CARICOM HOSTS INAUGURAL MEETING OF ICT STEERING COMMITTEE

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will host the inaugural meeting of the Regional Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Steering Committee at the CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana on May 16, 2007.

The work of the Regional ICT Steering Committee is an integral part of a project that will aid the development of the Caribbean Information Society (CARIB-IS). The CARICOM Secretariat received €2M for the project under the Ninth European Development Fund (EDF).

The CARIB-IS project is programmed to involve key Information Society (IS) stakeholders including ICT/IS personnel, ICT and telecommunications regulators and operators, thematic stakeholders, private sector and civil society. It will support the development of a network, information society indicators, information-sharing, dialogue, learning, collaboration and innovation.

The Regional ICT Steering Committee will function as a Regional 'think-tank' to consider Information Society and ICT issues and will serve as an advisory body to the CARICOM/CARIFORUM Secretariat. The body will comprise representatives of the CARICOM Secretariat, CARIFORUM member states, CARICOM Associate Members, British Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), French Departments of the Americas (DOMS, Caribbean Regional organizations, the private sector and civil society.

The Steering Committee's work will be facilitated through sub-committees in the following areas: Human Resource Development, Connectivity, Internet Governance, Communications and Content, Public Education, Financing, and Policy and Regulation.