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1、Winter 2003Of Modems and MenInstalling E-government in the E-eastThe aim of this issue of the Local Government Brief is to illuminate the (increasing) evolution, progress and promise of e-government in Eurasia and beyond. The possibilities are exciting: faster access to government services and publi
2、c servants, lower costs for administrative services, greater public access to budgets and documents and a corresponding increase in the transparency and accountability of government activities. But with the promise of e-government also come challenges. For instance, in parts of the region, the “Digi
3、tal Divide” threatens to deepen the chasm between the haves and the have-nots. Where the Internet is not available, the technological “know-how” untapped and incentives lacking, the concept of e-government seems highly impractical. All of these topics and concerns will be addressed in this LGB.Tradi
4、tionally, the interaction between a citizen or business and a government agency took place in a government office. With emerging information and communication technologies it is possible to locate service centers closer to the clients. Such centers may consist of an unattended kiosk in the governmen
5、t agency, a service kiosk located close to the client, or the use of a personal computer in the home or office. Analagous to e-commerce, which allows businesses to transact with each other more efficient (B2B), and brings customers closer to businesses (B2C), e-government aims to make the interactio
6、n between government and citizens (G2C), government and business enterprises (G2B) and interagency relationships (G2G) more friendly, convenient, transparent and inexpensive.The World Bankhttp:/www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/egov/definition.htmHow ICTs Can Serve Good Governance,How Good Governance
7、Can Serve E-government and How Regional Cooperation Can Serve Information Societyby Yuri Misnikov Regional Coordinator, ICT for Development, UNDP yuri.misnikovundp.orgA new e-grammar for a new e-languageThanks to the digital revolution, the language landscape in the field of development has begun to
8、 change and grow more complexthe “e,” the short form of the adjective “electronic,” can, in effect, be added to most major nouns, describing a virtually endless set of societal activities being performed at all levels, with “e-governance” sitting at the apex of this multi-dimensional pyramid. Good g
9、overnance, or the capacity to govern democratically and effectively, is increasingly viewed as the key to a societys sustainable and equitable development. Within this context, e-governance holds the key to a society based on information and knowledge. This article explores the given analogy between
10、 governance and society and e-governance and information society, probing the link between governance and e-governance. In the new digital grammar and language, are we to stress the “e” or the “governance”? These are not easy questions and clearly not just linguistic ones. To find some meaningful an
11、swers, we need to ask a fundamental question, namely: What governance we are talking about and are we speaking the same language? Looking first to the unfolding of the information society saga in todays world, and more specifically in our region, we seek specific answers to questions regarding the r
12、elationship between governance and e-governance. Global e-chronology and real global actorsIdeally, the Internet and other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools offer an unprecedented opportunity for people to access information both over geographical distances and across sovereign st
13、ate borders. Opportunities for networking and transparency are indeed unlimited, regardless of whether this is perceived as good or bad in the public view. Again theoretically, ICTs position governance systems and practices to become widely participatory and all-inclusive. Similarly, economic opport
14、unities seem to be endless. But where are we situated, globally and regionally, along this hopeful road to democracy and prosperity? Will it be a fast journey with captured gains or a long winding road lined with missed opportunities? As usual, the answer will be: it depends on where and for whom. M
15、ajor global and regional institutions have recognized the looming reality. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU)1 was among the first to announce this issue on the global agenda, proposing in 1998 to organize a World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) for December 2003 in Geneva. The
16、 ITU Council reaffirmed this decision in 2000 and again in 2001 and 2002 at the Istanbul convening of the World Telecommunication Development Conference.The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), in turn, welcomed the idea of the Summit in its high-level ministerial Declaration on ICT.
17、 Finally, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 56/183 concerning the WSIS implementation process. Regional e-chronology and real regional and sub-regional actorsMeanwhile, having recognized the onset of e-reality, the European Union and the G8 group approved highly visionary strate
18、gies at their respective summits in Lisbon in May and Okinawa in July 2000. The G8 produced a strategic vision of information society in the form of the Okinawa Charter and a consultation mechanism through the establishment of the Digital Opportunity Task Force (DOT Force).2 The DOT Force presented
19、the conclusions of its work in a report and proposed a nine point action planthe Genoa Plan of Actionwhich received the full endorsement of G8 leaders at their 2001 Genoa Summit. Implementation teams set out to work in areas such as developing national e-strategies, enabling access and connectivity,
20、 building human capacity, promoting entrepreneurship and detailing local content, corresponding to priority areas of the Genoa Plan of Action. A progress report was submitted to G8 leaders for review at the Kananaskis Summit in June 2002 (Canada). The DOT Force partners will continue to monitor the
21、implementation of various initiatives to ensure proper linkages with other international initiatives, although it has already entrusted the UN ICT Task Force3 with oversight of strategic direction, policy coordination and advocacy in relation to the global agenda on ICT for Development. Policy discu
22、ssions are not complete and must continue at the highest levels of government, the private sector and civil society if digital divides are to be transformed into opportunities. While the ITU, the G8 and the United Nations have been busy developing theoretical visions and strategies, the leaders of t
23、he European Union have been involved in incorporating practical information society standards into EU-wide policies (also affecting the accession countries). At the European Council held in Lisbon in March 2000 leaders of the 15 EU states put forward their goal of making the Europe of the next decad
24、e “the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world.”4 Three consecutive eEurope Action Plans have outlined and set benchmarks for the development of European Information Society.Lessons of e-Europe The eEurope initiatives have been both highly politicized and highly results ori
25、ented. The Union carefully tracked, monitored and evaluated the implementation of each Action Plan, using a comprehensive system of key indicators and benchmarking reports produced and submitted to leaders for review and further action. The deliberately detailed implementation of eEurope and the pol
26、itical commitment of the EU leaders to constructand actually enforcea knowledge-based economy and society “for the benefit of all” distinguishes the EU from other global, regional and sub-regional actors. The positive effects of political will and enforcement through effective implementation benchma
27、rking are perhaps the first lessons for other regions and states to draw from eEurope, but another overriding theme is that, ultimately, success is possible only through regionally concerted actions. It is unlikely that progress comparable to that of e-Europe could have been achieved by individual c
28、ountries acting alone. Presented below are examples supporting regional and/or sub-regional coordination in meeting globalization challenges and suggesting that such an approach necessarily becomes an important force in building the information societya sort of regionalizing globalization.Questions
29、to be evaluatedImpressive technological advances in the digitalization of information coupled with the ability of the Internet and related communication channelsboth terrestrial and satellite, and more increasingly wireless and mobile telephony5to disseminate and transfer information pose challenges
30、 to existing conceptions of competitiveness. The mere necessity of being competitive in the era of globalization is equally crucial for regions and countries in possession of weaker economies and emergent democracies as for industrial hubs like the EU. Most countries in the CEE initiated ICT project
31、s only recentlyas late as 2002, at least two years after the implementation of the first eEurope initiative in the EU. Two years may not seem much of a setback, but the timeline is essential, given the sensitivity and high speed of technological innovations. The exceptions are few and remarkableEsto
32、nia, Hungary and Slovenia among the accession countries. These three countries stand out in recognizing ICTs as a national development priority. In the CIS, only Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation have officially approved a national e-strategy. While “Electronic Russia” seems to be have been enco
33、uraged by the Russian Federations membership in the G8, Kyrgyzstans National ICT for Development Strategy has been largely inspired by Estonians successful example and strong domestic support.Looking to the region in view of the lessons of e-Europe, we might ask: (a) whether perceptions of using ICT
34、s for constructing information society and of relying increasingly on knowledge are strong enough; (b) whether present governance systems are ready and responsive to add the “e” and ultimately dispose of nontransparent and undemocratic practices; (c) whether sub-regional divisions assist or obstruct
35、 collective, regionally coordinated actions; and (d) whether an information society built out of necessity can promote regional, sub-regional and international cooperation for expansion beyond the new EU of 2004.The agenda for a sub-regional information societyA series of regional and sub-regional c
36、onferencesheld within two months (mid-September through mid-November 2002) and under the auspices of preparing for the first meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)6represents a remarkable development in inter-regional cooperation. At the WSIS countries can expect to adopt a de
37、claration laying out a set of principles aimed at establishing a more inclusive and equitable Information Society and a Plan of Action formulating concrete measures to be enacted to ensure globally equitable benefits from the opportunities presented by an Information Society. Also significant is tha
38、t the preparatory conferences were held in close partnership among national governments (with the governments of Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Romania, Serbia and USA playing key roles), regional institutions (including the Regional Communications Commonwealth, CIS Executive Committee and eSEE
39、 Initiative), international organizations (UNDP, UN/ECE, ITU, Stability Pact for South East Europe, the European Commission), civil society (Global Internet Policy Initiative and Open Society Institute among others), and the private sector as represented by ICT and telecom companies. Commonwealth of
40、 Independent States (CIS) and TurkeyDuring the Bishkek-Moscow ICT Conference in Kyrgyzstan and Russia in the autumn of 2002 participants identified major obstacles and appealed to governments and the international community to contribute to the creation of information society in the CIS and Turkey.
41、The following problems were identified and agreed upon as most important: Substantial differences in levels of access to information resources between various social groups, rural and urban populations, women and men; Uncoordinated donor resources; Obstacles in access to telecommunication infrastruc
42、ture, including access to the market for new operators;Outdated regulations in the telecom sector;Limited availability of statistical information on ICT markets;Lack of well-qualified personnel in the ICT area.The Bishkek-Moscow Conferences definition of information society names technology as an in
43、strument for achieving poverty reduction and general human socio-economic advancement. It recognizes civil society and the private sector as key stakeholders that must participate at all levels in decision-making (in local, national, regional and international processes). The Conference called on go
44、vernments, civil society and the private sector to:Improve laws and regulations to facilitate the creation of information society, divide functions of state regulation and service delivery, assist in the application of universal service to communications;Provide free access to public information, fa
45、cilitate the readiness of people to accept the conditions and opportunities of information society, ensure equal opportunities for information access for various age and social groups, including women;Stimulate development of the electronic economy by establishing electronic payment systems and elec
46、tronic trade within and among countries, develop mechanisms to implement standards for document identification, electronic signature and information protection systems, improve national intellectual property protection to stimulate innovations, create an enabling environment for small- and medium-si
47、ze enterprises in the ICT area;Promote distance learning, build the capacity of human resources, preserve national cultures and languages by developing local content, promote multilingualism on the Internet, support research and educational centers in vocational training and re-training in ICT, prot
48、ect children and adolescents from harmful Internet content and activities that may lead to unlawful acts abusing their rights and freedoms; andEncourage local authorities to implement ICT projects and apply new ICT-based services to public and economic affairs, develop a system for monitoring and ev
49、aluating information society readiness, undertake a comprehensive set of measures at the level of statistical bodies, ministries and agencies to improve the reliability and credibility of information describing the status of information society development.International organizations and donors were called on to assist in providing access to the informational resources of developed countrie
