ISSUE 3

Strategy Development for Islands and Small States

Recognising the Commonwealth's inclusion of a large number of island and small states, as well as the need for policy guidance and benchmarking to harness ICT's for development, COMNET-IT in conjunction with the Commonwealth Secretariat and a number of other agencies, has embarked on a new programme.

Features of this initiative include :

• the development of a network of interested regional and national agencies
• an electronic repository of contacts, documentation and experiences
• research and publication, particularly in the area of models or guidelines for strategy and policy and in the institution of the appropriate legal frameworks
• regional (and subsequently in-country) high-level seminars and policy workshops
  

The initiative was launched at a recent workshop on "ICT Strategies for Islands and Small States" which was held in Malta last March (see report on page ?). The Commonwealth Secretariat, UNESCO and the Government of Malta co-sponsored the activity. Other partners include COMNET-IT, the Small Island Developing States Network (SIDSNET), the Malta Council for Science and Technology and the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation. The Commonwealth Secretariat's continuing support for this programme is in line with its current focus (in the area of ICT) on the development of national ICT strategies as well as on electronic governance.

Agencies wishing to participate in this initiative and individuals able to make some contribution are invited to contact comnet@gov.mt.