In April 2013, the progress made towards meeting the goals of the eLAC2015 plan of action will be evaluated. In anticipation of that event, organisers are inviting views and opinions on key Information Society issues which can inform the Ministerial meeting that will also be held.
In anticipation of the Fourth Ministerial Conference on the Information Society for Latin America and the Caribbean, which will be held in Montevideo, Uruguay on 4 April 2013, a two-day session to inform the Ministerial meeting will be convened on 2—3 April. The purpose of the pre-event, which is themed Open Development: Exploring the future of the information society in LAC, is to assess the progress that has been made in achieving the goals set out in respect of key Information Society issues, as guided by the eLAC2015 action plan.
The event organisers are requesting feedback from you – yes you! – on:
How have we done in our efforts to use ICTs to improve health, education, democracy, social and economic development and gender equity?…
What should be the priorities for the next few years if we want to create more open, just and inclusive societies and more dynamic economies in the region? …
Do you have an idea, an opinion or a concern about internet surveillance, online activism, social media and citizenship, the balance between intellectual property rights and access to knowledge or any of a multitude of other issues central to the emerging information society?
Video submissions of no more than two minutes are requested, and ought to be received no later than 15 March 2013. Further details can be found at the event website.
What is the eLAC2015 action plan?
The Plan of Action for the Information and Knowledge Society in Latin America and the Caribbean (eLAC2015) is the third plan of action that has been developed; the earlier ones being eLAC2007, which set out goals and activities for 2005—2007, and eLAC2010, which governed the period 2008—2010.
eLAC2015 summarises the outcomes and agreed goals and priorities of the Third Ministerial Conference on the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean, which was held in Lima, Peru, in 2010. It consists of 8 thematic areas, 10 lines of action, 6 priorities and 26 goals. Table 1 highlights the themes, key lines of action and priorities under eLAC2015.
Table 1: Summary of key priorities and line of action from eLAC2015 (Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean)
The more fulsome Plan of Action does detail the context and goals for all areas of focus, and includes a comprehensive hierarchy of resources that will monitor implementation of the plan. However, the effectiveness of those efforts might best be judged by the extent to which ordinary citizens observes improvements in the areas under scrutiny.
The importance of multistakeholderism
As the name suggests, “multistakeholderism” speaks to having the widest cross-section of interests (stakeholders) participating in a process. Over the last few years, multistakeholderism has become an important pillar of national and international policy formulation processes. As a result, there has been a shift away from processes controlled solely by policy makers and technocrats, to more inclusive discourse, where a broad range of interests can be represented and considered.
The invitation for feedback on eLAC2015 provides all of us with an invaluable opportunity to make our voices heard, and to shape our Information Societies. However, all too often, we, in the Caribbean, do not take advantage of those opportunities, whilst our counterparts in other countries and regions enjoy healthy participation and dialogue. Hence do forward your thoughts on the action plan as per the instructions outlined above, or share them with us, and we will arrange to have them submitted for consideration.
Image credit: zirconicusso / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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