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Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean
ECLAC is the UN Regional Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean, dedicated to promoting economic, social and sustainable
development in the region, reinforcing relationships among coun-
tries and with other nations of the world. Founded in 1948, ECLAC
(CEPAL in Spanish) has 42 Member States and seven associate
members. Its Information Society Programme counts on the finan-
cial support of the European Commission, through its @LIS(Aliance
for the Intoractive Society programme and the International
Development Research Centre, especially ICA-Panamericas.
ECLAC’s activities in the area of Information Society include:
In-depth analysis of public policies – research priority is on
national strategies for the Information Society and the socio-
economic impact of ICT on development. Work is focused on
institutional building and coordination mechanisms and financ-
ing and regulatory instruments that may facilitate and expand
ICT access and infrastructure – e-government and public infor-
mation and production of ICT based goods and services.
Technical cooperation – ECLAC has set up technical coop-
eration projects with various countries in the region, especially
in the field of national strategies for the Information Society,
public spending on ICT, universal access and alternative tech-
nologies, open source software in the public sector and ICT
measurement.
Observatory on the Information Society in Latin America and
the Caribbean (OSILAC) – in close cooperation with the regional
statistical community and contributing to the global Partnership
on Measuring ICT for Development, OSILAC collects ICT indi-
cators, with the aim of centralizing data, normalizing and
harmonizing ICT related indicators and methodologies, and thus
generating new indicators through technical assistance and work-
shops. OSILAC is also producing frequent benchmarking reports,
such as the Benchmarking of the WSIS Plan of Action and the
eLAC 2007 Benchmarking Report.
Website:
(English)
E-mail:
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
ESCAP is the regional headquarters of the United Nations
Secretariat in Asia and the Pacific, dedicated to promote economic
and social development in the region. It was founded in 1947 and
is located in Bangkok, Thailand. It consists of 53 Member States
and nine Associates.
ESCAP’s work is focused on three key areas: reducing poverty;
managing globalization; and addressing emerging social issues.
The Information, Communication and Space Technology Division
(ICSTD) serves the “Managing Globalization” thematic area.
Information, Communication and Space Technology (ICST)
Recognizing the importance of information and communication
technology in the knowledge economy and its impact on economic
and social development, ESCAP established the Information,
Communication and Space Technology Division in July 2002. It
comprises three sections – the ICT Policy Section, the ICT
Applications Section and the Space Technology Applications Section.
The Division was established to assist ESCAP Members and
Associates to apply information, communication and space tech-
nology to the tasks of reducing poverty and promoting sustainable
development by building capacity in the use of ICT and in formu-
lating sound policy, creating a regional platform for the exchange of
knowledge, skills and experiences, and promoting regional coop-
erative mechanisms in some major information, communication
and space technology (ICST) application fields.
ESCAP’s previous work in the area of information, communi-
cation and space technologies has shown that the Asia-Pacific
countries are in need of support related to the development of
cross-sectoral policies that enable them to take full advantage of
the opportunities presented by these technologies. Such policies
are critical in determining the ability of ESCAP member coun-
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In preparation for WSIS, two major intergovernmental meetings have
taken place in the region: Regional Technical Preparatory Meeting for
WSIS, 4-6 May 2005 in Quito, organized by the government of Ecuador,
UNESCO and ECLAC; and the Regional Preparatory Ministerial
Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean for the second phase of
the World Summit on the Information Society, convened by Brazil and
supported by ECLAC, 8-10 June 2005. As a result, the Rio de Janeiro
Commitment and a Plan of Action for the Information Society in Latin
America and the Caribbean, eLAC 2007, were agreed on. Together with
other international and non-governmental organizations in the region,
ECLAC is committed to support governments to implement eLAC 2007
and assess its outcome.
In preparation for WSIS, two major intergovernmental meetings have
taken place in the region: the Regional Technical Preparatory Meeting for
WSIS, 4-6 May 2005 in Quito, organized by the government of Ecuador,
UNESCO and ECLAC; and the Regional Preparatory Ministerial
Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean for the second phase of
the World Summit on the Information Society, convened by Brazil and
supported by ECLAC, 8-10 June 2005. As a result, the Rio de Janeiro
Commitment and a Plan of Action for the Information Society in Latin
America and the Caribbean, eLAC 2007, were agreed. Together with other
international and non-governmental organizations in the region, ECLAC
is committed to support governments to implement eLAC 2007 and
assess its outcome.
ESCAP’s ICST Division assists ESCAP Members and Associates in the
tasks of reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development