The
Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS), in collaboration with
the Centre for Global Studies, University of Victoria (Canada),
organized an international consultative workshop to discuss a proposal
to establish a new specialized international agency, provisionally
called the Digital Initiative for Development (DID).
The
proposal was based on the need for an agency focusing entirely on
the best ideas, policies and programs to foster efficient and scalable
uses of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for the purpose
of sustainable development. The new agency would become an international
focal point promoting an optimal convergence of efforts between the
various actors, international organizations, corporations, civil society
organizations and governments working to bridge the Digital Divide.
The international consultative workshop was attended by a group of
twenty-five preeminent professionals actively involved in the fields
of global governance, international development and ICT. The meeting
examined the need for the mandate and the functions of such an agency
and its potential role in the better use of ICT as a key component
of a comprehensive development strategy.
The
Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, the Centre for Global Studies
and their partners in a coalition of Think Tanks from Peru, Singapore,
South Africa, the Czech Republic and India brought this and several
other policy initiatives to a number of international fora and actively
lobby for their adoption.
