>CARDICIS
>Santo Domingo December 5 2005
>
>Mr Harry De BAcker
>DG Development
>European Commission Brussels
>
>On 24 May 2005, the Council of the European Union took an ambitious
>decision on more development aid and better and faster delivery of
>assistance. With this decision, the European Union is once more in the
>political lead for development policy.
>
>The EU is today the largest provider of Official Development Aid (ODA) with
>over half of aid worldwide. But we will do even more: we will unlock
>additional funds, we will deliver aid more efficiently, we will address
>policy contradictions and exploit synergies, and we will deliver in time.
>Our aim is to honour the Millennium Declaration adopted by all Members of
>the United Nations in 2000 and strive towards the achievement by 2015 of
>the Millennium Development Goals. This is why the EU will make an
>additional 20 billion Euro annually available for development from 2010.
>
>Information Society applications, such as e-government, telemedicine,
>distance learning will form an increasing share of our development
>policy. Indeed, the European Commission is conscious about the fact that
>the existing economic and social divide between the North-South will even
>get wider if developing countries are not helped to take advantage of ICTs
>in tackling economic and social problems and if they are denied access to
>markets that are becoming increasingly ICT dependent as part of globalisation.
>Nevertheless the approach should not be "art for art's sake": ICTs can only
>become an effective tool for development and poverty reduction if they are
>an integral part of a broader, more comprehensive national development
>strategy. ICTs should not be -in the first instance- an objective on their
>own. ICTs remain a tool in support of the other development priorities and
>ought to be mainstreamed in the traditional development sectors.
>
> ICTs have a great potential as a generator of wealth, as has been proven
>by the Indian software paradigm of Bangalore, Hyderabad and many others.
>The EC is committed, together with our partner countries, to enhance the
>role that ICTs can play to further facilitate the integration of developing
>countries into the world economy and to reduce poverty by stimulating
>economic activity. ICTs are a critical component in this globalisation
>because they abolish frontiers and reduce distances to milliseconds.
>
>In order for the developing countries to integrate into the world economy,
>a number of urgent actions are necessary for the ICT sector:
>Establishment of a legal and regulatory framework that facilitates private
>entrepreneurs' market entry;
>Capacity building in order to overcome the lack of ICT knowledge;
>
>3. Establishment of pan-Caribbean broadband networks.
>With regard to the specific theme of this conference it is important to be
>aware that culture is a key dimension of development. Though often
>overlooked, it is in fact vital. Greater attention must be given to
>culture as an area of cooperation. Culture is the soul and the expression
>of a people. It determines the functioning of a society and therefore also
>its economic structure. By taking account of the specific nature of
>Caribbean's society and culture, in all its richness and diversity, we can
>tailor our development aid to the actual situation on the ground and
>therefore increase its effectiveness. On the one hand it is a question of
>preserving the Caribbean's cultural assets and diversity, on the other of
>encouraging cultural production and developing the cultural heritage.
>
>I would like to wish you great success with the proceedings of this
>conference and I will actively follow its outcome and any follow-up action
>being given.
>
>Harry De Backer
Nearby lun 05 dic 2005 13:01:22 AST