use of idle communications capacity under favored
  terms
• etc.

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Thank you
tadao_at_socinfo.org.br