The Third World Institute(ITeM) and Third World Network organized a debate on the mechanisms to finance information and communication technologies for development which took place on February 21 within the context of the second meeting of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom-2) of the WSIS Tunis phase.
Fernando Prada (associate researcher for the National/International Forum, from Peru) presented his work "Financial mechanisms for the information society from a global public goods perspective" and Willie Currie (Director of APC's Policy Programme, from South Africa) presented the paper "Financing ICTs for development with focus on poverty" by Lishan Adam (Ethiopia). Both documents are part of the ongoing research project by ITeM aimed at making contributions to the WSIS from a Southern perspective.
Roberto Bissio (ITeM's director) and Martin Khor (Third World Network director and member of the project's Board) discussed the papers and framed WSIS in the global governance processes that are shaping the present information society.
Fernando Prada opened the discussion by framing the problem of financing ICTs within the broader context of the provision of global public goods. According to his presentation, the present information society phase does not admit neither partial nor punctual solutions and the challenge lies, precisely, in the articulation of a series of key elements. Prada pointed out five key elements: the internalisation of externalities, particularly of infrastructure; the best use and adaptation of the existing international financing mechanisms (for which it is necessary to create capacities at the level of decision-makers); the demand for specific financing mechanisms for the information society; the adoption of diverse types of financial sources in the different regions and countries, in terms of the different income levels; and finally, the search for an articulation between the local/national levels in order to achieve an effective implementation of the policies to be designed.
Next, Willie Currie presented the general guidelines of the paper written by Lisham Adam, who could not attend the meeting. This proposal is focused on financing mechanisms taking into account specificities of impoverished regions, such as Sub-Saharan Africa. In this context, it addresses the issue of financing ICTs from their double role: on the one hand, as indispensable tools to meet the communication needs of poor people in Africa and on the other hand, as catalyst in relation to development and economic growth.
Roberto Bissio started by explaining the public good character of global communication networks and how this conceptual framework is adequate to frame the problem of financing ICTs in those social sectors whose needs are not met by the market. The focal point of this proposal is based on the fact that, provided the benefits of the network expansion are global, the perspective from which to seek financial support for its development should also be global. At the present time, these benefits are mostly channelled towards large technological corporations in the North, on account of which it is reasonable that the mechanisms to be implemented would also ensure their participation for financing purposes. As a specific idea, he mentioned the possibility of creating a global tax on technological components, such as microchips, which has also been analysed in Prada's paper.
Martin Khor, continued with this line of reasoning and put emphasis on the need to include the debate on financing within the broader framework of global trade inequalities. He referred to the laws on intellectual property and their incidence on Southern projects and initiatives: the budget percentage that is allocated for the payment of patents is getting increasingly high.
Government representatives and civil society members participated in the discussion, by making comments and asking questions. Other brief position papers, aimed at enhancing the debate, were also made available to attendees, in particular: "Community ownership of ICTs: new Possibilities for poor rural communities" by Seán Ó Siochrú, and "The funding of universal access", by Joëlle Carron.
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