CTO And UNCTAD To Form A Strategic Partnership To Leverage ICTs For Development
The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today on a framework of cooperation to optimise ICTs for development.
The signing of this MoU ushers a new era of cooperation between a major UN body and the premier Commonwealth organisation in ICTs that will see ICTs being leveraged effectively for commerce and industry. The MoU aims to facilitate collaboration between the CTO and UNCTAD in building knowledge through research and building capacity through training and conferences.
UNCTAD established in the 1960’s provides on-the-ground assistance to help developing countries benefit from the globalizing economy, whilst contributing to international debate on emerging issues related to developing countries and the world economy, such as the current global financial crises. This is achieved through major reports, such as the annual Information Economy Report, policy briefs and contributions to international conferences. On the other hand the CTO, established in 1901, with over 40 Commonwealth countries and a number of major ICT entities as members, provides capacity building, carry out research and organise international events as means of contributing to the furtherance of ICTs for development. With Digital Natives making over half its population, the Commonwealth has become the home of ICT innovation and the CTO its primary agency for ICT propagation in governance and commerce.
This strategic partnership opens new avenues for the global ICT community, particularly the developing countries of the Commonwealth, to identify innovative ways in which technology could promote trade and commerce. Commenting on the signing of the MoU, Prof. Tim Unwin, Secretary General of CTO says “we are extremely pleased that UNCTAD has signed this MoU and formed a partnership with the CTO. ICTs being a complex and challenging landscape which also holds so much promise, the CTO always aims to form partnerships as means of achieving synergies that will eventually help our members reach their ICT goals. This MoU will help us to work closely with UNCTAD to bring practical benefits to our members”. Mr Supachai Panitchpakdi, UNCTAD Secretary General commented that "close collaboration with CTO will facilitate greater outreach and effectiveness in UNCTAD's research and technical assistance aimed at helping developing countries benefit more from new technologies".
About CTO
The CTO is the oldest and largest Commonwealth organisation engaged in multilateral collaboration in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). It uses its experience and expertise to support members in integrating ICTs to deliver effective development interventions that enrich, empower, equalise and emancipate people within the Commonwealth and beyond.
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| Date Posted | December 03 2012 |